Ulster GP 2017: at an average of 216 km / h, on the road, in a package…
Dovizioso, Marquez and the others weren’t the only ones competing in a Grand Prix this weekend: their motorcycle road racing counterparts took part in the Ulster GP 2017, an edition marked by Hickman’s dominance, victories and Anstey and Harrison records… and the absence of Hutchinson and Martin? MNC takes stock.
UGP 2017: Victories for Hickman … Anstey and Harrison !
Fans of motorcycle racing on British roads will have noted that this year, big names were missing from the entry list for the Ulster Grand Prix … The most obvious: that of Ian Hutchinson, and badly .
Also absent were the two official Honda riders: John "King Of The Moutain" McGuinness, and therefore forfeited for this weekend, as well as his – former – teammate Guy Martin who, despite his good record at Ulster GP (eleven victories for the "TiTi Poupou"!).
But Peter Hickman’s performance remains as impressive as it is respectable: the English driver won three of the five main races contested this Saturday, August 12! "Hickey" led his BMW S1000RR to victory in Superstock, then clinched the double in Supersport riding his Triumph Daytona 675.
In the Superbike category, however, Hickman failed to win: he lost a quarter of a second in the first round against the formidable Bruce Anstey, and unfortunately had to retire in the second round, his engine having rendered the soul at the very beginning of the second round (out of six)…
"It was great, I really have to thank the team because everything was perfect", declared Saturday evening Peter, winner a week earlier with the same Smith’s Racing Team of the second race of the British Superbike at the Thruxton circuit. !
“I am naturally overwhelmed by these victories achieved in extremely tough and close races, as is always the case at Ulster GP. To win a race here you know you will have to fight until the end, because widening a gap is almost impossible ", rightly underlines n ° 60/666.
Remember that: the start of the race is given simultaneously, on a grid, and the winner is the one who crosses the finish line first, while in the Tourist Trophy, the pilots start one by one and fight above all against the chrono…
“I did my best to escape in all races, but only really did in Superstock thanks to the wet sections. I led the majority of laps in most races and although we we had a problem in the very last one, we don’t have to be disappointed at all "concludes the thirty-something, crowned" Man of the test "2017.
At just 19 years old, Joey Thompson received the "Vincent Fusco" Trophy awarded since 2013 to the best rookie rider: third in the Moto3 category, 12th and 10th in Supersport, the young Yorkshire rider had won Thursday during the Drundod 150 (Supersport) but did not have the heart to celebrate his victory…
His teammate Gavin Lupton, who fell in practice, and Stephen Lynd, who fell in the race, both struggled – and continue today – to death … A third driver, Jamie Hodson, unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. "Ride In Peace", as the British say…
Always at the top despite his 48 years, Bruce Anstey is doubly illustrated. First of all by winning the first SBK round of the Ulster GP on Saturday! "The last man to have won at this age on a Superbike (a MotoGP in this case, Editor’s note!) Is none other than Joey Dunlop in 1999", underline the organizers.
This pilot from the end of the world – he’s a New Zealand citizen, like Burt Monro! – also marked this 2017 edition of the "Grand Prix of Northern Ireland" by recovering the race lap record that belonged to him between 2010 and 2016…
Beaten last year by Ian Hutchinson himself (134.089 mph or 215.652 km / h), Anstey improved the score by completing the third lap of the first Superbike race at a maddening average of 134.396 mph … Unfortunately for the "Kiwi" , his new record held only 3 minutes 17 seconds and 928 thousandths !
This is exactly the time it took Dean Harrison and his ZX-10R to complete the third lap of the same race! In the second SBK round, the same Kawasaki rider took advantage of Hickman’s retirement and Anstey’s forfeit to win. He is however ahead of Dan Kneen on his BMW by only a tenth of a second (!), Conor Cummins on his Honda – Fireblade – by three tenths (!!!) and Michael Dunlop on the new Suzuki by a second and a half….
The new race lap record to beat in 2018 for Anstey, Hickman, Hutchinson or Martin (not to mention the Dunlop brothers, Cummins, McGuinness, Kneen or Johnson!) Is therefore an average speed of 134.614 mph, or 216.640 km / h. Good luck, guys !
Finally, it is impossible for Site to conclude without pulling on the helmets of the two French pilots engaged this year in the "fastest race in the world": Fabrice Miguet and Xavier Denis brilliantly defended our colors (see the complete results of the races on the following page) !
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