Tourist Trophy – Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig … –

Posted on by admin

Ulster Grand Prix 2018: Hickman’s triumph, Mig’s departure…

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

For the second year in a row, the new star of road racing – and on the track! – Peter Hickman won the Ulster Grand Prix on his Daytona 675 and S1000RR. But this 2018 edition was doubly sad, because of the death of Fabrice Miguet and the weather forecast….

For French – bikers who love road racing – the 2018 Ulster Grand Prix will be remembered for a very sad reason: it was during the Superstock race, Saturday 11 August 2018 in the morning, that Fabrice Miguet died…

The day before his fatal accident, "Mig" spoke to his friends and supporters about the foot – insane ?! – that he took control of his ZX-10R during testing: "what a pleasure to come out of a curve that we have just passed at more than 240 km / h and to take a bump with still a little ‘angle … "No comment.

  • MNC special file –
  • Live MNC :
  • Ulster GP 2017 :

"I had known Fabrice, or MIG as most of us called him, for over 20 years, even before I became the race director," says Noel Johnston. "He’d been racing in Dundrod for a long time (Ulster GP track, editor’s note), he was a real character who was part of the furniture".

When Fabrice Miguet was announced at the age of 49, the big boss of this – not very – funny Grand Prix was collapsed, like many: "our thoughts are with Fabrice’s parents and the Optimark team, as well as to his family and relatives "…

As if to greet the departure of the most northern Irish of French motorcycle riders, the skies darkened again during the day. The weather conditions became so delicate that the race management had to interrupt the Superbike round on the 2nd lap. This one has not been relaunched, and the last events had to be canceled.

For the record, the 2017 Ulster GP races were won by Peter Hickman (STK, SSP 1 and 2), Bruce Anstey (SBK 1) and Dean Harrison (SBK 2). This year unfortunately, the winner of the first Superbike round was absent: … Hard.

Other big names were missing. John McGuinness is still too weakened by his injured leg in the North West 200 (2017!) To ride at full speed and in a group. Ditto for Ian Hutchinson, winner of the Ulster GP in 2016, who is slowly recovering from his fall in the Tourist Trophy (2017 too!). Finally, Michael Dunlop was too affected by … hard, hard.

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

It is therefore the major 2018 revelations of the Tourist Trophy that animated the events of the "fastest road race in the world": Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison! On the first day however, it was Connor Cummins who won in the Supersport category..

On board the CBR600RR, on a wet track but fitted with the best tires, the Manx driver has returned to a victory that had eluded him since 2009! "It’s good to come back to the top step after all these years", admitted the n ° 1 of the Honda Padgget’s team..

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

“The race was not easy because the first two or three laps were completely crazy,” admitted Cummins, “but I stayed with my head in the handlebars and found my rhythm, trying to be the most fluid. possible". McLean (winner in Supertwin) finished second ahead of Harrison, Todd and Hickman.

Two days later, four of these riders again made up the Top 5 of the Superstock 1000. But it was the best enemies of the 2018 TT who fought for victory: author of a new lap record in the STK category, Dean Harrison finally beat Peter Hickman (Isle of Man lap record holder, please) by two small tenths of a second !

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

"It was a big battle", rejoiced the Kawasaki rider. "The competition is very tight here with aspirations, and bikes with comparable performance. (…) I just thought I was going to get behind Peter, follow him and find a place to pass him." Elementary, my dear Harrison !

Just stepped off the Superstock podium, the absolute record holder for the Dundrod lap (average 216.640 km / h, no other circuit in the world is faster!) Was forced to retire during the second Supersport round. It is therefore this devil of Peter Hickman who won a clear victory at the controls of his Daytona n ° 666 (!) Supported by the British heavy metal group, Iron Maiden.

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

Still, "Supersport is not really my best class," says the Triumph rider. Although, "with three victories here (one last year, two in 2018, editor’s note), it seems silly to say that. The bike works really well, it suits me perfectly".

Finally, Hickman was also declared the winner of the ultimate SBK race, unfortunately limited to two short "and then go" laps, due to a crash and then too perilous track conditions. This does not detract from the merit and the title obtained by Hicky, named "Man of Ulster GP" for the second year in a row.

Tourist Trophy - Ulster Grand Prix 2018: the triumph of Hickman, the start of Mig ... -

Winner of the last big road race of the season, Hickman is also a British Superbike "guy"! The weekend preceding this "Grand Prix of Northern Ireland", the n ° 60 of the BMW Smiths Racing team had distinguished himself in BSB, on the occasion of the seventh round at Thruxton.

Weak Saturday morning, Sylvain Barrier’s teammate – the world is small! – was taken to the emergency room the same evening to treat a urinary tract infection. Released on Sunday morning, the English driver took down that very afternoon a "marvelous" third place then an "amazing" second place in the race. A real man, word of MNC…

Ulster GP 2018: Day 1 – August 9

Supersport 1:

  1. Conor Cummins, Padgett’s Honda
  2. Adam McLean, McAdoo Kawasaki (+8.177)
  3. Dean Harrison, Silicone Engineering (+13.208)
  4. Davey Todd, Cookstown BE Racing (+15.668)
  5. Peter Hickman, Smiths Racing BMW (+27.607)

Ulster GP 2018: day two – August 11

Superstock:

  1. Dean Harrison, Silicone Engineering
  2. Peter Hickman, Smiths Racing BMW (+0.203)
  3. Conor Cummins, Padgett’s Honda (+4.928)
  4. Davey Todd, Cookstown BE Racing (+0.401)
  5. Lee Johnston, Padgett’s Honda (+7.607)

Supersport 2:

  1. Peter Hickman, Trooper by Smith’s Racing Triumph
  2. Lee Johnston, Padgett’s Honda (+7.607)
  3. Conor Cummins, Padgett’s Honda (+0.041)
  4. Adam McLean, McAdoo Kawasaki (+0.867)
  5. Michael Sweeney, (+19.114)

Superbike:

  1. Peter Hickman, Smith’s Racing BMW
  2. Lee Johnston, Padgett’s Honda
  3. David Johnson, Tyco BMW
  4. Paul Jordan, Dafabet Devitt Kawasaki
  5. Brian McCormack, TAG Racing BMW

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *