Farquhar and Amor share the honours

 

Crowds applaude the riders at the Hanlon's Leap section of the circuit 

  Ryan Farquhar and Keith Amor had two wins each at the 2008 adelaideinsurance.com/Kells road races on Sunday July the 20th.The 25,000 plus fans were entertained to a feast of speed at the slickly run meeting, held in perfect weather conditions.       Keith Amor took his first win of the day in the 600cc Supersport race, but had to fend of the persistent challenge from Farquhar who, led for five of the eight laps. Amor made his move on lap six getting the better of Farquhar as they left Kells corner and went on to win by 0.32 seconds.   Michael Dunlop was third throughout with John Walsh holding onto fourth just ahead of Carl Rennie and Michael Fitzpatrick fifth and sixth respectively.

Amor (left) Farquhar (Centre) and Dunlop (right) on the podium after the Grand Final 

  Amor made it a double in the 600cc category by beating Farquhar once again in the Non Championship race, but the margin at the chequered flag this time was only 0.09 seconds in favour of the Falkirk rider. Farquhar tried his best to overhaul Amor at the final corner but the Scottish flyer made no mistakes on the run to the line. Amor set a new lap record for the class with a time of 1.14.79 seconds.   Third wave starter Adrian McFarland took third on corrected time after a race long battle with Davy Morgan, with John Walsh fifth and Dromore’s Stephen McKnight taking a fine sixth.       The Senior Championship race was a two part affair as Andrew Brady crashed out midway through the race at the famous back jump, thankfully without serious injury. Just as the red flags went out Wayne Kirwin and Longford’s Damian Mulleady tangled at the Village corner also. Brady and Kirwin suffered minor bruising which ruled them out for the rest of the meeting but Mulleady was able to continue in the later races. At the time of the stoppage Farquhar had less than a second of a lead over Amor and when the race got going again Farquhar led Amor for the four lap sprint and won by 0.85 seconds. The final rostrum place was filled by Kilkenny’s John Walsh.  

 Farquhar wins from Scottish flyer Keith Amor in the Grand Final feature race

  The main race of the day the Grand Final was another epic battle between top guns Farquhar and Amor, There was never more than a bike length splitting the pair. The massive crowd were on tender hooks as to who would win, as they started their last lap there was only 0.1 seconds splitting the duo. However it was the Killyman ace who triumphed after leading from flag to flag. Michael Dunlop took third after passing John Walsh in the early stages who was seemingly having problems getting gears. English visitor Carl Rennie took fifth just ahead of Derek Sheils who completed the top six.       Michael Dunlop was a star of both the 125cc and 250cc championship classes; Dunlop took a fine double and was never troubled in either of the races. His first win came in the 125cc race where he was a start to finish winner over Graham Wilson who finished fourth on the road but was elevated to the runner-up spot on corrected time. Michael’s cousin Sam took the final rostrum position.  

 Amor and Farquhar battle it out during the 600 cc race

  The junior 250cc race was red flagged on lap one, Jeff Shaw parted company with his 250cc Honda at Kells corner as a result of brake failure, the Co Antrim man was taken to Navan hospital but was later released on Sunday night. Shaw sustained a broken ankle which will be operated on later in Coleraine Hospital on the 27th of this month and also has a chipped bone to his right forearm.       Michael Dunlop dominated the quarter litre race and won by 3.78 seconds from Davy Morgan who overhauled Barry Davidson on lap two and managed to stay ahead to the chequered flag.   In the Senior Support birthday boy Damian Howard had an easy victory to head the championship by 57 points. Last weeks Walderstown winner Alan O’Dwyer took second from Skerrie’s rider David Yeoman’s and Banbridge’s Darwyn Young after a race long battle between the trio.  

 125cc race action Sam Dunlop 33, Jeff Shaw 7 and Michael Dunlop 3

  In the small support Wayne Boylan took victory by less than one second from Championship leader Alistair Hayworth. Andy Farrell took third just ahead of Yeoman’s and David Howard with 1.2 second’s covering the trio at the line.       Mark Morgan took the honours in the 1000 cc Classic race over Tarporley’s Richard Ford. Billy Lyle won the 500cc class over Gary Jamison by the narrowest of margins four tenths of a second.   Ed Manley beat Dennis Gallagher after a race long battle in the 350cc category while Barry Davidson continued his winning run on the 250cc Dempster Honda.     There was much deliberation as to who would be awarded the Man of the Meeting as Amor, Farquhar and M Dunlop all had double wins. At the end of the day Keith Amor was awarded the Man of the meeting as he posted the fastest lap of the meeting.