MCRRCI to Celabrate 50 years of promoting motorcycle racing, plans for 2012 are well underway !!!

                        Watch this SPACE!!!!

IRISH SUPERBIKE EASTER FESTIVAL RACES

35^th ENKALON TROPHY RACE

                              Good Friday 22^nd April & Saturday 23^rd April

 Good Friday 22^nd April is the day that the 2011 Irish Superbike Championship fires up with the Irish Superbike Easter Festival Races at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit near Downpatrick the home of St Patrick.

 The mcrrci/killinchy clubs are hoping for more favourable weather this year, with 2 full days of qualifying and racing starting at 9.30am Friday morning, untimed/timed practice for all race classes - 125gp/moto 450, Supertwins, Supersports, Junior Superstock, 250gp/ss400, 600/1010 Clubman, Irish Superbikes and Sidecars.

 Once again we have Irelands only Knockout Qualifying attraction with SAIL to POLE with Nutt Travel.com for the Superbikes which is similar to the knock out qualifying system used in World & British Superbikes. Fastest 20 riders from Q1 go through to Q2 where the fastest 10 riders go through to Q3, with the Pole position winner receiving The SAIL to POLE Trophy and £250. Lap records are a must after the recent resurfacing and track upgrades. Thanks to 2&4 Wheel, Dcal and Sport NI for funding and supporting our Sport and not forgetting circuit owner Jim Obrien and Wilson McKibbin for providing an excellent venue.

Each race class will have 3 Championship races over the two days, with a total prize fund of over £13000.

The Enkalon Club have the Title Sponsor of the Irish Superbike class which has a prize fund of £1600 for rounds 1 & 3, round 2 will feature the Anniversary 35^th ENKALON TROPHY RACE which has a prize fund of £2800 with the winner receiving £1250. The Enkalon Club wished to increase the prizefund in this anniversary year. In theory if the pole man wins the 2 ISB races and the Enkalon Trophy race he could take home £2000.

2011 Irish Superbike Easter Festival Races has the best line up of Top Teams and the cream of Road Racers and Short Circuit specialists in contention for ISB glory are;Wilson Craigs William Dunlop & Cameron Donald on Hondas , Stephen Thompson, Kirk Jamison, Michael Pearson on Bmw's , Ryan Farquhar, Adrian Archibald, Jamie Hamilton on Kawasaki, Brian Mc Cormick, Denver Robb Yamaha,  Mark Johnston, David Haire also on Honda's and new kid on the block Nico Mawhinney will be on Suzuki machinery.

Walter Bell & Son Oil-fired Heating Services of Carrickfergus is this year's Supersport class sponsor which has a prize fund of almost £2500.

Supersport class has Cameron Donald, William Dunlop, Christian Elkin, Adrian Archibald, Ryan Farquhar, Michael Sweeney, Gary Robinson, Michael Pearson, Declan Swanton and Jordan Bonnar to watch out for.

The Down Council 650 Supertwin class should have close racing with the usual suspects and a few new ones to mix it up Adrian Archibald , Ryan Farquhar, Malcolm McKinney, Marty Lennon, Michael Sweeney, William Davison battle it out for total prize fund of £1400

Charles Hurst Hyundai Dundonald 125GP Class has Class act and NW200 winner Paul Robinson, Jason Lynn, Luke Johnston, Nigel Moore and young guns Ross Patterson, Korie McGreevy trying to mix it with them. We also have two of our female competitors again this year Karen Hadden and Melisa Kennedy entered.

250GP  will have their races run concurrently and the men to watch will be William Dunlop, Barry Davidson, Paul Robinson, Thomas Lawlor and Daly Mathison who always make it a close racing affair.

Sidecar class have 12 outfits entered including some Scottish competitors; Alex Johnston / Paul Carville, Scobbie Killough  with special passenger A.N.Other,  Kyle Young/Clive Russell,  Karl Mullan / Aaron  Gilligan  lead  the  local  defence of the three wheel action.

We again have a full grid of non championship Clubmen Competitors, Nico Mawhinney and Timmy Elwood must be favourites in this class.

This Year Irish Superbike Easter Festival Race Event will support Northern Irelands Children's Hospice, please give generously.

New to Irish Superbikes for 2011 is the Trophy prize given at the end of the day's event for overall Podium prize winners in each Class, this will allow photographers time to get their snaps.

 END

Practice 9.30am Friday 22^nd April, SAIL to POLE due to get underway at 11.45am on Friday and racing at 2.30pm.

Saturday 23^rd April 9am warm-up racing from 10.30am Enkalon Trophy Race 1.30pm

Event Admission Adults £15 includes programme, children free.

 Promoted by ; 

                        Motorcycle Road Racing Club of Ireland

                                                        and

                                      Killinchy & District MCC.

Opening hours are; Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 5pm.     Admission to the museum is free of charge.

There is however a charge for some special events and for guided tours. Please contact us for more details.

Finding the museum;

The museum is located on the Mall, English Street Downpatrick and is within easy walking distance of the town centre. There are many other places to visit nearby.  

Groups and schools;

The rich heritage of County Down is brought to life in fascinating exhibitions, lively events and award winning education programmes.

Visitor facilities;

The museum is fully accessible for families with young children, visitors with mobility difficulties and wheelchair users.

Toilets for visitors with disabilities and baby changing facilities are available.

The museum tearoom serves lunches and snacks. 

The museum shop has an excellent range of books on local history, items of local crafts, children's goods and souvenirs

                Press release for MCRRCI & KILLINCHY CLUBS REF. 260211.

2011 IRISH TARMAC SHORT CIRCUIT SEASON

KICKS OFF on the

 12^th March at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit.

 Promoted by

The Motor Cycle Road Racing Club of Ireland

& the Killinchy and District Motorcycle club.

Irish Clubmans Championship Event comprising of race classes for the 125, moto 450 clubman and 125 Production, Bridgestone Tyres Supersport,  Junior Superstocks, Bridgestone 701-1010 , Pre 97 & Pre Injection. There will also be two National non championship races for 400 ss/650 supertwins and Supersport /Junior superstock and 1010 Superbikes.

Full grids will be the order of the day as most competitors try to enter the event to get the cobwebs blown off after the winter break.

Two races per class after the practice sessions in the morning starting at 9am with "new race licence holder's" free practice.  All the new fresh up and coming talent to Ireland take their first steps to a possible career in Motorcycle racing following Glen Irwin who started in this Championship.

This Championship brings some of the most exciting racing to our land and makes a great day out for the family to watch. With the 2011 Championships starting here everyone will be out to score the maximum points in their particular Class and a points system that works the same as World Superbikes scores from 1^st to 15^th places with 25 points for a WIN down to 1 point for 15^th place.

Racing starts approximately at 1pm. 

Most National competitors also enter this event to get their machines set-up for our Irish Superbike Easter Festival Races which incorporates the Anniversary 35^th Year of the Enkalon Trophy Race which has £1250 for the winner sponsored by the hard working Enkalon Club in Antrim. This event takes place over Good Friday and Easter Saturday with 3 Irish Superbike Championship races for each Class and Ireland only "Roll to Pole" Qualifying system - Sail to Pole with Nutt Travel on Good Friday All the major players on the short circuits and road races usually enter both these events for vital track time.

With the venue just getting resurfaced over the winter a BIG thanks has to go to ; Sport NI, Dcal , 2&4 Wheel Steering Group and Circuit owner Jim O'Brien who has put so much into making this circuit available for Motorcycle racing and making it one of the best environments for racing and spectating alike in the UK.

Lap Records are sure to go !!!

Everyone welcome.