September 24, 2016

2016 Scarborough Gold Cup: Superbike double for Harrison

2016 Scarborough Gold Cup: Superbike double for Harrison

Perfect conditions greeted the competitors on Saturday for the opening day’s action at the International Gold Cup Trophy meeting at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough and it was Dean Harrison who ended the day on top with two Superbike race victories on the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki’s.

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Confusion with grid positions led to the Open race being delayed but when it did get underway it was Ivan Lintin (Devitt RC Express Racing Kawasaki) who took the lead on the first lap from Harrison and Derek Sheils (Shirlaws Kawasaki). Second time around and Harrison hit the front and although Lintin stuck with him initially, Harrison eventually ran out victor by a comfortable 3.3s.

Sheils had a relatively lonely ride into third with Dan Hegarty (Radcliffe Racing BMW) just getting the better of John McGuinness (Bet Victor Honda) for fourth. Slow starting Michael Dunlop (Buildbase/MD Racing BMW) came through to take sixth ahead of Daley Mathison (Motodex BMW).

The Senior race followed a similar pattern only this time Harrison led from the off. Cut to six laps, the Bradford rider’s lead was already up to four seconds at half race distance and he eventually led home Lintin by almost six seconds. He’d come under extreme pressure from Dan Kneen (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) until he retired on the penultimate lap and that allowed McGuinness to take a close third. Dunlop retired at the end of lap three whilst Sheils pulled in after the warm-up lap.

It was Harrison who grabbed the lead on the opening lap of the Supersport race, the first race of the day, and he led for the first three laps with Lintin in second and Kneen in third. However, on lap three, Lintin closed right in on the back wheel of Harrison and moments after crossing the line to start lap four, the latter pulled in to retire.

That gave Lintin an eight second lead over new second placed rider Tom Weeden but this year’s Senior Manx Grand Prix winner was also out of luck retiring on lap five. Lintin had no such problems though and eventually won by nine seconds from Kneen with the Manxman just holding off the close attentions of slow starting Mathison (Suzuki).

There was an equally close battle for fourth and it was James Cowton (Honda) who ultimately prevailed over Hegarty (Radcliffe Butchers Honda) as Darren Cooper (Kawasaki) completed the top six.

In the Formula Two Sidecar race, Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance led from start to finish on the Team Klaffi/F13K Cancer Honda but Steve and Matty Ramsden kept them in touch for much of the way before multiple World Champion Reeves pulled away in the second half of the race to take the win by 3.9s. Dave Wallis/Tony Belsey took a comfortable third.

Lintin took his customary win in the Supertwins race, the first leg of the Lee Pullan Trophy, by over twenty seconds from Cowton and Adam McLean whilst other wins on the day were taken by Davy Morgan (Supersport B & Open B), Ian Lougher (Ultra-Lightweight), David Bell (Classic Superbike), and Paul Owen (Classic FII).


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