After a long, wet, two and half weeks on the Isle of Man it was back to Ireland for Davy Morgan Racing and the Killalane Road Races just North of Dublin. With good weather forecast for the weekend the team was hoping for a good run to end what has been a frustrating year on Irelands Roads.

Practice – Saturday
Although the sun was shining and the roads were completely dry (for a change) they were very slippery with the amount of dirt and dust on them from the surrounding fields. Davy was first out on the CSC Branson 600cc Yamaha and after a careful run round he found himself in a disappointing thirteenth and on the front row of the B Group beside John Burrows. The CSC Branson Superstock R1 Yamaha was next on circuit and with a full grid there was a lot of traffic around and Davy found it hard to get a clear run and with the amount of dirt still about it was risky to go off the racing line to get past. When he eventually did get a clear road it was a mistake at one of the road ends that spoilt the lap and he had to settle for the twelfth fastest time and a pole position start from the B Group. Davy’s final session was on the Strangford Holiday Park/BLRC 250cc Honda and by this stage the circuit was better, but still not perfect. As the session got faster and faster, going on to the final lap he was second on the grid, but he got caught in traffic and did not better his time while others did and he finished fourth quickest putting him on the outside of the front row.

Race – Saturday
The Darran Lindsay Memorial 600cc Race held after practice was to start well and end painfully for Davy. From the front of the B Group on the CSC Branson Yamaha he made a terrific start and led the group in to the first corner, as he pulled away from the rest he was now making in roads to the A Group riders on corrected time and by mid distance he was in to the top ten and going on to the penultimate lap he was up to ninth and hunting down eighth. With a good result looming his bad luck continued when a pigeon flew out in front of him, catching Davy on the shoulder and almost knocking him off the bike. He managed to get the bike stopped safely at the next road ends and collapsed to his knees in pain. A frustrating end to what again looked like being a good result.

Race – Sunday
The first job on Sunday morning was to see the medical people and get the shoulder checked out, they were satisfied there was nothing damaged in the shoulder, it was just a very heavy thump that was very sore so a pain killing injection was required.

The 250cc Race was first on track and Davy got off the line superbly on the BLRC/Strangford Holiday Park Honda and followed the first three out of sight and up past the paddock, by the end of the opening lap he was up to third place and right in the wheel tracks of the Dunlop boys, but then the red flags came out. On the restart he did not get away as well and was left back in fifth place. By the time he got himself in to third the leaders were gone and he had a lonely run home to claim the final step on the podium.

The Championship Open Race was next and on the CSC Branson R1 Yamaha he found himself behind Andrew Courtney in the early laps, but once past him, Davy was able to gap him almost immediately and managed to put in a couple of fast laps taking almost a second a lap out of the riders in front to pull himself in to the top ten on corrected time at the chequered flag.

Holding on to the big bike had put quite a strain on to the damaged shoulder and with the injection beginning to wear off it was going to be tough on the CSC Branson R6 Yamaha in the ultra-competitive Supersport Race. A good start saw him lead the group off the line and an enjoyable race with John Burrows throughout resulted in him coming home in a disappointing twelfth place.

The last race of the Irish Road Race Season was the Grand Final and on the CSC Branson R1 Yamaha, Davy was determined to finish the season in the top ten. It was again Andrew Courtney and Davy who led the group away, with the pace much higher than in the earlier Open Race they found themselves in tenth and eleventh at the end of the opening lap, next time around they were up to ninth and tenth and then Davy made his move and took over ninth spot. As he rode the final laps on pure adrenalin he managed to get a couple more places and come home a very creditable seventh place at the flag.

Speaking afterwards a very sore Davy commented, “If I am honest I am disappointed, I was hoping for better this weekend, but I suppose with the state of my shoulder to get four finishes from four starts was an achievement on Sunday and it would have been five from five if it hadn’t been for that damn pigeon. I came round the corner in fifth gear, around 120mph and saw it on the side of the road and thought to myself, you just sit there. Next thing it was up and flew right in to me, I somehow managed to stay on, but it hurt like hell. So I got to next road ends and just threw the bike at the marshals, they got in to a panic as they thought it was my blood all over me and the bike. I got some attention and then managed to ride the bike back, where the guys had to take a bucket and sponge to clean it”.

“I got the injection on Saturday morning, boy it was a big needle and then it was a case of seeing how it would hold up, fortunately; my first outing was on the 250, which would break it in gently. From the start I felt okay and before the stoppage I felt I could go with William and Michael (Dunlop) as I was right with them when the red flags came out, but I made a mess of the second start and they were gone and you can’t do that to two riders with their ability so I had to settle for a podium. In the first open race I could not get past Courtney in the early laps and when I eventually did I made a couple of positions, although the big bike was hard on the shoulder. By the time the 600 race came around the shoulder was getting more painful so I was just happy to get a finish and had a good run round with John, although I would have liked to get in to the top ten, which I was then determined to do in the Grand Final and I managed to achieve that”.