The first big one was next for the Davy Morgan Racing Team supported by Touchwood Consulting, Investasure Financial Services and Ballygowan & District Road Racing Supporters Club. We decided to head up early and get set-up in a good spot in the paddock instead of cramped away up at the back. Alas it didn’t really matter as the club moved me up the back anyway to let in some of the visiting riders, which was just a little bit of an annoyance as our team prepares and races as hard as anyone else in the paddock.

After Tandragee we stripped the 250cc Honda and found that it had actually seized on that final lap and needed a lot of work. The barrels needed relined for starters, but with the NW200 just around the corner there was not enough time to send them away so we had to search the garage and pick up the bits and pieces just to get the thing going, it was going to be a case of wait and see as to how it would go. The 600cc Yamaha needed little work and was as competitive as we could make a two-year old bike. The ZX10 Kawasaki needed a new ignition box as we had discovered that the original one was faulty, we had one on order but as yet it had not arrived. On the suspension front Maxton had provided us with softer springs, which we had installed and now had to wait for practice to find out the results. All we needed now was some decent weather on the north coast.

Tuesday Night Practice

The weather was again going to play its part as it was not great and actually deteriorated as the night progressed. I was out first on the 600cc Supersport and got five laps in during the session, but with a lap time, which left me 22nd fastest, 27 seconds of the pace - it was not acceptable. Next up was the 250cc GP session and the first chance to see if our bitza would be competitive. We ended up in fourth place eight seconds of the pace and with the resignation that the bike would not be quick enough in a straight line to compete at the front. It was then on to the Touchwood Consulting ZX10 and as in previous meetings when we took it to the line it was the worst conditions, so it was a case of just getting enough laps in to get qualified and hope for better conditions on Thursday. I got four laps in and qualified a lowly 49th with a fastest lap at 102.32mph, but at least we had qualified and got some more valuable learning mileage.

Thursday Night Practice

Weather conditions were a lot better come Thursday and the practice was reversed so it was the Superbike session first. With the help of Maxton we had made more adjustments to the rear end of the Kawasaki in the search for stability and were looking to move up the order. We got six laps in, the handling was better, but still not right, although the bike is quick enough as I was able to comfortably sit in the slipstream of McGuinness’s Aim Yamaha, but come the corners it was a different story. It was a 34th position with a lap at 112.473mph and a start from the front row of the B Group, better, but not really were we want to be. In the 250cc session Callum Ramsay was miles ahead of everyone and after six laps I ended up sixth fastest, ten seconds of the pace and not happy knowing that I could go a lot quicker without the problems. Supersport 600 practice made up for the earlier disappointments as a lap of 4:49.241 got me a ninth place on the grid only 8.8 seconds behind pole and well in touch with quite a few of the new works bikes.

Saturday Race Day

Tyre’s and what ones to use was the big question come race day as heavy rain showers all around and wet then dry then wet roads made it an absolute nightmare. The Dewalt Performance Tools Superbike was the opening race of the day and it was breezy and dry as we headed out on the sighting lap on the Touchwood Consulting ZX10. I got a reasonable start and was running okay, on lap three I did my fastest lap of the week at 114.140mph, but a lap later the tyre went off and this added to the handling problems already experienced, I made the decision to retire and try and sort it for the later NW200 Feature Race. Not the best start to the day, but there was no time to dwell on it as the Kennedy Group Supersport was the very next Race and as we sat on the grid the rains came and wet the coast road.

We got the tyres changed and were ready to go on the Investasure R6; things went pretty well early on and was running comfortably inside the top ten. As the race progressed with the changing road conditions I got into a really good scrap with a few other riders and was enjoying the run. Unfortunately their bikes were quicker in a straight line and I got dropped back a few positions before the flag even with putting in my fastest lap on the penultimate lap and had to settle for a twelfth place finish.

The Greenline Hire 250cc Race was next on the agenda and with our lack of speed we would be satisfied with a solid top six finish. Our situation was helped on the sighting lap when the pre-race favourite, Callum Ramsay stopped out on the circuit; that left the race wide open. The weather played its part again when the heavens opened along the coast road just before the start causing a delay. Thanks to Robert and Stuart we got the full wets in and were ready to go, others were not so lucky tyre wise. When the lights went out we went sideways and lost some ground on the front few. By the end of the opening lap I had moved up to fourth. The coast road was really wet and we were making up loads of time on it, but losing some of that time on the straights between Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush. I was now up to second and chasing Nigel Beattie whose bike was quicker, but I was a lot quicker along the twisty coast road. He was five seconds ahead at one stage and I had got it down to around two when I saw him slow and stop on lap four. I was now in the lead of an International Road Race and it was a case of getting the little Honda home in one piece. It held together and I took the chequered flag first despite at last lap charge from Sammy (Dobson), which was an amazing feeling and one I will never forget.

It was back onto the Investasure Yamaha for the Ballymoney Borough Council 600cc Race and again the circuit was wet in some places and dry in others. We made our tyre choice and for the first few laps it looked good as I was running comfortably in eighth place and looking for a really pleasing result.

pic : Stephen Wilson - www.realroadracing.com

pic : Stephen Wilson - www.realroadracing.com

However, the wind was blowing hard and the circuit dried really quickly and the tyre went off big style dropping me back down the order and a disappointing twelfth place finish. When we got back to the van the tyre was destroyed with big chunks missing out of it, if the race had been any longer it would have been a retirement or worse so we had to be satisfied with what we got.

The Black Horse NW200 Superbike Race was the final and feature race of the day, conditions were not too bad as we went out on the sighting lap so I was looking for some more laps on the Touchwood Consulting ZX10, but after half a lap the hail stones were on and the race was rightly red flagged as we were all on the wrong rubber. At the restart conditions were awful and we still didn’t have the right tyres for the conditions so we called it a day

An overjoyed Davy commented, “Even though the weather was bad again and we had mixed fortunes throughout the day, it couldn’t spoil this meeting, as I got my first International Road Race win. To take the top step of the podium at an international was an amazing feeling and something that no one can ever take away from me, it’s just a pity there is no 250cc Race at the TT. The 600 is okay although a bit long in the tooth, but we will still need more work with the rear end of the ZX10 to be able to ride it hard on the island”

“I would like at this time to thank all my sponsors for their help and support, as without them this result and feeling would not have been possible. Kevin & Angela Wood at Touchwood Consulting and Investasure Financial Services, Ballygowan & District RRSC, John Bell, E.J.Tractors, Young Excavations, B.L.R.C, NGK, Total Oils, KBC Helmets, Maxton and TyrSOX. I would also thank my pit crew for the week Robert and Stuart and how could I forget my partner Trudy who puts up with a lot and I hope she enjoys this as much as I do. Thank you all”