It was the International Kells Road Races next up for Davy Morgan Racing and another long trek especially as it was practically straight from the boat from the Southern 100 down to Crossakiel.

Saturday’s practice was rain interrupted once again as heavy rain showers arrived throughout the day resulting in both the 600cc Supersport and 250cc Junior sessions being untimed as the changing conditions made it impossible to have a level playing field across the session and so the grids done from championship positions. The Open sessions were delayed due to the conditions and then were postponed to Sunday morning after the tragic incident on the warm up lap for the 400 Support Race.

It was a busy start to race day with Davy out first on the CSC Branson R1 Yamaha for his untimed session, which went okay. However there was only time to top up with fuel as he was out almost immediately for his timed session. As they went out the first rain of the day arrived and so a delay to allow the circuit to dry as the first timed session was dry. When they got going Davy’s Superstock Spec bike was down on top speed and he eventually qualified fifteenth.

First Race up was the Supersport and just before the CSC Branson R6 left the awning the heavens opened and there was a total downpour that meant a soaked circuit and a quick change to full wets. However there was a long delay at the start line for some presentations and by the time the race started parts of the circuit were dry and on the second lap Davy pulled in as the bike started to move around badly on the wets, so not a good start to the day.

It was back on the CSC Branson R1 for the first Open Race and after a slow start Davy found it difficult to get by the quicker superbikes around him, but did a few on the brakes and at the flag manage to grab a couple of championship points by finishing thirteenth.

Next was the 250cc Junior Race and again the rains came and it was another lottery of tyre choice. In the end the tyre choice didn’t matter as a problem with the clutch and the Strangford Holiday Park/BLRC Honda feeling dead it was a difficult run and a lowly eighth, not were Davy is used to finishing and left him feeling really frustrated.

The final race of the day was the Grand Final and it was to be a much better run as he got off the line well. With a top quality field and quite a few on superbikes it was always going to be difficult to move up the leader board. Riding hard he had the CSC Branson R1 sideways in to the braking zone and managed to get himself home in twelfth and at least finish the day on a high.

Speaking afterwards, “My head is fried with this weather, wet, dry, wet, some parts dry, some parts wet, it’s a disaster, you don’t know what tyres to put on and if you choose the wrong ones they are destroyed in two laps. There is really not much to say it was a frustrating weekend and I am really disappointed for myself and I apologize to all those who support and help me that my results were not better”.

“I was already tired after the rush back from the Southern and in the first race, the wrong tyres on the 600 did not help my mood. I was really angry after the 250 race as it was my lowest finish in this class in a long time, the mixture of conditions, tyres and the wee bike needing a bit of attention meant it was flat, it will have to be stripped and re-built before next week. The final race despite a lowly finish lifted my mood as I enjoyed the run and felt that I had ridden hard”.

“It was another difficult weekend for road racing with the death of Padraig Campbell in a practice crash. I did not know him, but I would still like to pass on my deepest sympathies to his family and friends”.