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E mmet O’Grady out to ‘make amends’ this weekend in the Superbike class

Gortatlea man Emmet O'Grady is hoping to "make amends" this weekend at Mondello Park Photo by Domnick Walsh / Eye Focus

The Dunlop Masters Irish Superbike championship’s penultimate race meeting of the season takes place this weekend and there are several local riders in with a chance of championship success.

E mmet O’Grady is trying to recapture some of his early season form in the Superbike class. The Honda rider took his first win in the category in June, but crashed out of the very wet July race.

He is currently fourth in the championship standings and will have his eye on Alan Kenny’s third place.

“I am looking to into this Masters’ weekend to makes amends,” he said.

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“The bike is back together, I am going up Friday for some testing, we are back on the national track which make all the more bunched up and make for tighter racing.”

Heading to the penultimate event of the season, Derek Sheils leads the way in Superbike class with the Wicklow rider having taken five wins on his Roadhouse Macau BMW.

Second in the standings is one of three riders who took their first Superbike wins this year, Dubliner Thomas O’Grady on the EICL Yamaha, Kenny from Cavan on a Yamaha R1 and Tralee’s Emmett O’Grady on the VTL TAG Racing Honda Fireblade.

A remarkable fourteen riders still have a mathematical chance of taking the title but in reality it will be fought out between the current top four.

The Supersport championship is led by Emmet O’Grady, this time on a Harris Group Yamaha R6, just thirteen points clear of AKR Thomas Bourne Racing's Josh Elliott, from Fermanagh.

The championship leaders have made good use of the new Masters points scoring system, which sees riders counting just three of the first four race weekends, as they both missed events at the start of the season.

Sitting third is the star of the season so far, County Down teenager A Jay Carey, who also leads the Supersport Cup and the Future Stars Championship for young racers.

The final two riders still in contention are Antrim’s Jonny Campbell and Jack O’Grady from Ballyduff who is also in contention for the Supersport Cup title.

The Principal Insurance Twins classes also remain close at the top going into the Shoot Out. Thomas O’Grady’s NW Racing Aprilia leads the similar Nedar Heat backed machine of Tralee’s Darragh Crean.

Andrew Murphy remains in contention in the Moto 400 class after recording three wins _his first wins of the season – during the July meeting.

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