Champion motorcycle racer to raffle bike to raise funds for next season

KERRY motorcycle racer Emmet O’Grady clinched the Dunlop Supersport National title at Mondello Park at the weekend and hopes that his latest success will pave the way for a return to the prestigious British Super Bike Series to race in one of its support packages.

The Dunlop Supersport class has produced some fine racing during 2018 between the top two, Dean McMaster from Antrim and Tralee’s O’Grady.

A crash for McMaster at round eighteen in August put him out of the final races last weekend. O’Grady needed just thirteen points from three races to be crowned champion.

The Kerryman duly obliged with third place on Sunday’s second race – round 20 of the season – to secure the title.

His success has prompted his supporters to launch a raffle with first prize being a race prepared Yamaha R6 in an effort to get O’Grady back to the British series next year.

A spokesperson said: “We have decided to raffle off Emmet O Grady’s 2015 Yamaha R6 in an attempt to help fund the 2019 season. Plans are well underway for a return to the British Superbike paddock which is far from cheap.”

CORK 20 RALLY

KILLARNEY and District Motor Club crew Daniel Cronin and Shane Buckley finished second on last weekend’s Cork 20 International Rally in Macroom to record their best result to date (given the rally’s international status) in their Ford Fiesta R5. They finished 27 seconds behind winners Ray White and James O’Brien in their Fiesta World Rally Car.

Local co-driver Damian Fleming, alongside Monaghan’s Raymond Conlon where the early leaders of the Sunday Only section of the rally but retired on the fifth stage with suspected head gasket failure in their Toyota Corolla. Mike Quinn and Eoin Duffin also retired their Ford Escort.

Fleming is the current leader of the co-drivers’ championship in the Moriarty Centra Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship and is due to team up with Conlon for the final round, the Rentokil Initial Killarney Historic Rally.

In the Junior class, Colin O’Donoghue was third in his Honda Civic and Jason Farrell/ Conor Murphy finished sixth in another Honda Civic.