Cookstown 100 Bikes!

It's the start of another road racing season here on the BBC

and just like this lot, get ready to sit on the edge of your seats.

COMMENTATOR: What's going on?

Whoa!

Here they are side-by-side.

Oh!

We could be looking at the most successful Dunlop ever around Cookstown.

The countdown is very much on to the first international

event of the year, the North West 200,

but as always the biking year starts here at the Cookstown 100.

It's Ireland's oldest road race, first run back in 1922,

and always provides a spectacular start to the season.

The circuit is short and snappy, but with plenty of twists and turns.

The long start-finish straight allows for plenty of thrilling

racing as the bikes brake for the first right-hand corner.

It's a tight track between the hedges,

past farms and through the countryside.

There is a famous fast jump.

Just over two miles long, spectators are guaranteed to see

plenty of the action.

The fastest man ever around this circuit is home-grown.

Michael Dunlop broke the Superbike record last year.

He is also the quickest man in the Supersport class.

Along with his brother William he's headlining a field of top

Irish racing talent.

This is the first time on it. I haven't ridden any of these yet.

It's come very quickly, thick and heavy.

We weren't thinking it was that much, next thing it's all over the place.

We'll get there. We are all right.

We need to keep plugging away and we'll be 100 per cent.

You just have to keep on top of things.

Everybody has their own job and if I keep on top of them, they do their job and everything is done right.

'It's just easier to keep on top of things once

'I know what the problems are and if something is wrong, it's my fault'

because I've prepared them, or we know who has prepared them all, so there's no hassle then.

'There's only one backdrop. But these boys here know what they are doing. They are smart enough.'

That is not good, but it is what it is and I think we've got it welded

and put back in again and we're going the right direction.

We just need to take it easy on it for a day or two,

I don't want to do any damage. North West is the big one for me. So we'll just keep plugging away.

'This is the first time with Suzuki so it's going to be a bit'

of a learning for us, but

working with these guys now I'm really comfortable

in letting them do their thing.

They've got a lot of experience. As I say, I'm treated well.

'It's been good being with a lot of Irish lads and also you get to work

'with Hector and all the boys now, so it's all good at the minute.

When the results maybe don't come, or something, then maybe

it could be hard enough work, but at the minute, really comfortable.

A lot of effort has been put into me this year, so I'm looking forward to it now.

This year I've never been better prepared physically and mentally, so it's going to be fun to see

how they go on the roads, but with all the experience these boys have, there's going

to be very little for me to complain about. So it should be a good year.

I would say I'm a bit out of my comfort zone.

I've been that used to doing the same thing

for a couple of years with Ryan and now I've completely stepped away.

I'm going a completely different way with different bikes that I've never rode before.

And all just trying to get into the way of things again with

the new bikes and the new team and trying to work out what

way Wilson Craig does things, what way he likes it, and trying to adapt.

I planned on riding the Superstock bike here at Cookston,

but it wasn't going to be ready on time

and to be honest I'm not complaining at all because I absolutely love

riding that Superbike. Hopefully I can keep it going throughout

the year, especially by the time I get to the big international meetings.

I definitely think the bike is competitive.

I believe now I can start to be competitive myself.

The 600 we've still to do a bit of work to.

The Superbike is just completely mind-blowing.

It's probably the fastest motorbike I've ever rode,

probably the best motorbike I've ever rode.

It handles so well right from the word go.

Cameron had rode this bike last year and it was set up for him,

and so I got on it, I didn't have to touch the suspension at all hardly.

A wee tweak here, a wee tweak there.

This morning has been good. The big bike has been good.

We only got one run on it this year, down at Mondello

for the first round of the Masters

and we came here and big man Mark Kelly put a couple

of settings into the bike for the suspension and it seems to be good.

It's really good out there this morning.

I always love riding the 600,

but now I've come to grips with the big bike now.

I'm starting to really like riding the big bike now.

To be honest, I love riding them all, whatever.

Manx Grand Prix winner Michael Sweeney is sandwiched

in between two other riders from the Republic of Ireland

on the front row for this, the first race of the day, the Open class -

Derek Shiels, a double Superbike champion from last year,

and the pole setter, Derek McGee.

The Dunlops are right behind.

On commentary is Richard Nichols.

And on the grid, a front row that's all Kawasaki.

McGee, Sweeney, Shiels away.

Great start from Derek Shiels.

Looking back, that's the gap he's just pulled on the rest of them.

Derek McGee, the man behind him.

Michael Sweeney mobbed by row three there.

On board with Jamie Hamilton and being mugged by Michael Sweeney now,

as Sweeney tries to get back on the pace.

Heading towards McAdoo Bends.

It's Shiels. It's McGee, Dunlop, Sweeney and Jamie Hamilton.

Michael Dunlop having a look there.

On board the race leader. This is Derek Shiels. It's a short lap.

2.1 miles, 1.24 the fast time for a big bike,

although the lap record is 1.22.

That was Michael Dunlop last year, as we head towards Mackney Corner.

Derek Shiels, Derek McGee.

Jamie Hamilton at the back of that field there.

We're looking back from William Dunlop at the red plate.

That is Michael Sweeney. Behind him, Hamilton and Dunlop. Over the jumps.

We're on board with Dan Kneen.

The experienced Manxman had to do the newcomer lap yesterday.

Qualified in the middle of the second wave,

right behind Davy Morgan, where he started.

This is Derek McGee, who started on pole position

and is still P2 after a blinding start by Derek Shiels.

And they're fast out of Braeside,

away down the hill with the front wheel a foot or more off the ground.

On board with William Dunlop looking back.

Wait for the... Oh, he's going round the outside of McGee now.

On the brakes. Will it happen for him? Oh, both getting a bit square.

Oh, William Dunlop had to think twice about that. He's had to back off.

He may have lost the drive and he may get snapped up.

Does the man behind him think this is an opportunity? I think he does.

He got a better drive out of the corner but he can't quite catch

William Dunlop. So it's still the same order.

First, second and third.

It's McGee, it's Dunlop, and this is Dan Kneen looking ahead.

Fairly settled now, Jamie Hamilton on his new...

..Honda, his Wilson Craig machine. We're riding...

..now on board.

And Michael Dunlop higher than everybody else

as he tries to challenge Sweeney, who's dropped back.

Look at his shoulder -

compressed when he lands on the left-hand side there.

That's pain you're seeing there from Michael Dunlop.

This is the race leader, second place, third place,

it's Jamie Hamilton in fourth place.

This is a good outing for him.

New bike, new team.

That's the same for a lot of people,

including William Dunlop ahead of him in third place.

Michael Sweeney now being hounded by Michael Dunlop as Derek Shiels

brings it into that right-hander.

Looking back at McGee in second place.

This is all off the back of a brilliant start from Derek Shiels.

He really got off the line well.

And now, leading the field, Derek McGee stays with him, but he can't

make up the ground, he can't bring himself close enough to challenge.

Track drying out now. It was a little bit damp earlier on.

You can still see patches round the side.

It was actually raining when we came to the circuit this morning,

but it's brightened up no end and now a bit of Northern Ireland sunshine

as they go right out towards the banks and right in again

against the hedges, shoulder in the hedges on some of those corners,

you'll notice.

That's the jump at full speed.

Little bit of a wobble for everyone as they land.

That was William Dunlop's view.

If he could turn round now,

he'd see he's got a good, comfortable third place going on here.

Not a bad outing for his first ride

for Hector and Philip Neill with the Tyco Suzuki.

Can he get his head down and reel in Derek McGee?

Was it all about the start here? That's Michael Dunlop into pit lane.

That's Michael Dunlop pulling off into pit lane

and we don't have to ask ourselves why.

Shiels getting a little bit squirrely underbraking.

Michael Dunlop finding the big bike quite a handful.

He's a suspected fractured arm.

The way he was holding it in the paddock

and having to be helped into his race leathers

and gloves says that suspected fracture will be confirmed

when he gets it checked in X-ray.

Front wheel a little high for Derek Shiels.

Nice, clean leap for the man behind him, Derek McGee.

Just slightly out of the seat there.

They are almost side by side. Now, has Derek McGee brought it home?

Has Derek McGee got this one sorted?

Into this final lap now with this front pair together.

On board, looking back. It's closer than it appears to be on the camera.

Same like rear view mirrors.

Don't turn round, he's right behind you.

They've broken away from William Dunlop,

who seems to have decided third place is what he's going to do today

and not a bad decision either, not a bad result either.

Look at these two now, getting into the scrap. Half a lap to go.

Way up towards the top of the circuit, through Black's Farm.

It is a bit of a climb.

Over the jump, still going uphill. First, second and third in view.

Through the farm.

Very tight and narrow through there, very close to the spectators.

Final corridor's coming up, Orritor Crossroads,

and it's almost decided now.

There's not enough time or space through the Ss. Out of Braeside.

It's going to be Derek Shiels

who wins the opening road race of the season.

Derek McGee in second, William Dunlop in third place.

And the headline news has to be

retirement through injury for Michael Dunlop.

Super race to start the season.

I just kept my head and keep my braking right and everything else.

It worked out for us.

-Great ride.

-Yeah, great to get off that start now.

Better than last year,

so hopefully can do the same now in the next race.

The 125 Class has finally faded from the World Championship scene,

but there's still huge affection in road racing

for these gutsy little two-strokes.

So much so, that's almost all there are on this grid.

William Cowden led away from pole after a restart for a red flag.

Sam Dunlop second, Justin Waring following in grid order,

making all the noise on a 250 Honda.

And now it's first and second and you can see the power of that 250 -

got past Dunlop, closed with Cowden.

Those two broke away together,

looked as if the extra capacity of the Moto3 bike

is going to win the day, but Cowden having none of that.

Heading towards the flag now

and arriving at the finish line

with the smallest winning margin of the day - two tenths of a second

separated him from second place at the flag,

with Nigel Moore third and Sam Dunlop fourth.

Difficult race with that stop-start.

It's hard to get back in to it and with being cut to three laps,

you're only getting gelled and it's over,

so it would have been nice to see seven,

but I'm glad I'm finishing three!

Next up, it's the Supersport race,

and the three riders who were all on the podium in the Superbike class

are all on the front row for this one.

As for Michael Dunlop,

well, he's really struggling with that arm injury sustained

after that crash at Brands Hatch.

Just look at the pain he's going through to put his racing glove on.

He's unlikely to be competitive, but you never know.

Struggling to get his leathers on as well.

He's not fit, he's in pain, but he's going to race,

starting on the outside of row two

with McGee, Shiels and brother William dead ahead of him.

That's the line up, there's the light and there's the start

and it was McGee who got the drop on Derek Shiels this time.

And Derek McGee goes hammering down the hill

towards the right turn.

Watch him go for the brakes as they go over the stripes.

All sitting up now and the front diving down

as they go through the gearbox and we dive down the inside.

That was good work but it didn't happen, did it?

Michael Sweeney nearly got through there as the second wave goes away

with Jamie Hamilton, Seamus Elliott and Davy Morgan.

This is the first wave. McGee leads Shiels,

William Dunlop, Sam Wilson, Michael Sweeney, Michael Pearson

and a very sore Michael Dunlop at the back of that group.

We're on board with Michael Sweeney looking at Sam Wilson.

Through the farm, onto Craigmount.

Heading towards the crossroads at the end of lap one.

Michael Dunlop's starting to look very aggressive behind number 36,

Pearson, at the back of the group.

McGee leads Shiels and William Dunlop, Pearson, Sweeney.

Sam Wilson, Michael Dunlop.

We're on board with Sweeney, heading down the hill.

McGee, Shiels, William, Pearson, Sweeney, Wilson, Dunlop.

Line astern, round turn one with Derek Shiels.

William Dunlop passing for second place there, was he?

I think that was William Dunlop going through.

On board with Michael Sweeney.

The battle between Dunlop and Wilson is close behind him.

Well, Sweeney-eye view of the race now.

And is McGee going to lose another place

to Pearson here?

Derek McGee now in danger of being snapped up

by Michael Pearson.

Here's the Sweeney view of the situation.

He was right in the hedge then, wasn't he?

William Dunlop taking it right to the extremes of the circuit

in his pursuit of the man ahead.

600 racing is always close, always spectacular

and this is shaping up to give us more of the same.

Closing up on the brakes and...

Oh, and being passed. Did you see that?

Michael Dunlop just going sweeping through there.

Just snatched the place.

So here comes the battle...

We've got two going on as they come down the hill

and looking down there, that was number 36, Michael Pearson.

Was that his chain going across the track?

I think it might have been as the leaders come towards turn one.

They're all over the place on the brakes.

This time, is it going to happen for William Dunlop?

He's gone wide, he can't get the power on.

He still can't get past. He looks round.

He knows he's going to be snapped up.

Michael Dunlop did well in that little run from Braeside,

down the hill towards Gortin,

but here is the leading trio

and now McGee under loads of pressure from William Dunlop.

Michael Sweeney giving us a look up the circuit.

The camera makes it all seem far away, but it's really much closer.

Have a look at this for second and third through the corner.

Who's fourth? It's Michael Dunlop, closing in on his brother,

who's already looking ahead, thinking about the man in front of him.

Does he know Michael is coming? I doubt it.

Derek Shiels has got a clear track in front of him,

but he's got all kinds of mayhem going on behind him

and it's coming his way.

Here are the 600s over the jumps.

Race leader gets it down cleanly.

Derek McGee had a little bit of a wobble there.

But he's still trying.

We're on board with Derek Shiels as McGee goes steaming past,

very late on the brakes as they go over the second set of stripes.

100m, turn it in.

And he's got it down, hasn't he? Just missed the kerb with his knee.

Very neatly done by Derek McGee to take the lead.

What's happening behind?

William Dunlop's being challenged by his brother,

but he doesn't know that yet.

He'll find out in a minute. Dunlop on a charge.

It's a pair of Dunlops on the 600s

and how often do you get to say that?

Derek Shiels now down to second place,

looking at the back end Derek McGee

and Michael Dunlop, finding the... He's shaking his head there.

Finding the smaller 600 a little bit more to his liking.

The big bike a bit of a handful, but it seems as if he can manage

the 600 much more easily with that injury to his left arm.

Derek McGee right up in the air. Shiels high up behind him.

Here come the Dunlops, side by side, almost.

Michael Dunlop catching his brother in mid-air.

Not hurting so much, obviously, as he has another stab at his brother.

Shiels is looking at McGee. Michael's through on William.

Got track position. Just got through there.

That was a lovely, aggressive pass

from Michael Dunlop. That is perfect.

That is the way to do it and look, he's already made up ground,

he's already pulled away,

and he's already thinking about getting passed Derek Shiels.

This is a man with a broken arm, remember!

Ah, yes, just a little bit of a flick there, a little bit of a flex.

He can feel it still.

Took his arm off the bars and just gave it a little rest.

McGee, Shiels, Dunlop and Dunlop.

Michael Dunlop sizing up the man in front.

Derek Shiels is about to find out how quick Michael Dunlop can be

with one good arm and one broken arm.

He's right behind in the slipstream as they go over the jumps.

Derek Shiels will know he's there.

He'll feel the tug now on the long straights.

He'll feel the little drag on his bike

that says there's another one close behind him.

What he won't know - who it is.

He hasn't turned round yet, he's not turning round.

He's cleverer than that.

This is the last thing you want to do now, is look and see who it is.

It doesn't make any difference when they're that close.

Michael Dunlop getting the power on really hard and early there.

Here he comes, right down the hill.

McGee, Dunlop going wide.

Dunlop right on the outside.

Is he going to get through? He's got space.

He's got position. Can he get it...

They clash!

Oh, he touched with McGee and they both survive. Dunlop goes through.

Here it is from outside. McGee, the back wheel all over the place.

Dunlop almost in the same boat.

Bit of 600 racing incident there

that neither of them will probably agree on,

but it was fun for us and it was fun for the spectators

and think about this - Michael Dunlop is now...

..absolutely making history. There's nothing else you can say about this.

Here's a man with a broken arm going through the Ss for the final time,

round the corner, past Braeside,

front wheel up in the air, wins the Supersport 600 here at Cookstown.

How did he do that?

Michael Dunlop is the race winner in the Supersport.

He just couldn't stop being Michael Dunlop

and he forced his way to the front in one of those displays

of controlled aggression people will remember for ever.

Another chapter in a growing legend.

Michael, did you honestly think that you could be that competitive

-with the injury?

-Definitely not.

Not after going into it. I was away back in ninth.

I could hold on to it and I was like,

"We need to get a grip of ourselves here", so just gritted my teeth.

The boys, you're braking that late and going in tight.

You can't pass and I just,

"Here, screw this - I'm going round the outside."

I think somebody touched me and I just rode on anyway.

Just kept my head down and battered on. I just got caught.

It's hard passing round here, it's tight, but we got there.

I didn't think we'd hold on for long enough

but we've held on till now,

so hopefully I haven't done too much damage!

-What was that like to be part of?

-It was a great old race.

It's tight out there.

I made a mistake in the second lap, overshot here at the straight

and went back to third but managed to get by the boys.

Top British Superbike rider Josh Brookes made his road racing debut

at the North West 200 last season.

He's here at Cookstown this year,

though only to do a parade lap or two,

but he can't wait to get back to the north coast and race competitively.

Josh, how were your first laps of the Cookstown 100?

Yeah, I only lived not far away from here a year or two ago,

but I'd never actually done a full lap of the circuit.

I'd done a lap or two waving at the crowd.

I actually just wanted to keep both hands on the handlebars

and get going.

I went over a few jumps there and I think I might even have got

a little bit of air, so that's my comfort zone.

How much are you looking forward to the North West 200 this year,

hopefully with a bit of good weather?

I think I'm definitely in a shout for a podium.

I think I'd be hard-pressed to get a win,

but it definitely won't be through a lack of trying,

but with the likes of Alastair Seeley

and Stuart Easton coming back,

the list goes on of names you're expecting to be at the front

and hopefully I can run with them and squeeze in a podium.

It would be really nice for me.

Well, I for one wouldn't rule Josh Brookes out

of a first North West 200 win on just his second visit

and it's great to see him here at the Cookstown 100,

where the next race is for the Supertwins

and Michael Dunlop is in pole position,

looking for his second win.

Well, this was Ryan Farquhar's response to the demise

of the two-strokes and what a success it's been.

Big leap off the line for James Cowton, 52.

Great start for Michael Dunlop.

We're on board with Jamie Hamilton,

getting properly mugged on the run to Gortin.

And a great start for Connor Behan, number 72, off the second row.

Outbrakes Dunlop. Does he?

He's heading that way round the outside.

That takes some doing, even when Michael's having a bad day.

Is he going to do it? Yes, he is. Back wheel's lifting.

But it is Connor Behan out in front.

Dunlop coming straight back at him. Here's the second wave.

Leading, Dan Kneen in the middle. Davy Morgan, Ben Rea.

It's Kneen who flies off the line

while the others all fly the front wheel.

Dunlop leads Behan at McAdoo with Hamilton in third place.

James Cowton is fourth.

We're on board, Hamilton catching Behan.

Is he going to pass? He's alongside.

Front wheel's high over the jumps. Doesn't quite get alongside.

It's as close and exciting as 600,

it's as close and exciting as 125 used to be.

All it doesn't do is stop suddenly for no apparent reason.

Apart from being a two-stroke, which is what...

Oh, look at Connor Behan!

That was sideways there.

That's why Supertwins are so much fun.

That back wheel was right out of line there

and he was still on the throttle.

Hamilton still trying to get past.

Oh, up the inside. Did you see that?

Just when he was thinking,

"It's Jamie Hamilton I need to worry about",

he got stuffed up the inside.

But Behan, Cowton and Hamilton - this trio...

And somewhere out in front,

not in that shot, in a class of his own, is Michael Dunlop.

He's not appearing on the ground cameras,

he's not appearing in the camera shots. Here he is.

Look, there's nothing behind him.

Michael Dunlop has gone missing from the pack cos he is so far...

While they're scrapping among themselves,

he's just disappeared up the road.

But he's just won a 600 race.

Can he do it again on the Supertwins? It certainly looks as if he can.

There's no-one around him,

no sign of a challenge, and until this lot sort themselves out

and get their heads down, he's going to continue drawing away from them,

cos they're losing time, protecting their positions,

scrapping over the corners.

As we follow Jamie Hamilton's ride up the hill,

Michael Dunlop's already round the corner.

Here he is, at Orritor Crossroads, turning right,

heading towards the Ss.

Left he goes through here.

A little bit of a flick-flack and down to Braeside.

Here is second place behind him.

James Cowton.

As we go on board with Hamilton, closing...on Connor Behan.

There's Cowton out in front of us in second place. No sign...

You cannot see Michael Dunlop on the front straight now.

Ooh, you could see that.

Connor Behan's a specialist at this, isn't he?

Lost a bit of time going through there

and that's all that Jamie Hamilton...

Was that a knee there? Yes, and an elbow.

It is just like 125 racing, it is just like 600 Supersport.

Supertwins is just brilliant fun.

I wonder if they're smiling inside their crash helmets

while they're digging each other in the ribs, going through the corners.

So second place for James Cowton at the moment.

First place, somewhere up ahead of us, is race leader Michael Dunlop.

Straining for a glimpse of him but there isn't one.

Hamilton's third. Connor Behan is now in fourth place.

That was Andy Farrell, I think, the black machine behind.

Number 96 in fifth place.

Just a glimpse of his front wheel at the end of that shot

as we go up the hill.

This is Cowton and that was Dunlop on the long straight.

Here he is, clearing the Drum, front wheel high.

You can see that he has either backed off

or he has been reeled in by James Cowton.

I'm suspecting that he's just slackened the pace a little bit.

No need to give it full beans,

especially when he's nursing an injured arm.

So Michael Dunlop, I think, thinks he is in control of this situation

as much as he wants to be.

Catching up with the last of the third row as he gets ready

for his second chequered flag of the day and there it is.

An amazing, outstanding second win for him

ahead of a huge scrap for the other two podium places.

Michael, you're obviously hurting

after what I'm sure was a very satisfying win number two.

Yeah, you know...

the steering handle broke off,

so it just made it hard work with my shoulder and just...

Fair play to the boys, my bike's good.

The boys were working hard and built a good wee bike,

so hopefully if we can do a lot of changes now for the North West,

we can be competitive.

Time now for the feature race of the day, the Cookstown 100,

dominated in recent times by Ryan Farquhar.

He's not racing here this year

but won it seven times in the last decades.

So will we see a new name on the illustrious roll of honour?

Or can Michael Dunlop win, as he did last year?

That's a big ask, Stephen,

because the little 600 and super twin machines just don't make

the same physical demands that you get from a superbike,

especially over eight laps and there are plenty of candidates for a win.

Jamie Hamilton for one. It's a very familiar front row.

McGee, Sweeney and Sheils, William, Michael

and Jamie Hamilton on the road behind and they are away.

Will it be Sheils? No, it was Sweeney who got away best.

This is the view back from Derek Sheils,

looking at the number six Tyco Suzuki of William Dunlop.

But here's the man he can see, leading the race down the hill.

Derek McGee, here comes the second wave, that's Davy Morgan.

As we go back to turn one, on board with Jamie Hamilton.

You recognise that, don't you?

That was Michael Dunlop, bustling his way past.

And in fact he was in a bit of a Dunlop sandwich for a moment there.

I wonder how long that is going to last.

It's McGee, Dunlop, Sheils, Dunlop.

Jamie Hamilton, oh! He's down! He's lost it. It's all over the place.

Jamie Hamilton, I think he just gassed it up a little bit too

keenly and he went down slow and easy. I'm sure he'll be fine.

Have a look again.

It's the front wheel that folds. Tries to pick it up

and there's no saving that one. He'll walk away from that though.

He's fine, the bike is fine, the camera is fine

but the race is over for Jamie Hamilton

but it's very much on for this trio

and it is William Dunlop now challenging for the lead

as Michael Dunlop pulls off.

That looks like a mechanical issue for him.

And that's not really what we expect.

Here's Dan Kneen, who started well off row two. The newcomer

is right up there on time as these two battle for the lead of the race

on track and William Dunlop almost stands it on the front wheel far too

deep and McGee will get him back as they get on the gas, or will he?

He must surely come powering past now. I think he's saved it.

Michael Dunlop couldn't save that, he's riding it home.

That is no repeat for him, then. It's McGee, it's Dunlop, it's Sheils.

So Dunlop lost his place.

And Dan Kneen is trying to take it.

The stopwatch says that Dan Kneen from row two, the newcomer,

remember, on John Burrows' bike, might well be up there on time with

this trio and right in the mix as they squabble over the lead on track.

William Dunlop looking back at Derek Sheils.

It's Derek McGee in front of him.

McGee. Head down behind the bubble.

Dunlop, and as they go for the brakes a little bit of squirming there.

Right and left and away down here, watch the front wheels come

off the ground now of the superbikes as they unleash all that horsepower.

Looking for an advantage at the end of the straight.

William Dunlop has got it on power, the Tyco Suzuki really giving him

an advantage on the run down the hill.

All he's got to do is keep it clean and tidy as Derek McGee gets

it sideways at Gortin and somehow or other picks it up

and gets it into the corner.

He got that stopped and turned by some kind of miracle.

That was really acing it but here is someone else who's acing,

this is Dan Kneen, who now leads this race on corrected time.

Will William Dunlop be aware of this when he comes past the pits?

Will they tell him he's in a race with someone that he cannot see?

The team will hear it on the tannoy if they can.

The noise of the track, the bikes so loud in the paddock,

it's deafening.

Waving at Dunlop there, urging him on, they're trying to tell him

that he's not actually leading this race even if he thinks he is.

Well, this is interesting.

William Dunlop leads Derek McGee, leads Derek Sheils.

But Dan Kneen ahead of them all on corrected time.

It's not a big gap either. This is very close racing.

It could go either way. All William Dunlop leads is good signs,

this is Dan Kneen, very neat and tidy on the Cookstown/BE Suzuki.

A John Burrows bike, looking very precise there as he lands it

and he's very on it as well, Dan Kneen, isn't he?

Perfect afternoon for racing.

William Dunlop lands that Suzuki neatly, gets hard on it

and they're now picking their way through the back of the third wave.

It's what a racer expects, that the

guys at the front will catch the guys at the back

and the idea it might be the other way round, something else again.

Not really ready for that.

So Dunlop leads it but he might be getting the news now.

The pit boys might be telling him he's in a different race.

He's speeded up. His last lap was 1.24, Kneen's was 1.25.

It was 1.4 seconds before, it's half a second now.

Dunlop is closing in, or is he just in cruise control to keep McGee

and Sheils behind him?

Kneen knows what he's up to.

Having the ride of the weekend is Dan Kneen, if you forget the fact that

Michael Dunlop's got a broken arm for a moment and who can forget that?

But battle for the podium not what it seems here.

Past Callum Laidlaw, that will be, number 11 in a moment, goes Dunlop.

Kneen still needs half a second, less than half a second now.

The gap between him,

is this going to be a dream win for William on his first

ride from Tyco Suzuki? It could be a dream win

for Manxman Dan Kneen too and for John Burrows.

We will only find out when Dan Kneen crosses the line.

Has William Dunlop done enough? He thinks he's done enough.

He's knows he's won the race on track.

There's what he thinks is the battle for second

and third place, but who has won this race actually?

Derek Sheils almost caught Derek McGee on the line.

That was for the last podium place, he thought, but here's the man

coming over the line now. He might have done it and it's

Dan Kneen by three-tenths of a second from William Dunlop

with Derek McGee third.

Dan Kneen might be overwhelmed by that,

but he was one of a few riders who could see it coming.

Most of the others had no idea what was happening behind them.

-How does a newcomer win the Cookstown 100?

-Do your homework.

No, I'd just like to say a big thanks to

the Cookstown/BE Racing team.

They've given me the opportunity this year to have a good go at my

racing and concentrate on it a bit more so it seems to be working out.

-You took the chequered flag. Did you think you'd won the race?

-Yeah.

I thought I had. Once I got to the front I just kept it steady

and I was first on the road and I just assumed I'd won the race,

so I just took it handy - that's the worst thing about it.

Kicking myself, I can't believe it.

John, you said to me at the start of the day,

make sure your commentator mentions my rider, Dan Kneen. My goodness,

he's going to have to do that now, isn't it?

I was only winding you up, anyway, Stephen,

but the problem is Dan has come here as newcomer

and the qualifying is very difficult.

He was 11th in the grid and he's come through to win the race.

It's absolutely amazing.

MUSIC

So a Cookstown own team wins the Cookstown 100.

You don't get any better than that.

Now, our extensive motorcycling coverage continues all this

week on the BBC.

We've simply got every angle covered for the North West 200.

You can see all the practice and racing this Thursday

and Saturday live via the BBC sports website.

There's live commentary and analysis on Radio Ulster too.

And we've three special TV highlights shows for you

all on BBC One.

I look forward to seeing you on the grid this week,

but that's just about it from the Cookstown 100.

I hope you enjoyed a fabulous day's racing.

From everyone here it's bye-bye.

MUSIC

# I saw you Sunday, Monday

# Hanging with your man again

# You came back on a Tuesday

# With that cold-heart look of shame

# Oh, I could love you better. #