Cookstown 100

The 2021 Road Racing season came to an end on Saturday with the Cookstown 100 Road Race. Due to Covid restrictions this was the last of only two races run this year. The event schedule was practice sessions on Friday, and three races set for Friday evening, on the main race day on Saturday there was a busy 13 races planned. Members of the Enniskillen club were out in force with both volunteers and competitors in attendance. Cookstown officials found themselves caught up in a storm before the event with a cloud hanging over proceedings when the governing body (MCUI-UC) decided that the event was not running under their set rules however after an 11th Hour meeting it was found that everything was in order and the event could go ahead as planned.

Podium for Heraty

All practice sessions went ahead as planned on Friday with no major delays meaning racing was underway by 5.30pm. With packed grids many races were run in two sessions. The only Enniskillen Club member who was racing on Friday was Adrian Heraty in the Senior Support B class, this was his first and only road race of this season.

After feeling initially a bit frustrated with his qualifying results, he found himself slotting into third position off the line and maintained his place in every lap. Heraty had achieved his personal best lap time and finished the 9-lap race with third place on the Cookstown 100 podium.

Cut laps

On Saturday main race day, Race one was Senior Support A, things were off to a bad start when the first warm up lap a rider slid off causing an oil spill. The race got back underway only to be red flagged again when Enniskillen man Liam Trainor who was sitting in second place lost grip and slid off at Braeside on the second lap. The third attempt to run this race was also scuppered when another rider incident meant the race was stopped and called a result after only two laps – a disappointing short race for local newcomers Keith Richardson who finished in eighth and Darren Clarke finished in 16th.

Moto 3 & 125cc combined Grid

In the 125cc/Moto3 class Kyle Parks from Blacklion was competing for his second year at Cookstown aboard his 125cc Honda and finished his race in seventh position, Parkes was also the second 125cc machine to cross the line. It was Florencecourt’s Melissa Kennedy who was on top form qualifying in P2 on her KNR Racing Moto3 Honda.

During the eight lap race Kennedy managed to keep second place despite long time racer Nigel Moore never being too far away, it was only on lap six did he manage to find a space to squeeze past, with Kennedy hot on his heels they crossed the line with tenths of a second between them. A third-place podium finish for Kennedy.

Best Female

The Cookstown Club called Melissa to the start finish line after the race to present her with an award for the best female finisher – the award was dedicated in memory of the Late Reverend Noel Agnew who had serviced as long-time road race chaplain and was received with a round of applause from the spectating crowd.

Feature Race

The feature race of the day was the Cookstown 100. As the riders lined up on the grid the skies were starting to darken – with the race just two laps in light rain started to fall around the circuit, with riders raising their hands to indicate there was an issue the clerk of the course called a red flag.

As the rain got heavier there was some debating amongst riders and organisers if the final race should go ahead. It was decided that the riders choose if they felt they were happy to proceed, Ederney man Paul Gartland who jokingly quoted “if you’re not sliding, you’re not riding” was one for the riders who wished to continue.

It was agreed that the race would be a four-lap dash. With a depleted grid and many of the front runners deciding to sit the race out it proved to be an opportunity for the riders who preferred wet conditions. The grand finale was started, and all riders showed no fear despite the conditions. The crowd were treated to a nail-biting sprint race.

Gartland quickly moved up into fourth position on the second lap but with the shortened distance was unable to catch a third-place position. It was Enniskillen Road Race past winner; Cornwall’s Forest Dunne who took the chequered flag and was crowned the 2021 KDM Hire Cookstown 100 Grand Final Champion.

Although he was delighted with his win, when interviewed; Dunne declared that his “win at Enniskillen Road Race” would remain his greatest achievement to date. The Enniskillen Club are currently looking at options for running a road race again in the Fermanagh Omagh district in 2023. Any updates will be published as soon as they are available.