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Northern Ireland Riders take Top 2 Titles in British Supersport Championship...
The final round of the British Supersport Championships took place at the weekend at Brands Hatch. It was a successful weekend for Sport Northern Ireland’s funded motorcyclists as they wrapped up the top two positions in the championship. Michael Laverty took the British Supersport Champions title with 231 points and Ian Lowry was placed second with 179 points. It was a relaxing weekend for Laverty who had wrapped up the championship with a victory at Donington Park in the penultimate round at the end of September but not so much so for team mate Ian Lowry whose race on the day would determine if he would remain at second position.
Michael first participated in motor cycling in 1992 when he started schoolboy Motocross and moved into circuit racing in 1998. Michael’s interest in motor racing stemmed from his father, a former road racer in Ireland. With encouragement from their father Michael and his brothers have developed a great love for the sport, Michael said: “We fell in love with the sport and have basically ridden bikes all our lives. We began competing when we were eight and nine years old in the schoolboy ranks in Motocross, which was good fun and served as a good education for when we stepped up to circuit racing at fifteen.”
Michael has had great success from his early years of participation; he was crowned the Ulster and Irish champion in schoolboy motocross, he was Irish Supermoto Champion and has won at European Superstock level and achieved podiums in British Superbike.
Michael spoke to us on his new title of British Supersport champion and his hopes for the future, “It is awesome to win the Championship. I set a goal to win the Supersport title this year and progress into Superbike for 2008, I have done exactly that so I feel a great sense of satisfaction. I would like to now win a British Superbike Championship and then maybe move onto either World Supersport or Superbike and win a title there too. Basically my ultimate goal would be to win a World title throughout my career.”
Lowry who has been participating for four years at British championship level went into the race at the weekend sitting at second position but with Dennis Hobbs sitting closely behind him on the results table it was always going to be a tight race. Ian finished in sixth position on Sunday at Brands Hatch and this guaranteed him second place. Speaking on his success at the weekend Ian said, “I am really pleased to have come in at second place. My hopes now are to achieve a British Supersport title and move onto British Superbikes.”
Ian first got into the sport when he was sixteen through Irish champion road racer, Dennis McCullough. In addition to his great result at the weekend Ian has achieved great success including, 2003 Irish National 250cc aprilia racing, 2004 Virgin mobile R6 cup, 2005 Virgin mobile R6 cup, 2006 TAS Suzuki British Supersport, 2007 Relentless Suzuki by TAS racing British Supersport.
With the British Supersport Championships over them both Michael and Ian have one final competition to finish the season so there is no resting for them just yet. Both will be competing in the Sunflower Trophy races at Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland. Both are looking forward to finishing the season riding on home soil, on the forthcoming competition Michael said: “This is one of the few occasions I get to race at home and it is always a good way to round out the season. I have won the main event four times previously. This will be my final race of the 2007 season and I have just signed a contract to stay with my current team Relentless Suzuki and step up into the British Superbike championship for 2008.” |
