Michael Dunlop wins Southern 100 title

Michael Dunlop is the new Southern 100 champion after dominating today’s big race, the nine-lap Solo Championship.

The Street Sweep Kawasaki rider led from the first lap, set new lap and race records to cross the line four seconds clear of Guy Martin.

Dunlop said: “Everyone comes to the Southern 100 to win the championship race. Cameron (Donald) got a good start but I quickly got by him at the Bombhole on the first lap and just kept going. I’m chuffed to bits with how the Kawasaki is going now and it’s good to know we can come back next year and race with the number one plate.”

After running the same pace as Dunlop in the previous two 1000cc races earlier in the week Martin finished second but could offer no resistance. The Relentless by TAS Suzuki rider got involved in a scrap with Kawasaki rider Ryan Farquhar and that gave Dunlop a free reign up front to run his own pace.

William Dunlop was fourth, exhausted after riding in five races on the final day compared to two of his rivals. But this was his superbike debut at the Southern and he showed again just how competitive he is on the Wilson Craig Honda.

His teammate Cameron Donald finished fifth, Dan Kneen was sixth ahead of Steve Mercer. Conor Cummins retired at the end of the fourth lap when he was seventh.
Michael Dunlop also won the 600 race, postponed from the previous evening.

Michael set a new race record but William establishes a new lap record to finish second with Martin and Donald all battling for the second spot on the podium.
William also won both 250 races on brother Michael’s TSR Honda and featured in a cracking 125 race on James Delaney’s RS125, finishing second to Chris Palmer with Ian Lougher third – just inches separating them across the line.

Palmer also won earlier 125 race in the day (another races postponed from the previous evening) from Lougher after William retired.

Ryan Farquhar won both 650 races on his KMR Kawasaki twin and Alastair Howarth won both 400 races on a 400 Yamaha. Klaus Klaffenbock/Dan Sayle won the Sidecar championship race from Simon Neary/Jason Crowe and Ian Bell/Carl Bell were third.