A couple of Manx riders were in action at the Skerries 100 road race meeting in County Dublin last weekend, both performing extremely well.

In the senior support class, Marcus Simpson of Douglas took his first Irish road race win, following a race-long duel with Welshman Ryan Whitehall and current leader of the championship, Irish rider Keelim Ryan.

As well as receiving the best newcomer of the meeting award, Simpson also had the fastest lap of the race on his R6 Yamaha.

Also making his debut was Jamie Williams on a 600 Honda. He took an amazing sixth place in the Grand Final, which was won by man of the meeting Michael Sweeney.

Sweeney was also victorious in the other Open and Supertwin races, but had to play second fiddle to Burrows Engineering/RK Racing’s Mike Browne in the Supersport after what was a Titanic battle between the pair.

Cork man Browne also won the Moto 3 race, and finished second to Sweeney in both superbike events.

The Skerries road races have always been a happy hunting ground for Isle of Man riders and two former Manx competitors were amongst the many spectators, namely Allan Brew of Onchan and Barry Wood of Willaston.

TRIO AT DARLEY MOOR

Also limbering up for next week’s Southern 100, Joe Yeardsley picked up a brace of comfortable wins in the pre-Electronic 600cc class at the 1.5-mile Darley Moor circuit in Derbyshire on Saturday.

He also claimed a fifth and a third in the two Formula 600 races in which UK-based Manxman Frankie Stennett grabbed a ninth and a seventh.

Luke Blevins of Ramsey gained another two signatures towards his national licence with sixth and seventh places in the 700cc twins race on his ER650 Kawasaki.