Reigning Champions Chris Dowd Racing got their 2013 Adelaide Masters Series Superbike campaign off to the best possible start at Mondello Park last weekend with three wins for new signing Derek Sheils. Their defence of the Supersport crown may prove more difficult however as Sheils could only manage a best result of third as Richie Ryan and Marshall Neill took the wins.
The new Adelaide Masters Race season kicked off with continuing backing from Motorcycle Insurance Specialists, Adelaide Insurance, with three races each for Superbike and Supersport.
The Supersport contest proved the tightest of the weekend with a full grid and a large number of young riders using the championship to try and make their name. It was the more experienced riders who came out on top however, with Neill on the Wilson Craig Honda beating Ryan's Triumph to top spot in race one. Ryan turned the tables in the next two races and ended the weekend on top of the Adelaide Masters Supersport standings.
Mark Conlin had earlier taken pole position ahead of Carl Philips but an injury to his shoulder made it difficult for him over a race distance and he faded back down to eight place. The pain then became too much for him and he failed to make the remaining races. Pre event favourite Car Phillips also had problems and did not quite reach the heights expected as he managed just a single podium position.
Following a slow start, reigning Supertwin champion Conor Parkhill took two wins in the Supersport Cup. Having had problems in practice he had to start from the back of the grid and failed to finish race one which went to Gary O'Brien. Parkhill fared better in races two and three, to take the cup honours and score points in the overall championship, while two runner-up spots for O'Brien, added to his earlier win, sees him lead the series after three races.
The Superbike grid was smaller than Supersport but brimming with quality. Sheils sat on pole for the three races and made the most of the position to record three relatively easy wins. The first victory was aided by an incident for Marshall Neill who was thrown out of the saddle on the exit of Dunlop corner but somehow managed to hang on and stay upright. The incident gave Sheils the break he needed and he never looked back, eventually finishing well ahead of Mark Glasgow who took his first ever runner-up position. Races two and three followed the same pattern with Sheils well clear, but with the minor placings unsure until the flag. Neill recovered from his earlier error to record two podiums and keep himself in championship contention but it was Glasgow with two second places who emerged as Sheils closest challenger.
The Cup class was a straight fight between Frank Smyth and Brian Coomey who finished first and second in all three races. Smyth took two of the wins to Coomey's one and leads the Cup standings. Coomey sits second with Superbike novice Thomas O'Grady in third thanks to three podium finishes.
The championship takes a long break now before it resumes on June 22nd, again at Mondello Park. In the mean time information on developments within the series can be found at www.adelaidemasters.ie.