In-form Hicky sweeps the board

Louth motorcycle racer Peter Hickman maintained his stunning form by cleaning up at Ulster GP with four wins and a second place.
Peter Hickman celebrates at the Ulster GP. Photo: Baylon McCaughey.Peter Hickman celebrates at the Ulster GP. Photo: Baylon McCaughey.
Peter Hickman celebrates at the Ulster GP. Photo: Baylon McCaughey.

Following from his British Superbikes victory at Thruxton by claiming with the Man of the Meeting award for the second weekend running aboard the Smiths Racing BMW at the high-profile international road race meeting.

Hickman said: “A massive thanks to the team as everything’s been spot on throughout.

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“I’m obviously over the moon with a hat-trick of wins in what were extremely tough, close races and that’s always the case at the Ulster GP.

“To win a race here, you know you’ll have to fight all the way to the end and getting a break is near impossible.”

He took a lights to flag victory in the Dundrod 150 Superbike race on Thursday and became the world’s fastest road racer when he set a new outright lap record of 134.210mph.

Next up was the six-lap Superstock race where he got away quickly with Dean Harrison.

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The Lincolnshire rider pulled clear from Harrison and brought the Smiths Racing BMW home for his second win of the weekend.

In the first of two Supersport races, Bruce Anstey was quicker out of the blocks but Hicky, on the Smith’s Racing Iron Maiden Trooper Beer Triumph, took the lead halfway around the first lap.

The pair pulled away from the pack and places were frequently exchanged until the final lap when Hicky went ahead at Deer’s Leap and held his line at Lindsay hairpin to win by just a 10th of a second.

The day’s big race was the Superbike race and Hicky got the hole shot from Conor Cummins, Bruce Anstey, Dean Harrison and Dan Kneen in a five-man break.

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Cummins took the lead and then Anstey before Hicky took over in a close and exciting race. But Anstey just staved off a last corner attack from Hickman to take the win by two 10ths of a second.

The second Supersport race was just as close as the first with Hickman leading from Michael Dunlop and Anstey.

A red flag halted the race and at the restart Dunlop hit the front, but Hicky snatched the lead away mid-lap.

He led throughout, but was chased all the way by Harrison, Anstey and Lee Johnston with just half-a-second separating the four riders.

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But Hickman held off the challenge to cross the finish line just 0.3secs ahead of Anstey, with Harrison following in third.

The final race of the day didn’t go to plan when Hickman got the hole shot and built a small lead, but the BMW engine let go and he was forced to pull in.

Hickman returns to domestic duty this weekend in the MCE British Superbikes at his home track of Cadwell Park.

Timetable: Friday - free practice one 10.15am, free practice two 3.15pm; Saturday – free practice three 10.05am, qualifying 4.02pm; Sunday – warm-up 9.40am, race one over 18 laps 1.30pm, race two 4.30pm.

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