Fresh from a sensational showing at the Mid Antrim meeting, the Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing team were to the fore again at the Tandragee Road Races. The John Burrows managed Derek Sheils and Malachi Mitchell Thomas were at the sharp end of every race they competed in and the two flyers amassed no less than six podiums between them.
In the first Superbike race, Sheils took his Cookstown Burrows Engineering Suzuki 1000 to a fine second place behind Dan Kneen while young Mitchell Thomas took a very creditable fifth place on what was his first ever race on the technical County Armagh circuit.
In the second Superbike encounter, Sheils was again second behind Mar-Train’s Kneen but Bolton boy Mitchell Thomas was a fine third, leaving the likes of William Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar, Derek McGee and Michael Sweeney in his wake.
Mitchell Thomas, who is fast becoming a favourite of the Irish fans, led the Supersport 600 race but hindered by an over-geared Cookstown Burrows Engineering Honda 600, he had to settle for third behind Dunlop and Kneen.
Both Mitchell Thomas and Sheils were on the Supertwins podium. Farquhar won the race after getting the better of Mitchell Thomas at the last corner while Sheils also rode a fantastic race from the back of the grid to take third on the machine Peter Hickman will ride at the Isle of Man TT. The third place was especially rewarding for Davy Deveney who worked into the small hours to get the Kawasaki race ready.
Team owner and manager John Burrows was mightily pleased with the Tandragee showing. He said: "Six podiums is brilliant for the boys and a reward for the team who have been working really hard. I was especially pleased by the performance of our Supertwin Kawasaki machines, they are looking ultra competitive and should be a force to be reckoned with at the NW200 and the Isle of Man TT.
"The 1000cc and 600cc machinery are going well too and I’m very encouraged and looking forward to our home race meeting at Cookstown next weekend. Derek is a proven force at Orritor and I don’t think Malachi will take long to get up to speed as the short Orritor circuit is relatively easy to learn. I think the Cookstown Burrows Engineering riders will give local fans plenty to cheer about on Saturday!”
Photo credit Baylon McCaughey
