Lee Johnston targeting Gold Cup victory at Oliver’s Mount

Lee Johnston targeting Gold Cup victory at Oliver’s Mount - Printable Version

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Lee Johnston targeting Gold Cup victory at Oliver’s Mount - Malcolm - 12-09-2014

Pirtek Honda's Lee Johnston at the Ulster Grand Prix in August

Pirtek Honda’s Lee Johnston is among the leading contenders in the hunt for Gold Cup glory at Scarborough in North Yorkshire this weekend.

The Northern Ireland rider has firmly established himself as a serious player among road racing’s elite this year, taking his first international wins with a double in the Supertwin class at the North West 200, plus a best result of fifth in the Superstock event at the Isle of Man TT.

Johnston also excelled at the Ulster Grand Prix, finishing third in the Superbike race and taking the runner-up spot behind Bruce Anstey in the Supersport class after sealing a dominant win in the Dundrod 150 Supertwin race.

Last month, he achieved his maiden victory on the Mountain Course as he won the 350cc Classic TT on the Black Eagle Racing MV Agusta, setting a new lap record at 105.239mph.

And now the Hull-based Fermanagh rider is aiming to round off the road racing season with more podium plaudits at Oliver’s Mount, when he will ride in the Supersport and Superbike events.

Johnston, who finished on the rostrum on his debut in the Supersport and Superbike classes at the event last September, told the News Letter: “I didn’t even get to ride in the Gold Cup race last year because the gearbox went in the big bike, but there were that many boys fell off in the conditions that it didn’t really bother me that much.

“It was my first time there but I managed to get on the podium in the first big race and in one of the 600 races as well.”

Bradford’s Dean Harrison misses the event as he continues to recover from injury following a crash at the Ulster Grand Prix, while Tyco Suzuki’s Guy Martin is also absent as the Lincolnshire rider is away testing with French privateer Suzuki outfit RC2L ahead of next weekend’s Le Mans 24-Hour race.

However, the line-up includes Padgetts Honda star Bruce Anstey plus Morecambe’s John McGuinness and Johnston is under no illusions over the scale of the task he faces.

“Dean [Harrison] is injured and Guy [Martin] isn’t here, but you’ve got John McGuinness, Bruce Anstey and riders like James Cowton, so it’s not going to be easy,” he said.

“But I’d like to go there and try and get a win, that’s for sure and we’ll definitely be having a go.

“It’s been a decent year for me but it could’ve been better if I hadn’t got hurt. Obviously I had the crash at the North West 200 and then I crashed at the TT as well and it set me back a bit; I was hurt more than people realised,” he added.

“But I can’t really complain because we’ve been there or thereabouts in every class on every bike at all the big meetings.”

James Cowton, Ivan Lintin and Daley Mathison are also entered at Scarborough, while Ryan Farquhar returns to Oliver’s Mount to compete in the Classic races.

Practice and qualifying gets under way at 9am on Saturday, with the first race scheduled for 1.30pm.

On Gold Cup day on Sunday, the opening race is pencilled in for a 10.30am start.