Wilson Craig Honda rider William Dunlop, endured mixed fortunes at Saturdays McKinstry Skip Hire Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod, with Dunlop sharing two podium positions in the Supersport 600 Races which included a fine win in race one.

But Dunlop's luck was non existent in the Lisburn City Council Superstock race and the two Superbike races, with William having to retire out of all three races with mechanical problems on the Wilson Craig Racing Honda Fireblades.

In the Aer Lingus UGP Supersport 600 race, William just managed to hold off New Zealand's Bruce Anstey for a narrow win, after this race was cut short because of two separate red flag incidents which brought a premature end to the race. The race was stopped on lap three and the result declared, leaving William the winner from Anstey and Lee Johnson.

In the Around A Pound Supersport 600 race two, William for a second successive year at the Ulster Grand Prix, lost out of a fine race win on the last lap, when Anstey slipped underneath Dunlop on the run through the Quarry Bends section on the last lap, with Anstey taking the chequered flag with 0.194 seconds over Dunlop and Conor Cummins.

Earlier in the day, Dunlop had to retire out of the Lisburn City Council Superstock race on lap three with a motor problem, while in the McKinstry Skip Hire Superbike race, William entered the pits at the end of lap two with a broken exhaust. In the final race of the day for the UGP Supporters/People's Superbike Race, William was again left stranded at Leathemstown corner when the Wilson Craig Honda Superbike appeared to loss power leaving Dunlop to reflect on a day that might have been.


William Dunlop:

"I am very disappointed to tell you the truth. It was bad enough not winning both Supersport races, but to retire out of both the Superbike and Superstock races is very hard to swallow.

The Supersport races where really enjoyable, even though the first race was cut short, but I thought I had race two sewn up only for Bruce Anstey to find away past me through the Quarries on the last lap. I will have to take a good look at myself in the future from the hairpin to the Start Finish straight as I have lost out on three Supersport 600 race wins on that section.

The Superbike races where really hard to take with the exhaust breaking in race one and then loosing power in race two. The bikes are usually 100% all of the time, but today was not one of those days".


Footnote: William Dunlop would like to extend his sympathies to the family and freinds of Lee Vernon who died while competiting in Thursdays Dundrod 150 Superbike Race.