The final Irish road race of 2018 takes place this weekend with the Mrs Brown's Boys-sponsored East Coast meeting - formerly Killalane - just outside Skerries, north of Dublin.

Roads close around the 3.6mile circuit from 12 noon today ahead of practice with a nine-race programme tomorrow, roads closing at 8am.

Missing from the action will be Derek McGee, recovering from his Ulster Grand Prix accident, leaving the way clear for others like Davey Todd, Paul Jordan and Michael Sweeney to mount challenges for honours.

McGee has already won the Irish road race Superbike and Supertwin titles, but Cookstown BE runner Todd, Manx Grand Prix Newcomer 'A' winner Thomas Maxwell and local star Sweeney are in contention for the runner-up spot in Superbike.

In Supersport, McGee has a 21-point lead with Sweeney having to win tomorrow to snatch the championship with Jordan, after a good UGP and Classic TT, and Todd capable of throwing a spanner in Sweeney's championship aspirations.

Paul Robinson, taking part in his final road race meeting after announcing his retirement, would dearly love to end his road racing career with an Irish championship and he has a chance, just nine points behind the absent McGee in the Moto3/125GP series.

Fellow Ballymoney man Darryl Tweed, a double Manx Grand Prix winner just over a week ago, is odds-on to take the Lightweight Supersport title with a 19-point lead over Stephen McKeown.

Meanwhile at Silverstone yesterday, British Superbike series leader Leon Haslam luckily escaped injury after a massive crash during opening free practice when he high sided from his JG Speedfit Kawasaki.

After yesterday's two sessions Carrickfergus rider Glenn Irwin recorded the fifth fastest time, four 10ths slower than provisional pole man Bradley Ray, while his PBM Be Wiser Ducati team-mate and brother Andrew was 14th quickest, just six 10ths slower than Ray in an incredibly close session that saw just 2.5secs cover all 27 competitors.