Like David I've just watched the Southern 100 practice session. It was good to meet some of the board-regulars again.

As ever, Ryan Farquhar looked a top-class rider. Is he being unfairly treated? What he has had to put up with seems a little irregular, at the very least.

For those that missed the official McAdoo statement, I have copied it below so you can judge for yourselves:

07/07/2003 - Skerries cut short after Farquhar Double!

Ryan Farquhar continued an unbelievable season at the Skerries 100 when he won his first two races of the day. The 250cc race was a stroll from start to finish when Ryan smashed the lap record a number of times, despite not really being pushed. Then in his second race of the day, Ryan stormed to victory on the McAdoo Racing ZX-6RR Kawasaki in the 600cc Supersport race. Flying Farquhar was never headed throughout the nine lap race, and again smashed the lap record a number of times, with the opposition nowhere to be seen! However, the MCUI decided to again examine Ryan’s machine after the race. Both Ryan and the team refused to allow this examination for a number of reasons. Firstly, the technical steward for 600cc racing was made aware at the Dundrod 150 of a number of technical infringements by certain riders (NOT including Ryan) and nothing was done about it. Why not? Secondly, Ryan has competed in four national road races in 2003 on the McAdoo Racing ZX-6RR Kawasaki and has won two of the four races. At Cookstown, where Ryan didn’t win, NO BIKES were examined. At Tandragee, where Ryan won, the bikes WERE examined. At Dundrod, where Ryan didn’t win, NO BIKES were examined. At Skerries, where Ryan won, the bikes WERE examined. Can anyone see a pattern emerging? Thirdly, Ryan was tested for drugs/alcohol AGAIN at the Skerries, meaning he has been tested at almost every race this season, despite riders supposed to be selected randomly! McAdoo Racing would like to point out that we are very much in favour of both rider and machine testing, but on a more regular and even basis. All riders and machines should be tested, not just a selected few. Finally, after the North West 200 fiasco, the team was warned by a well known official not to appeal against the ‘oil flag/Lougher’ incident or we would regret it - we sincerely hope this is not the payback for our appeal. The team withdrew from the remainder of the Skerries meeting after the 600cc race, which was a difficult decision as Ryan looked like cleaning up in the two Superbike races as well, but we felt unable to participate any further after this treatment. *******************This situation has saddened both Ryan and the McAdoo team as we feel we are being pushed out of the sport by the official bodies. Perhaps one day they will realize that we were one of the very few teams who actually put our own money into the sport, as opposed to making money from it! Ryan now moves on to the Southern 100 in the Isle of Man, where hopefully he can forget about the treatment we receive at home, and show everyone again what a great rider he is.

Am I putting my head above the parapet to ask?:

They won by miles. They could have won another race, but because a machine examination was asked for, they refused and went home.

Just how does that look?

Flameproof pit overalls on...

Into the valley of death rode the gallant Misterperkins.

I had my machine stripped last year in the Aprilia 250 challenge last year. This after some spineless rival made a false allegation about my bike. I along with my father stripped the machine, and it was found to be completly standard. I never got an apology from anyone, yet the real cheats were allowed to carry on.

On a Six Hundred- Hee Hee!

Whilst it seems pretty obvious that Team McAdoo are receiving 'payback', the worst thing to do is to not allow the machine to be stripped, Mr Perkins does have a point.
It is just a shame that powers that be cannot allow people to appeal without seeing their bottom and getting revenge.
Now that should light a bit a blue touch paper me thinks!! :-)
Russ

Having been in a similar position myself i feel that Ryan was justified in his actions! Obviously everyone has their own opinion and this is just mine. I had to strip an engine once, For the organisers to turn round and say that they had not followed the standard procedure and take the cash with the Protest!
Remember folks, Innocent until proven otherwise!
So in the end i was left with an engine in bits! and a mere "Sorry" for the inconvenience!

Fair or not surely it would have been better to prove the doubters wrong than to add to their fire. Better to strip the thing and put up two fingers than to lose championship points.
Race witin the rules and hold your head up high, race outside the rules GO HOME..........

And how many times in one season due you think it is suitable to strip an individuals engine?
As i said everyone has their opinion. And that was only mine,

Once is enough then it can be sealed and it needs never to striped again until YOU need to!

thats a good idea.

Ryan and the Macadoo team are the sort of team that the Irish road racing needs to retain , not make them feel like outcasts , its time for some fairness over there, I would suggest that Ryan does not need any additional help to win races his ability alone will do . Since his Manx success, where his 750 KAWASAKI,along with my own Ducati 996 and Paul Duckets 750 kawasaki were all within the rules after the mandatory strip down ,i believe 2 strip downs in one season so far would get to most teams ,as the expense of our normal rebuild costs are enough to bear , maybe if you are proven to be within the rules ,the protester should pay the full rebuild costs and that would deter this kind of behaviour, organisers included.

Was not a demand for an engine strip, it seems, just a short dyno run.

it seems unfair for an innocent rider to have to pay for the rebuild following the strip. but then again, who covers the extra cost - the race organisers, the governing bodies, the protestor(s)?

Ryan was only asked to do a dyno test. This would have only cost him time. By not doing it, it cost him a lot of face and after the comments he made about this and the people of southern Ireland he lost a lot of support, painting all people with the same brush.