2012 RIDER BLOG: Davy Morgan

[Admin]

I am delighted, but a little apprehensive about being asked to write a blog for the readers or realroadracing.com in 2012. If the truth be told I am not sure how I should start with my first one so have decided to give you a little bit of background on my racing career and my plans for 2012.



I have wanted to race motorbikes pretty much all my life and this desire was enhanced even further when as a young boy I walked from my home in Saintfield to watch the Temple 100. It all began there and I have been racing for let’s just say, quite a few years now and like most Irish Road Racers I served my time in the Clubman’s Championship were I won 400cc & 600cc Championships before moving up to the National Short Circuit scene and eventually on to Road Racing.

During my career I have been very fortunate to have some great people around me and sponsors who were very supportive without putting any pressure on what I did and were I rode. I did win a 600cc Regal Championship Race at Bishopscourt back in 2002 when I had a great scrap with Richard Britton and Adrian Archibald, but once I had started to race on the roads it very quickly became my priority and in particular the Mountain Course on the Isle of Man.

So much so that in my early road race years my priority was to try and win at the Manx Grand Prix as it was impossible by that stage for a privateer on a limited budget to win at the TT. In 2004 my dream came true when I won the Senior Manx Grand Prix on Kevin & Angela Woods 750cc Suzuki. It was amazing and I also set a new MGP Lap Record at over 120mph in that race, to be one of only a few have done so at the Manx. I moved on to the TT after that win and have had some very good results with a best place finish of 7th in the Senior TT in 2006. There have quite a few silver and gold replicas down the years, as well as the disappointments that go along with competing at the arduous 37 ¾ mile circuit. 2010 was my best TT in a while, when I finished 9th in the Senior TT, was 3rd in the Privateers Championship, did my fastest ever laps in all three classes, which was topped by my Superbike time when I joined an elite group of only 26 riders to lap the Mountain Circuit at over 125mph.

I have had some great races and results on Irelands Roads with countless top ten finishes including quite a few podiums and on a number of occasions finishing in the top six in the Irish Road Race Championships. I have won 250cc Irish Championship Races at Skerries, Tandragee, Cookstown and Armoy and I won the Irish Senior Championship race at Bush in 2010. In 2005 I had probably my greatest ever racing moment when I won the 250cc Race at the North West 200 an experience that I cannot really explain.



In 2012 I am pleased that i will again be riding under the banner of CSC / Strangford Holiday Park Racing and wish to thank both Steve (Caffyn) and Trevor (Matthewson) for their continued support and the use of their excellent machinery. I also have my own 1000cc Superstock BMW and 250cc Honda and Tony (Morris) CMS has built me a Supertwin ER6 Kawasaki, which is a new adventure for me. The CSC Supersport R6 Yamaha, Strangford Holiday Park Superbike GSXR1000cc Suzuki, Superstock BMW and D&G.W/DM#71RRSC 250cc Honda have all been refreshed and updated as much as finance will allow and are all sitting ready to go and after a test in England there are a couple of minor issues that need sorted on the ER6.

So I am now looking forward to Scarborough on the 15th April, which starts my season.



I still need a title sponsor for the 1000cc BMW that will be run at the International Road Races and my budget is still a bit short for a full season so i really do need other personal sponsors to join the team and help with the general costs of running a professional Road Race Team at the sharp end of the grid, including: fuel, tyres, race parts, entry fees, transport costs, etc. I will be taking part in as many National & International Road races across Ireland, Isle of Man and UK that the finances will allow.

My sincere thanks go out to my loyal and new sponsors for showing their faith in me; CSC Racing, Strangford Holiday Park, CMS, Davy Morgan #71 RRSC, I.M.S.Ltd, UAsphalt, Jet Plant, Leisure Services, D&G.W Racing, 01Race FX, La-Mon Hotel, Inglewood Hotel, EJ Tractors, Belfast Honda and EH Services. A big thank you also to; Dunlop Tyres, Rock Oil, NGK Spark Plugs, Arai Helmets and WIZ Knee sliders for their vital Trade Support.

Although no one can guarantee success in this sport anyone who is already involved or looking to get involved can be assured that there will be no lack of effort, commitment and professionalism from myself or any member of the team in achieving success.

Speak Soon
Davy Morgan #71
www.davymorgan71.com

[Admin]

Hi All,

Thought I should give you all a short update before I head up to the North West for the week.

It been a tough and painful few weeks after a solid start to the season.

It all started at Scarborough and Robert, Jim, Maurice and myself had a good weekend although it was freezing cold. The results were not great and we had a few minor issues with the bikes, but I was relatively happy with how it had gone. The CSC Racing R6 Yamaha was particularly pleasing as it was going well and I felt comfortable on it as I came through from last on the grid to sixth and was only just over half a second off the fastest lap of the race. I had qualified fifth first time out on the CMS ER6 Supertwin and fourth on the D&GW/DM#71RRSC 250 Honda and it was disappointing not to be able to get a full race in on either. We headed home meeting up with the guys from Scott Leathers to get my new ones for this year, thanks to my supporters club for helping out with the purchase of these.



It was Cookstown next and with all the issues resolved with the bikes we were ready to, I finished second to William (Dunlop) on the 250 Honda and after a slow start worked my way through to finish seventh in the first Open Race. I was feeling good and the bikes were going well, it was dry, but again freezing cold. In the Supersport Race I was up to seventh, the CSC Racing R6 was flying and i was closing on the guys at the back of the A Group when I hit a false neutral, had no drive to keep my line and clipped the bank on the outside of Mackney, for a split second I thought I had saved it. When I realised I wasn’t I got off the bike and hit the ground hard and the bike veered across the road and hit the only concrete post on that stretch of road and wrecked itself.

The race was red flagged and after some treatment and although sore I was determined to finish the day, I took eighth on the Strangford Holiday Park Suzuki in the feature Cookstown 100 Race and then sixth in the Supertwin Race, my first race on the CMS ER6 Kawasaki although it was throwing out oil on the final lap. By this time I could hardly move, was in a lot of pain and was badly swollen, so I got Fred (McSorley) to give me a check over and he was satisfied there was nothing serious.

I would mend and it would just be a matter of how long, however the CSC R6 was a mess and I felt really bad about that, it also turned out that the ER6 oil leak was more serious than first thought and the 250 had a broken clock bracket.



After a check-up with Dr Fed on Thursday I was passed fit to race and so it was off to Tandragee with only the Strangford Holiday Park Suzuki and an injury that did still not look or feel good. After dry practice on Saturday morning I decided I was not fit enough to race and so called it a day with the North West ten days away and the TT twenty one. Very frustrating as Tandragee is probably my favourite National Circuit. Thanks to Dave Hewson for taking the ER6 back to England to be repaired after Tandragee.

It’s been a race against time to get myself and the bikes ready for the North West, thanks to Steve (Caffyn) and Tony (Morris) for sorting the CSC R6 out as I just would not have been fit enough to do it. It’s taken a lot of time and money and as someone said to me at Tandragee, if everyone who asked how I was over the weekend had given me £10 it would have gone a long way to paying to repair the wee bike.

If everything goes to plan I will pick it up today at the North West Paddock, unfortunately the ER6 Supertwin will not be ready so I will be riding the Strangford Holiday Park Superbike, CSC Racing Supersport and my own Superstock BMW, although if someone would like to come on-board as Title Sponsor of this bike it would be very much appreciated and welcome.

So at the minute it’s a case of getting to the North West seeing if I am now fit enough to ride, the injury has improved massively over the past ten days and if everything goes to plan it will then be off to the TT.

Speak Soon
Davy Morgan #71
www.davymorgan71.com