MICHAEL PEARSON COOKSTOWN 100 REPORT

Lisburn rider Michael Pearson on the Hotties Racing machinery, made a very sucessful start to the 2013 Irish Road Racing season with Pearson taking three solid top five results in the Superbike and Supersport 600 races at the KDM Hire Cookstown 100.
Held over the 2.1 mile Orritor circuit and in front of a sunbaked crowd, Pearson mixed it at the front in all three races, only for minor hitches to stop him from taking what would have been certain podium results.
In the Open Senior race, Pearson was soon involved in a titanic battle up front with Michael Dunlop, Guy Martin, Derek Sheils and Dean Harrison who all put on a fantastic display of road racing at its finest.  Holding onto third place for most of the race, Pearson was forced to concede the final podium position to hard riding Sheils.
In the feature race of the day for the KDM/Royal Hotel Cookstown 100 Superbike race held over ten laps, Pearson blasted off to a flying start on the Hotties Road Racing BMW S1000RR Superstock machine and lead Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop for two laps before having to surrender his lead to Dunlop, with Pearson clearly lacking top end speed on the Superbikes down the main straight.   Try has he might, Pearson was just unable to hold off Sheils again as he brought the Hotties BMW home in fourth place for a second time in the day.
Earlier in the day, Pearson took a hard fought fifth place in the Supersport 600cc race which saw Michael Dunlop, Guy Martin, Derek Sheils, Dean Harrison and Jamie Hamilton all put on a masterful display of racing in what was one of the best 600 races seen at the venue.  Riding the Hotties Road Racing GSXR600 Suzuki, Pearson was again hampered back lack of speed on the main straight but rode a steady and very inspiring race to take sixth place.
 
Michael Pearson: 'all in all I am very happy with how things went today.   In the Superbike races I was just lacking what a Superstock machine does not have over a Superbike and that is power on the main straight.  I was riding very comfortable in both races and showed that I can lead races with the likes of Michael and Guy, and that showed in the Cookstown 100 main race.  In the Supersport 600 race, the Suzuki just does not have the top end speed over the likes of the Honda's and the Yamaha's, and thats where I am losing out.  I know people will say that Guy Martin was on a Suzuki but his bike is kitted with alot more stuff than what our bike has, but it was still nice to get out there and ride the 600 as other than Scarborough it was the first run she has really got all season.    Im looking forwrd to Tandragee next weekend and I think its a circuit that will even things out a bit more, so hopefully the sun will shine again as it did at Cookstown and produce more exciting close racing'.
 
Cookstown 100 Results:
Superbike race A
1st - Michael Dunlop (Hunts/McAdoo Honda)  2nd - Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki)  3rd - Derek Sheils (CD Racing Kawasaki)  4th - Michael Pearson (Hotties BMW)  5th - Dean Harrison (Kawasaki)
KDM/Royal Hotel Cookstown 100
1st- Michael Dunlop (Hunts/McAdoo Honda)  2nd Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki)  3rd - Derek Sheils (CD Racing Kawasaki)  4th - Michael Pearson (Hotties BMW)  5th - Jamie Hamilton (KMR Kawasaki)
Supersport 600 Race:
1st - Guy Martin (Tyco Suzuki)  2nd - Michael Dunlop (Honda) 3rd - Dean Harrison (Bell Yamaha)  4th - Derek Sheils (Honda)  5th Michael Pearson (Hotties Suzuki)
 
 
Picture:  Michael Pearson in action over Blacks Jump on the Hotties BMW during Saturdays Cookstown 100 Road Races.