2024 Cookstown 100 – Sweeney Superior In Twins (A) Race
Following Richard Ford’s dominance of the Junior 250 Classics race, the first of today’s Super Twin encounters, the Henry Brown Marshall titled supported (A) race took top billing at Cookstown.
Cowton Racing’s Gareth Arnold led Michael Sweeney, by the slenderest of margins at lap one’s conclusion (0.011 of a second).
From lap two on-wards, Skerries Sweeney took control, steadily opening a strong advantage over Arnold.
By lap six, RS660 Aprilia powered Sweeney had a race lead, stretching to plus 3.3 seconds.
With two laps to go, the 2022 Irish Road Race Superbike Championship was close to eight seconds ahead of the ever-improving Arnold.
As the ninth, final lap concluded, Sweeney victorious for the second time this week at Cookstown, race winning margin was 8.9 seconds, 8.924 to be exact.
Arnold, a race victor at the Oliver’s Mount Bob Smith Spring Cup, deservedly finished second with 222 plate holder Michael Gahan, wrapping up those to feature on the race rostrum.
Remaining race finishers were as follows:
Aidan Cleary (4th), Open B race runner-up Martin Morris (5th), top newcomer Dean McMaster (6th), Darragh Crean (7th).
Stephen McKnight (8th), Andy Farrell (9th), Kelly Carruthers (10th), Dave Thomas (11th), Ashley Robson (12th), John O’Donovan (13th).
Photo credit: Derek Wilson