International Ulster GP

Fresh from the TT, Boothy’s taken his ZX-10R and his 675R to Northern Ireland to have a go at the Ulster GP. Here is how he got on…

If you were lucky enough to get a copy of issue 356, you might have read about how we got on over at the Isle of Man TT, on the BSK Pro ZX-10R and the Surf-Bar Triumph 675; it was ace over there (when the weather finally played ball), and after a 14th place finish in the Senior TT, we thought we would pack up our troubles and head off to Ireland for the International Ulster Grand Prix.

I raced there last year on my old (2012) Superstock ZX-10R and had a reasonably good run, finishing 8th in the Superbike race. The cynical amongst us might call the good result a bit of a fluke – I chose the right tyres and when the rain started falling, I didn’t let it phase me. Fluke or not, I knew I’d have my work cut out to try and better my finishing position from 2018, but with a better, faster bike I still had my eye on a top 10 finish.

If you have never been to the Ulster GP, you should. Imagine a mini TT course, but with a few less stone walls and pubs to crash into – the layout has all the character of a proper fast and flowing road race circuit, but it doesn’t feel as dangerous as something like the TT, and I think that’s why I love racing round there so much.