Kiwi Bruce Anstey and his Suzuki GSX-R1000 have made history by becoming the World's fastest combination of rider and machine ever in the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod in Northern Ireland, averaging an astonishing 133.977mph in the final race of the day. And judging by the reaction of the 30,000 strong crowd at the County Antrim venue, the London-based Kiwi was also the event’s most popular winner around the 7.401-mile circuit. He was unfortunate not to have also taken the opening Superbike race win in a six-lap thriller that involved up to six riders; the 41-year-old suggested in a succinct manner afterwards during a radio interview, that backmarkers probably blighted his cause at the Lindsay Hairpin on the final circuit. Overall, Anstey was pleased with his day’s work;
“I said before today that our bikes were very competitive and while I missed out in the cat-and-mouse game for victory in the opening Superbike race, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. Granted, there wasn’t much in it between the top four or five guys today, but ultimately we proved that the GSX-R1000 in Relentless Suzuki trim is not only the best, but the fastest road racing superbike on the planet. A big thank you to all the boys in the team today for a big effort – they work hard all year and it’s nice to give them something to boast about at the end of a tough season.”
Padgetts Honda rider Ian Hutchinson followed up his record-breaking Isle of Man TT haul with a successful day’s racing at the Ulster GP, winning the Superbike race one (finishing second to the flying Anstey in race two), Supersport race one and Superstock. Keith Amor too had a great meeting; victory was his in the second Supersport race and he was a podium fixture in all five of the other races he rode on the day.
What was – almost – a clean sweep of victories across all the classes at the Ulster GP rounds out an extremely successful year of racing for Arai’s road specialists, which everybody at Phoenix Distribution, Arai’s UK importer, is proud to have been a part of.
*PICTURE OF BRUCE ANSTEY COURTESY OF VICTOR HAZELTON*
For more information and news on Arai Helmets please visit www.whyarai.co.uk
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