Making a return to the CDE Group Cookstown 100, after a break of 35 years is Belfasts Phil Lunney! Phil, who last raced here, on the Sherrygrim circuit. Speaking to Phil, as he chatted about his return, the pensioner had this to say “ I Grew up with Joe Lindsay in West Belfast, and when Joe took up racing, I went scrambling, with a bike( a 250 Sprite) purchased from none other than Ivan Davidson, the well-known race secretary and race official! , Anyway, I then met with Billy McKinstry, Gordon Bell and Kenny Morton, we used to race a lot in the south, and my good friend Davy Lavery was our driver. In the early 70s, life and travelling were hectic, so it wasn’t until the late 70s that I got another dirt bike, which I rode until 82/83. Having attended the Manx Grand Prix with my good buddy, Pat McLaughlin, I ended up buying a TZ125 from Seamy Rice, I also purchased a TZ350E, and then crammed in as many races as I could, to compete in the Manx Grand Prix in 1984, I achieved this ambition, but unfortunately, I had a non-finish! Due to financial restraints, I didn’t race in 85, but went to the TT and watched Sam McClements take third on the FZ750 Yamaha, so, that made my mind up, came home, and made a purchase of a similar machine. I raced this bike for 3 seasons and competed in Three Manx Grands Prix, Southern 100, and also the Production TT in 1988. I called it quits after the 1988 Killalane road races and got married the following year, so the racing was put on hold. I managed a few run-outs in 1991 and 1997, but couldn’t fully commit, due to family, Mark (Lunney) started in 1990, and I went and helped him a lot, Mark went on to have quite a successful career. After major trauma in my life, I decided to return to the race paddock in 2022 in the classic scene, This was the best decision I have ever made! I'm now embarking on another adventure this season!” We wish Phil all the best in his return to the roads. As you can see from the picture attached, he has got his Crash Helmet painted in the colours of his racing leathers, which he has had since 1988! The 2023 Cookstown 100 has been rebranded, Thanks to a new Sponsor ‘CDE Group’. CDE is proud to support the 2023 Cookstown 100 In memoriam of Paddy Convery (11.03.62 - 26.12.22), brother of our Chairman and Founder, Tony, we are proud to announce that CDE is the main sponsor for this year’s Cookstown 100 on 21 and 22 April. Paddy Convery had a passion and dedication to the world of road racing that was second to none. An advocate for the next generation of racers, Paddy supported wherever he could and was a safe pair of hands sweeping riders up when they fell. Last night, Adrian Convery attended the press night in the Royal Hotel, Cookstown, along with members, competitors, and well-known faces in road racing. It was great to get together and hear stories that span over 100 years. CDE is proud to be able to support the event in Paddy’s memory. It’s an event that brings both the local community and those from further afield together to celebrate an incredible sport. If you’re attending, we hope you have a great weekend, and we wish all the riders a safe and successful event! CDE is a locally based firm; its global headquarters are in the Kilcronagh Industrial estate on the outskirts of Cookstown. Working across five strategic regions, CDE is the leading provider of wet processing solutions with applications across various materials within the natural processing and waste recycling sectors. CDE has been co-creating with customers for 30 years to deliver wet processing solutions that empower our customers to transform waste into valuable resources laying the foundations for the circular economy. CDE founder and chairman, Mr Tony Convery, said: “We are very proud to support the 2023 Cookstown 100. For over 30 years now, CDE has been firmly rooted in the local community, and we’re deeply passionate about giving back to help people and communities thrive. Though our company has expanded and now operates around the globe, Cookstown remains our home and headquarters. “We’re engineers at heart, operating at the forefront of innovation and driven to deliver optimal performance for our customers. We recognise the same passion, drive and pursuit of peak performance in the Cookstown 100, so it is a fitting partnership. “We’re delighted to support the opening race of the season, and we wish Cookstown & District Motor Cycle Club and all the competitors a safe and successful two days.” LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/cde-group/mycompany/verification/?viewAsMember=true Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/cdegroup Twitter - https://twitter.com/cdegroup YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/CDEGlobalCookstown/videos Tik Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@cde_group Practice and Race Order. Friday21st April. Newcomers Five Laps. Two Groups A & B Supersport A (Numbers 1-91) Supersport B (Numbers 92-361) 250 Classic Senior Support (Numbers 5-97) Senior Support (98-777) Lightweight SS 400 350 Classic Moto 3/125/SS300 Junior Support A (Numbers 2-79) Junior Support B (Numbers 80-777) Senior Classic Open A Open B Supertwin A (Numbers 2-76) Supertwin B (Numbers 77-777) Race 1 Supersport B - DOONS STORES Race 2 Senior Support B - JMB COACHES Race 3 Open B - BILL EASTWOOD CONTRACTS Saturday 22nd April. Race 1 Senior Support A - SUPER SEAL WINDOWS Race 2 Moto 3/125cc/Supersport 300 - KEYSTONE LINTELS / LOUGHRAN COMMERCIALS Race 3 lightweight Supersport 400 - THE ROYAL HOTEL Race 4 Supersport next-generation - MID ULSTER COUNCIL Race 5 Junior Classic - WOOLSEY CONCRETE Race 6 Supertwin A - HENRY MARSHALL BROWN ARCHITECTURAL PARTNERSHIP Race 7 Junior Classic (350) - McKINSTRY SKIP HIRE Race 8 Supertwin B - HAYES FUELS Race 9 Junior Support A - COOKSTOWN DISTRICT MOTORCYCLE CLUB MOTOCROSS SECTION Race 10 Junior Support B - RJ ROCKS Race 11 Open A - CEMCOR Race 12 Senior Classic - SKEGNESS RACEWAY Race 13 & 14 COOKSTOWN 100 Superbike A & B – CDE Group / In memoriam of Paddy Convery
