Bradford’s Dean Harrison is one of the hottest young prospects currently competing on the national and international road racing scene, and this weekend the current leader of the Duke Road Race Rankings will make his KDM Hire Cookstown 100 debut.
“Yeah it’ll be my first time there. I’ve done a selected few rounds of the Irish championship before but I’ve only ever seen Cookstown on TV. It looks right good craic and a good bit of fun, and it’ll give me a chance to sort a few little teething problems out with our new Superbike before the North West 200,” said the 24-year-old.
Harrison is undoubtedly a prodigious talent, and having only been road racing since 2008, he has impressively climbed the ranks and into the sights of many top teams in a short space of time.
His RC Express Racing Team is owned and run by father and son pairing Roy and Ben Constable, with added support from Kawasaki Motors UK and Nick Morgan of MSS Kawasaki, whose company provide technical support and a maintenance package.
When asked about his aspirations for the KDM Hire Cookstown 100, where he will compete in the O2 Cookstown & Royal Hotel Open Race; the Cookstown District Council & Braeside Bar and Restaurant Supersport 600cc race and the feature race of the day: the KDM Hire & Royal Hotel Cookstown 100, he said:
“I got the ZX-10R Superbike set up pretty close at Scarborough, so even though I’m a newcomer I’d like to be up there running
close to the frontguys. It’s a proper road race with bumps and jumps and a big long straight so I’m really looking forward to it. How will I go? You just never know,” he joked playing his cards close to his chest.
Harrison is the only newcomer to have lapped Dundrod in excess of 130mph and was also the fastest newcomer at last year’s Southern 100 Road Races, so the full time car mechanic is well worth looking out for on Saturday.
Race Schedule
There will be three races for Support classes 201-400cc, 401-750cc [A & B] following practice and qualifying on Friday.
Saturday’s schedule with roads closing at 10am is as follows:
Cookstown Town Centre Forums Moto3/125GP [7 laps]
Greenvale Hotel & Cookstown Caravans 201-400cc Support [7 laps]
KDM Hire 250GP & Hayes Fuels Moto450 [combined] [7 laps]
O2 & Royal Hotel Cookstown Open [8 laps]**
O2 & Royal Hotel Cookstown Open B [8 laps]
Hayes Fuels Supersport 400cc [7 laps]
Belfast House 250cc Classic [7 laps]
Cookstown D.C & Braeside Bar Supersport 600cc [8 laps]**
Cookstown D.C & Braeside Bar Supersport 600cc B [6 laps]
Conway Snooker 251-350cc Classic [7 laps]
KDM Hire & Royal Hotel Cookstown 100 Feature Race [10 laps]**
Tyre Safety Centre 350cc – 1000cc Classic [7 laps]
Hayes Fuels & Drew Stewart Auto Repairs 650cc Supertwins [7 laps]**
Hayes Fuels & Drew Stewart Auto Repairs 650cc Supertwins B [6 laps]
KDM Hire & Royal Hotel Cookstown 100 B Race [6 laps]
Cookstown & District MCC Invitational Supersport Race [time permitting]
** denotes fastest 23 riders from qualifying