Belfast Newsletter
Marshall Neill is set to reignite his rivalry with Cody Nally at this weekend’s opening round of the Adelaide Masters Series at Mondello Park in Co Kildare.
The pair fought out a thrilling conclusion to race two at last weekend’s Irish Superbike meeting at Bishopscourt, with Athlone rider Nally edging the verdict by 0.77s at the line.
Seasoned Portadown rider Neill had won the opening race at the Co Down circuit as he began the new season on a positive note on the Ryan McGill Joinery Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Neill said: “I’m looking forward to having a run out at Mondello and it should be a close race. I’ll try and do whatever rounds I can but some of them clash with the National Superstock Championship.
“I had a good race with Cody at Bishopscourt but he managed to get better drive than me at the last corner and grabbed it on the line.”
Nally has won three of the four ISB races held so far this season following a double at Mondello Park earlier this month and will be confident he can carry that form into the Masters opener.
A strong line-up also includes Dublin’s Derek Sheils, a runaway winner of the Masters title last year on Chris Dowd’s Kawasaki, plus Gerard Kinghan, who will contest every round of the championship this year on a Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Former double Masters champion Brian McCormack will also make a full-time return to the series after forming his own team.
The Waterford man will ride a Honda Fireblade as he bids to upstage the Kawasaki machines of Neill, Nally, Sheils and Kinghan.
McCormack focused on the roads last year and only made selected appearances on the short circuit scene, but the Tramore man was hugely successful in the series in 2012, when he won both the Superbike and Supersport crowns.
“I’m familiar with the Fireblade from 2011 and with the work we have done to it I can’t wait to get out there,” said McCormack.
“My aim is to be the main Honda rider taking the battle to the Kawasakis, which seem to be taking over. With Derek Sheils, Damien Byrne, Cody Nally, and Marshall Neill all out on ZX-10s it will be a huge challenge this year.”
McCormack is also hoping to secure a Supersport machine to enter the 600cc class.
The first Masters races take place on Saturday with round one, followed by rounds two and three on Sunday and the Grand Final, which is back by popular demand.
Live timing is available at
www.adelaidemasters.ie while Sunday’s races will be streamed live on Mondello.TV via the official website.
