Mid Antrim 150 road races boast quality field of national racers

Jamie Hamilton

Derek Sheils, Jamie Hamilton and Michael Pearson are among the leading Irish national road racers who will contest this weekend's Mid Antrim 150.

Dubliner Sheils has been in a rich vein of form this season on his CD Racing Kawasaki machines and took two third places in the Superbike races at Armoy.

Hamilton flies the flag for Ryan Farquhar's KMR Kawasaki outfit.

Mullingar man Derek McGee is another who should be battling for race wins, while Shaun Anderson is set to return.

Anderson, who produced a number of impressive early-season displays at Cookstown, Tandragee and the Isle of Man TT, has overcome injuries sustained in a crash at the Skerries 100 meeting.

Saintfield's Davy Morgan, Michael Sweeney from Skerries, Ballymoney's Seamus Elliott and Kilrea's William Davison should also challenge strongly for honours in the main Superbike and Supersport races.

Michael Pearson and Derek Sheils will compete at Mid Antrim

Entries from Paul Robinson, Nigel Moore, Sam Wilson and Sam Dunlop will ensure a closely contested 125cc race, with Hamilton the man most likely to take the Supertwin honours.

Robinson, Wilson, Elliott and last year's winner, Tommy Henry, are all in the field for the 250cc event.

As in recent years, the Dunlop brothers, Michael and William, will not compete.

Farquhar has dominated the event in recent years, winning four races in 2009 and securing five successes in 2010 and 2012 respectively, and will be present this year in an advisory capacity to young charges Hamilton and Connor Behan, who competes in the Support classes.

Farquhar, who retired from the sport at the end of last season, holds the lap record for the course at 109.42mph, set back in 2007.

The meeting reverts to its traditional early August date this year, having been held in the middle of June in 2012, and will again be held over the 3.6-mile Clough circuit, near Ballymena.

Roads will close at 14:00 BST for practice on Friday 2 August and at 10:00 for a 10-race programme on Saturday, with classic and Support events also on the card.