Sunflower Trophy: Richard Kerr wins feature race as Richard Cooper also shines
- Published
'It's nice to join some big names' - Kerr on maiden Sunflower success
Richard Kerr won the feature Sunflower Trophy race at Bishopscourt for the first time to complete a hat-trick of successes at this year's meeting.
The county Donegal rider followed up his Superbike win on Friday by winning Saturday's big bike race following a thrilling dice with Alastair Seeley.
Kerr had 6.2 seconds to spare over Seeley in the main race of the day.
Richard Cooper secured a four-timer by taking victory in both Supersport outings and the two Supertwins races.
The 39-year-old was edged out by Eunan McGlinchey in the first Twins race but was later awarded the win after an appeal. Aaron Spence was promoted to runner-up.
Cooper, who took the feature Sunflower honours in 2018, was a runaway winner of the second Supertwins race, ahead of Gary McCoy and Carl Phillips.
The Nottingham rider faced stiff opposition in Supersport race one but emerged triumphant after an initial five-way battle at the front.
McGlinchey took second and Sam Laffins and Alastair Seeley were next across the finishing line.
Cooper won race two more comfortably, with McGlinchey and Korie McGreevy making up the podium positions and Seeley, Adam McLean and Jonny Campbell completing the top six.
Kerr had seen off McGlinchey by just half a second in Friday's Superbike race held in damp conditions and it was Seeley who came in behind the Kilmacrenan rider in the Superbike on Saturday after being forced onto the grass on the final lap.
Jason Lynn was third to take the chequered flag, with Simon Reid fourth in the drying conditions.
Kerr, who finished fifth in this year's British Superstock 1000cc championship aboard his AMD Honda, produced a dominant display in the Sunflower race, pulling away from the field from the start.
A winner at Donington Park earlier in the season, Kerr romped home to take his career tally of victories at the event to 11.
Lynn again made up the rostrum, with Campbell, McGlinchey and Reid rounding out the top six.
The meeting was being held for the first time since 2019 after a hiatus because of the Covid-19 pandemic.