Great and busy week for Cookstown B.E. Racing

Dan Kneen in action

Press Release

• Racing
• DanKneen

The whole Cookstown B.E. Racing team has been flat out over the last week. They had little time to celebrate a famous Grand Final win at Skerries as the North Dublin event was followed in quick succession by the Southern 100 road races in the Isle of Man and the Walderstown road races in County Westmeath.

Dan Kneen was in action in five races at the Southern 100 and registered four top three results and a new personal best lap time on the intimidating Billown circuit.
The Manxman started the meeting with a fourth place finish in Tuesday’s Corlett’s Trophies Superbike race behind Dean Harrison, Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop. Dan felt the Cookstown B.E. Racing Suzuki 1000 was not 'on song' during the race and a post race dyno run proved he was not imagining things as a fuelling problem was discovered. The fault meant the big Suzuki had been running with only ninety percent of its usual power.

In Wednesday's Ellan Vannin Fuels Superbike race Kneen and his back-to-full-power Suzuki were flying and although they couldn't prevent Dean Harrison winning the race, they forced Michael Dunlop to settle for third.
On his way to second place, Kneen lapped at 2.15.34 (113.04 mph) which made him the fourth fastest man in Southern 100 history behind Martin, Dunlop and Harrison. The lap time was an amazing four seconds faster than Kneen had managed in previous attempts at the Southern 100. Later in the evening Kneen took the Cookstown B.E. Racing Honda 600 to a fine third place in the Radcliffe Butchers Supersport race behind Harrison and Martin.
Kneen took part in two races on the Thursday, the first of which was the S&S Motors Supersport race. For the first half of the thirty miles race, Kneen diced for the lead with Harrison and Martin before a few small mistakes cost him vital time and he had to settle for third place.
As usual, the Isle of Man event culminated with the Manx Gas Solo Championship Superbike race and Kneen went off like the proverbial scalded cat in search of victory. He led the race at the end of the first lap but unfortunately he missed a gear on lap two and was forced to take to a slip road. He rejoined the race in fifteenth place and although his chances of victory on home soil were gone he kept the throttle on the big Cookstown B.E. Racing Suzuki pinned back and cut his way back up to third place, claiming a well deserved place on the rostrum beside winner Martin and runner-up Harrison.
Team owner Burrows paid tribute to Kneen:
"It would have been nice to grab a win here but with the quality entry we have to be satisfied with four podium results. Dan proved he's not a quitter with that great fight-back in the Solo Championship race and his personal best lap in Wednesday's Superbike race, when he beat TT hero Michael Dunlop, proves that he's making great strides with us towards the top of the sport."

Back in Ireland, the rain arrived for Saturday practice at Walderstown and the sessions were held in controlled conditions and when racing began the next day newcomer Dan Kneen was forced to race on the County Westmeath circuit with absolutely no race pace experience.
Kneen took a sensible approach in his first race, finishing fourth in the Superbike Championship race behind William Dunlop, Derek Sheils and his Cookstown B.E. Racing team mate Michael Sweeney who later in the day took the Mark Kelly prepared Honda 250 to victory over local boy James Kelly in the 250GP race.
Kneen stood on the Walderstown podium for the first time after he finished third in the Supersport 600 race behind factory Suzuki teamster Dunlop and Mullingar flyer Derek McGee.
Dunlop was odds on to win the feature Grand Final and complete a hat-trick but Kneen proved to be a spoiler. Growing in stature all the time, Kneen looked like a Walderstown veteran as he scorched to a six seconds win over the Tyco Suzuki man.
Team boss Burrows was delighted:
“That Grand Final performance proved Dan is a match for anyone. For a newcomer to arrive at Walderstown and beat William Dunlop is unbelievable. With that and Michael Sweeney’s 250 win it’s been a great day for a team who have been on the go non-stop for over a week now.
“It’s been hard work doing Skerries, the Southern 100 and Walderstown in such a short period of time but three wins and eight podiums has made the long hours worthwhile for everyone in the Cookstown B.E. Racing team. We’re also looking good at the top of the Irish Superbike and 250 tables.”
[email protected]