Ivan Lintin won a sensational Lightweight Ulster Grand Prix, which saw no less than four riders separated by half a second going into the final lap, but it was the Lincolnshire rider who got the verdict on the run-in to the line, edging out Jamie Hamilton by 0.046s! It was the first International race win for Lintin and the perfect way to celebrate his 29th birthday.
"The first start went perfectly for me and I knew if I could get to the front, I had the pace to go a fair bit quicker," said Lintin. "But you never get left alone in this class and in the re-start, I was back in fourth at the end of the first lap and it was action all the way. I got a great drive onto the start and finish straight going into the final lap and managed to take the lead. Jamie came by me but outbraked himself at the hairpin and once I'd retaken the lead, I felt confident that I could hold it until the line."
The race had to be re-started after Peter McKillop crashed out on the exit of Tournagrough, fortunately without injury, and that proved to be a blessing for Hamilton who slid off at Leathemstown on the opening lap. Lintin had opened up a three second lead only to be forced to do it all over again.
On the re-start, held over 3 laps, it was Derek McGee who grabbed the lead on the opening lap from Lee Johnston, Lintin and Hamilton but as they went onto their second lap, the gaps closed up and, as well as being three abreast at times, little more than a cigarette paper could be got between them. At the end of the second lap, only 0.4s split them and Lintin managed to work his way from third to first along the Flying Kilo and he led through Leathemstown.
McGee was forced to retire soon after which brought it down to a three-way battle and the riders continued to rub both elbows and fairings and Hamilton grabbed the lead at Tournagrough. However, he then ran wide at the hairpin allowing Lintin back through and, try as he might, he just couldn't find a way through and had to settle for second with Johnston a further second back in third.
Davy Morgan took fourth ahead of John Walsh and Nigel Moore whilst Ian Lougher took the concurrently run Ultra-Lightweight race, coming home four tenths of a second ahead of Christian Elkin for his 18th UGP win. Paul Jordan took third.
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