Ballygowan rider Michael Pearson on the CF/Boost Drinks Yamaha, stormed to a fantastic second place in Sunday's Cock O' The North Race at Oliver's Mount in Scarborough, with the current Irish Superbike Champion, unable to get the better of Welshman Ian Lougher who was taking his 111th Scarborough victory over the 2.4 mile road circuit.
Pearson rounded off a perfect weekend with a 2nd in Sunday's Superbike race, and two 3rd place results in Saturdays Superbike races, with Pearson also setting his fastest ever lap of the circuit in 1m 49.127s. Such was Pearson's form, that he lead Lougher for half distance in Sundays first Superbike race with the Welshman admitting afterwards that Pearson was a hard nut to crack, before he regained the lead and eventually the win.
In the feature race for the Cock O The North Trophy, it was Lougher and Pearson who headed the affairs with Scunthorpe's Daniel Frear on his 600 Yamaha really pilling on the pressure on Pearson, with Frear getting past on lap five of ten. With Pearson and Frear locked in a ding dong battle, Lougher was able to ease out a healthy lead and by lap eight, had the race in the bag.
Pearson got past Frear on lap eight and with his pit board showing +0, Pearson new he had a battle on his hands. However, the talented Ballygowan rider put his head down and took second place, with 1.2 seconds to spare over Frear.
Michael Pearson: "What a weekend its been. On Friday when the team arrived, it was chucking it down, and I thought that the meeting may be scrubbed. However, it started to dry on Sunday Morning, and away we went. In the first practice I was only 6th fastest and was eight seconds slower than the leaders. In the second session I was third fastest, just two seconds slower that pole setter Mark Buckley on his Honda Fireblade, and I knew that we were on the right road. In the first Superbike race I managed to take a fine 3rd place finish behind Mark Buckley and Chris Palmer, with the track starting to dry out. In the second Superbike race on Saturday, we changed to slicks and that was a good decision by the team. Again, I took third this time behind Lougher and David Bell, but I was still very satisfied.
"Sunday was a really hot day and the results came quite easy in the end. We went with new slick tyres in the Superbike race and Ian Lougher and I had a really good battle. I lead him for about three laps but I started to get arm pump and had to back off, which let hin through at the Monument section of the circuit. I settled for second place, and was well pleased as I had set my best ever lap of the circuit at 1m 49.127s. In the feature race I got a sluggish start, but its so tight getting off the line there. Ian Lougher went for it from the off, and it was between myself and Daniel Frear to battle it out. I got the better of him in the end and took second place, with a £400 bonus with it. I have been racing at Scarborough now for five years, and this is the best weekend I have ever had at that circuit".
Willis Marshall, team manager: "What can you say. I am chuffed to bits for Michael. Its not a win, but it feels like one to us really. It was a great weekend especially as one of our sponsors Boost Drinks, comes from Yorkshire, so that was important. Michael was riding extremely well, so much so that the local radio station, Coast FM, did a live interview with him, so that was good for our sponsors also. He made many new fans and it was a brilliant weekend for us."
