The Irish Road Racing season kick-starts on Friday with the opening practice for the Cookstown 100 Road Races with roads closing at 2:30pm for practice on Friday and 10am again on Saturday morning with the first bike hopefully on track at 10:15am.

With an action packed racing schedule for both new comers in the Support class, the regular road races in the Lightweight, Junior, Supertwins, Supersport and Open classes and of course the ‘old hands’ on the classics. Entries have been submitted from the likes of local riders Ryan Farquhar, John Burrows, and the Dunlop brothers Michael and William, whilst Darren Burns will be making a welcomed comeback racing alongside Barry Davidson and Nigel Moore.

Meanwhile there are also entries from further afield from the inform Falkirk rider Keith Amor, who will be hoping to add to his 09 race win tally from the Easter weekend of racing whilst Manxman Connor Cummins will be hoping to get his first race of the season on board with the locally owned team, McAdoo Racing, having just returned from the 24hour Le Mans race. Amor and Cummins will be joined with other cross water riders including North West winner Olie Linsdell and Lincolnshire’s Gary Johnson.

In the Support races it will be Paul Barron and local road racing photographer Baylon McCaughey will be in action with Geoff McMullan, Adrian McFarland and Alan ‘Bud’ Jackson vying for the wins in the Classic.

So with all roads leading to Cookstown on Saturday it looks to be an action packed day of racing.