This weekend sees the opening round of the 2009 Irish Superbike Championships gets under way this weekend (March 21/22) at Mondello Park Co-Kildare under the guidance of the Leinster Club.

The event will incorporate the first round of the Mondello Masters, which in turn has attracted a top class line-up of riders and teams, who will also be benefiting from scoring points in the ISB rounds.

With three rounds, (one of Saturday and two on Sunday) there will be a maximum 75pts up for grabs in each class in the ISB Championships, which covers 125, 250, SS600, Mini-twins, Superbikes and Sidecars.

Last year's Irish Superbike Champion Brian McCormick from Waterford, will be part of the MAR Racing Team for 2009 in which McCormick will contest a full season in the BSB Superbike Cup. McCormick has primarily pencilled in the Mondello Masters this weekend, but should favour well in the ISB Superbike Rounds.

Runner-up to McCormick in 2008 was Ballymena's Denver Robb, who continues with Tim Martin's Mar-Train Racing Team, in which Robb will contest the Superbike and Supersport 600 class's. Carrickfergus rider Alastair Seeley, a former Irish Superbike Champion and current holder of the title of Mondello Master, returns this weekend with the JMF Millsport Yamaha's in the Superbike classes, and he will be everyone bench mark come race day. 

Seeley, who has become something of a Mondello marvel would, it seems, be the man most likely to come away with maximum points. Seeley will again in 2009 contest the National Superstock Championships, but the incredible Carrickfergus rider who took part in only a handful of ISB rounds in 2008, had the joint most ISB Superbike wins in last season along with Michael Laverty, with four apiece, enough to see Seeley finish third in the Championship race.

Gerard Kingham, Kirk Jamison, Rory Clarke and James Dickson, all regular ISB runners will have the added extra headache of British Superbike rider Ian Lowry, who has entered this weekends meeting under the Relentless Suzuki banner.  Lowry will be joined by another Relentless Suzuki rider, BJ Toal from Omagh,who will take in the ISB Supersport 600 races.

Dromara's Alistair Kirk, the 2008 ISB Supersport 600 Champion will have Jack Kennedy, Kirk Jamison, Marty Nutt, and Toal all to contend with, along with Scotsman Keith Amor and Michael Dunlop, in a class which usually provides much excitement.

Another man to watch out for in the SS600 class will be Antrim rider John Anderton who will be riding the IFS Yamaha.   At the recent ISB shakedown at Bishopscourt, Anderton on the ex-Steve Plater AIM Yamaha, looked very at home on this machine, and he is eager to get this season off to a better start than he did in 2008.

Looking at the entry of riders in each class, it looks almost certain that this opening round of the ISB will as in the past, provide much excitement and surprises, and with fine weather forecast for the weekend, it could prove to be a meeting not to be missed.