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Defending Irish Superbike Champion Michael Pearson, on his CF/Boost Drinks Yamaha, got his defence of his Irish Superbike Championship back on course at the weekend after the Ballygowan rider notched up a win and a runner up spot in Saturdays two Irish Superbike Races at Bishopscourt in Co-Down.

With 45pts from a maximum 50pts, Pearson saw himself jump from seventh in the Championship to second, with Pearson now just 11pts adrift of series leader Brian McCormick.

In race one, Pearson had to be content with runner up spot after the race was stopped with one and a half laps to go, after rain started to fall, making conditions to dangerous as most riders had started on slick tyres.

In race two, it was another second place finished at the flag for Pearson behind fellow competitor James Dickson.  It was later disclosed that Dickson had passed Pearson under a yellow flag, which is not permitted under the General Competition Rules, and a protest lodged by Pearson was upheld by the race stewards, who in turn reversed the result giving Pearson the win from Dickson and Denvor Robb.
 
Michael Pearson:  "It was a hectic weekend to be honest.  I came here on Saturday to try an gain maximum points for the Team and the Championship, and I suppose I should be happy with a win and a second place, but I think I could have won the first race had it not been stopped early.  I was catching Gerard Kingham and was prepared to make my move on the last lap, but then the red flags came out and the result taken from the end of lap five.  I did not see any reason why the race should have been stopped.  It was barley raining at all, and I was riding on full slicks which never moved once. But that was the decision that was taken, and I will have to live with it.    In race two, I decided to do the race on the same rear tyre that I had done the first race on, and about half way into the race, I started to loose rear traction and was getting alot of wheel spin.   Gerard Kingham fell right in front of me, and it was only by the skin of my teeth that I did not hit the ground with him.   On that same lap there was a yellow flag at the top of the circuit and the next thing I knew was that James Dickson passed me under it.  I stayed on his tail until the chequered flag and thought to myself, well that's another runner up spot.  It was only on return to the paddock did I realise that the clerk of course was aware that I had been passed under a yellow flag, and that was when I lodged a protest.  It was upheld, but it was a sour win to be honest, but rules are rules and we all have to abide by them".
 
Willis Marshall: (Team Manager) "It has been a very successful weekend for the team, and our first win of the season.  We are now in a good position to try and defend Michaels title, which by all accounts is going to be very difficult indeed, as the top six runners in the Championship are really on the pace this year.   As regards to the second race, I think it would be fair to say that we don't like protests etc, but the rules are there for everyone, and everyone's safety.  We travel now to Knockhill in Scotland at the weekend for a Scottish Championship race meeting, and then to Scarborough for the Cock O The North Races on the weekend of July 12-13th.  Michael is in good shape and he has found that will to win again after a very difficult start to the season."
 
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