Expect a spectacular weekend of high octane, high-speed motorbike racing as brave riders battle it out on the track for Round five of the British Superbike Championships (BSB) at Mondello Park,Co Kildare.
With a long successful career powering towards a milestone half century of victories, John Reynolds, double winner at Mondello last year and current leader of the championships, will grace the track on his Rizla Suzuki.
Reynolds will be given a tough push from his Rizla Suzuki teammate and the winner of the fourth round of the championship, Yukio Kagayama. Reynolds set the pace at Oulton Park, but Kagayama closed in dramatically on the final lap and powered ahead to win the race. The Japanese rider took the winning double at Oulton Park, saying he was "very much happy" with the result. He returned home last week for ongoing surgery on his broken pelvis, an injury he sustained in a crash last August.
Leicestershire-based rider Michael Rutter will be there on his HM Plant Honda Fireblade. Rutter is maintaining his title hopes despite a few setbacks in the last round. His Fireblade was pushed wide on the first corner, dropping him in twelfth position, and an electrical fault before the second race meant he had to start from the back of the grid. He took third place in each race, leaving him 18 points down on Reynolds.
Rutter's Japanese teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari will be fighting fit and back in the saddle for Mondello having been laid off as a result of an injury. The 21-year-old is making his debut at this season's BSB.
Sean Emmett will be tearing down the track to gain points on the Irish circuit on his Monstermob Ducati. Emmett finished eighth in race one at Oulton Park and retired in the second race, leaving him 81 points behind John Reynolds.
Spectators will also witness the Kawasaki pairing of Scott Smart and Glenn Richards and Yamaha's Gary Mason. Mounted on his MonsterMob Ducati Ulsterman Michael Laverty will start as the favourite for the Supersport honours. He maintained the lead of the championship with a superb second place finish on his 749R at Oulton Park.
The 22-year-old Ulsterman qualified the Ducati in fourth position before leading the race early on, as he and Honda rider Karl Harris battled for the race win. He'll need plenty of stamina to keep Honda's Karl Harris at bay at Mondello.
Red Bull Rookies Honda rider Jonathan Rea makes the leap from last year's 125cc to the Supersport class in this year's race.
Hilton Hincks was last season's Irish star of the BSB; he won the privateer section of race two. This season sees the Waterford man joining the Supersport ranks where he is competing in the full British Series. According to organiser Fergus Brennan, "The multiple Irish champion has struggled with an underdeveloped bike so far, but hopes that a combination of some new parts and his track knowledge will move him up towards the front of the field."
The British 125 cc championship will have a single points scoring round at Mondello with a second invitation 125 cc race scheduled. Two invitation sidecar races and a MCUI 600 cc double header will round off the programme.
Supported by Fáilte Ireland, through the International Sports Tourism initiative, the BSB and the 125 cc British Championship will take place at Mondello Park on May 21st - 23rd.
For more information visit: www.mondellopark.ie