MITCHELL-THOMAS STAMPS HIS AUTHORITY ON MID ANTRIM 150 FOR COOKSTOWN B.E RACING AS SHEILS WINS GRAND FINAL
MITCHELL-THOMAS STAMPS HIS AUTHORITY ON MID ANTRIM 150 FOR COOKSTOWN B.E RACING AS SHEILS WINS GRAND FINAL
The Cookstown Burrows Engineering Racing team, made a dream start to its 2016 season with four wins over the weekend at the JMF Haulage Mid Antrim 150 Road Races – with new recruits Malachi Mitchell-Thomas and Derek Sheils. Newcomer to the Irish National Road Racing scene, Malachi Mitchell-Thomas made the whole of the road racing community stand up and take notice, when he recorded a magnificent hat-trick of wins aboard Cookstown B.E Racing machinery at the season-opener. The Bolton youngster won both Supersport races and took the opening Superbike race victory; backing it up with second placed finishes in the Supertwins and Grand Final Superbike outings – not to mention recording four fastest laps. The 20-year Senior Manx Grand Prix winner said of his hat-trick of wins and two second places on his Irish road racing debut: “Thanks to John and the whole team, they are mega! This is great for my sponsors and also for the team sponsors, as a lot of people, especially John, have put a lot on the line to give me this opportunity. “I did some laps in a the car with John before the meeting looking at tip-in points and the like, but as I always do, I worked it out for myself. I’m not one for following others and did my own thing, which is how I prefer it. It was a great weekend and I even impressed myself, re-passing both Derek and Ryan [Farquhar] to take the win in the first Superbike race. “It was a great weekend all round and gives us something to build on for the season ahead. I’ll be back next week to look at the Tandragee 100 circuit, but we will not get carried away.” Derek Sheils took the Grand Final win on the Cookstown B.E Racing Suzuki to complete a nigh on perfect day for the team, and said afterwards: “Fair play to Mal, he came here as a newcomer and put on a great show. From my point of view I’m delighted to take the first Grand Final win of the year on the big Suzuki and it sets us up well for the season ahead.” Team owner John Burrows concluded: “The Mid Antrim 150 was a fantastic day for Burrows Engineering Racing. It’s been said we have the dream team, and in my own opinion – I believe we have made a great choice in having one of the most experienced national road racer in Derek Sheils, plus adding Malachi as a talented newcomer. “The goal is to have a safe and successful year, and to start it with a one-two in both Superbike races – well the job is a dream right now. In saying that we will not get carried away as success does not come easy. What it does prove is the GSX-R1000 Suzuki is still a very competitive package in the Cookstown Burrows Enginneering Racing machinery.”
