Ryan Farquhar racing 2009 by Derek Clegg

Ryan Farquhar Racing

Ryan Farquhar Racing, creating History This Book captures in photographic form Ryan Farquhar's amazing and historic 2009 Road Racing Season as captured by Photographer, Derek Clegg.

Ryan Farquhar The 2009 Road Racing season saw Ryan Farquhar in devastating form racking up win after win on Kawasaki machinery across the length and breadth of Ireland, the Isle of Man and beyond. Ryan Farquhar created history at the Killalane road races when he took three more road race wins to break the all-time Irish record, previously held by the legendary Joey Dunlop. Farquhar's hat-trick saw him move on to 121 Irish National road race wins, three more than the total set by Dunlop whilst it also moved him on to a staggering 60 for the season. A truly remarkable year for the KMR Kawasaki rider and one that will go down in the history books as one of the best ever years, in any discipline, by any rider.

Pre-Season Prior to the start of the 2009 Irish road racing season Ryan announced that he would run his own team 'KMR racing' on a fleet of Kawasaki Motorcycles to contest the full Irish road racing season, and preparing and maintaining all the race bikes himself. As a Kawasaki Motors UK supported rider, 2

Ryan would have the continued support of Kenny Harker, Dunlop tyres, Q8 Oils, Beta Tools, Winfield Gears, Shark Helmets, Roger Winfield, Sunoco Race Fuel, MSS Colchester Kawasaki and the '77 Supporters Club' amongst others, without whom it just could not happen.

Cookstown Ryan got his 2009 season off to a successful start at Cookstown when he took a superb hat-trick of wins at the opening race of the Irish National Road Race Championship. The Dungannon ace took victory in both of the Superbike races on a Kawasaki ZX10R as well as the Super Twins event on a 4

Kawasaki ER-6 whilst he also backed this up with runner-up spot in the Supersport 600cc race. The wins also moved Ryan on to a total of Thirteen at the Cookstown 100, the second highest in the history of the event and second only to the legendary Ray McCullough.

Tandragee Ryan's superb start to the 2009 road race season showed no signs of slowing down at Tandragee when he took two more wins and four podiums at the Tandragee 100. The KMR Kawasaki rider claimed victory in the Open and Supertwins races whilst backing this up with a close second in the feature 6

Superbike race and third in the Supersport 600cc encounter. With perfect conditions all around the 5.34mile circuit, Ryan dominated the Supertwins race, finishing a staggering one minute clear of his nearest rival and also smashing the lap record.

North West Ryan was controversially denied victory in the Superstock race at the International North West 200 road when the race was red flagged whilst he was leading, with the results taken at the end of the second lap, he was relegated to second behind winner Alastair Seeley. Race day saw strong winds accompanied by 8

intermittent rain showers but Ryan opened his account with a strong 8th in the first Superbike race. Switching to the 600cc ZX-6R Kawasaki, Ryan was again in the thick of the action in the first Supersport race before finishing ninth. More controversy followed when the remaining two races, the feature Superbike and second Supersport, were cancelled due to poor track conditions.

Isle of Man TT Ryan had a disappointing 2009 Isle of Man TT races when he was forced to retire with an oil leak on the opening lap of the first Superbike race. Ryan then finished sixth and seventh in the two Supersport races, but further retirements in the Superstock and Senior TT's left Ryan 10

pondering what might have been. Whilst many a racer would have been happy with these results, a disappointed Ryan just wanted off 'The Rock' as soon as possible such are the high standards he sets himself.

Bush Ryan Farquhar bounced back strongly from his relatively disappointing Isle of Man TT Races campaign to record a superb four wins on his KMR Kawasaki's at the Bush Road Races. In the Grand Final race Ryan made it another superb day of racing on the roads, 16

when he made it four wins from four starts, winning on this occasion by 10.881 seconds as he also set a new lap record for the class at 87.917mph.

Skerries Ryan continued his excellent 2009 season at Skerries on the outskirts of Dublin when he took a win and three seconds. Ryan took victory in the Supertwins race and took close 2nds in the Open, Supersport 600cc and Grand Final events whilst he also claimed a new outright lap record at 109.521mph. 19

Kells For the second time in a week, Ryan chalked up four wins at a road race meeting and fresh from taking four wins from five starts at the Southern 100, the KMR Kawasaki rider recorded a perfect four wins from four starts at the Kells Road Races. These four more wins extending Ryan's tally 20

of victories for the season to a remarkable 41.

Mid-Antrim Ryan's dominance of the 2009 Irish National Road Race season continued at the Mid Antrim 150 with another haul of race victories. The KMR Kawasaki racer took his fourth successive four-timer as he claimed wins in the Superbike, Grand Final, Supersport 600cc 22

and Supertwins races to make it an astounding 49 wins for the season. In the Grand Final he lead from start to finish on his ZX-10R Kawasaki Superstock machine taking his fourth win from five starts by over Seven seconds and he also had the honour of setting the fastest lap of the day at 106.724mph.

Armoy Ryan Farquhar took three more race wins when he claimed the Open, Supersport and Supertwins races at the inaugural Armoy Road Races. Home to the famous 'Armoy Armada', Ryan also claimed the lap record in each of his races, with the results also seeing him clinch 24

the Irish Road Race and Ulster Road Race Championships for each class. In addition, he clinched the Duke Road Race rankings Championship.

Ulster Grand Prix Ryan's amazing 2009 season continued unabated when he claimed the Man of the Meeting award at the International Ulster Grand Prix, the final International road race of the season.

The KMR Kawasaki rider carried his National form on to the International stage and left the Dundrod venue with two wins, two seconds and a sixth from his five races, whilst he also claimed a win and a fourth place in the Dundrod 150 races.

Manx Grand Prix Ryan overcame a nasty practice spill to take a double victory at the Manx GP and continue his amazing run of success. The Dungannon rider slipped off his 350cc Classic Honda at Guthrie's Memorial in the final practice session, sustaining a broken bone in his hand, but he re-grouped to take 30

both the Post Classic and 500cc Classic victories, smashing the lap record in the latter to become the first man to lap at over 110mph on a Classic machine.

Agony and Ecstasy Ryan grimaces in pain as he removes his Shark racing Helmet after enduring a hard fought Senior Classic Manx Grand Prix victory, having broken bones in his hand from a practice crash just a week previous. The Isle of Man Mountain Circuit is unforgiving and the bumps, jumps, twists and turns, not to mention trying to hold on to the big Classic bike, really test a riders fitness to the maximum.

Killalane Ryan Farquhar created history at Killalane when he took another three road race wins to break the all-time Irish record, previously held by the legendary Joey Dunlop MBE OBE. Farquhar's hat-trick saw him move on to 121 Irish National road race wins, three more 34

than the total set by Dunlop whilst it also moved him on to a staggering 60 for the season. 2009 has been a truly remarkable year for the KMR Kawasaki rider, his small loyal team of helpers, and last but not least his Sponsors without whom this incredible success story just would not have been possible.

Derek Clegg Photography This Book and all of the Photographs contained within it were created by Derek Clegg and remain the copyright of Derek Clegg, all rights reserved. Derek from the outset has chosen to specialise in Motorcycle racing photography where his photographs have been published in numerous media publications (Irish Racer Magazine, Irish Bike, Bikesport News, Flat to the Mat, Belfast Telegraph, Portadown Times, Newtownards Chronicle, Performance Bikes Magazine, Road Racing Ireland magazine, Newsletter, Ulster Road Racing in focus, Road Racing World magazine (US) etc) however he has the photographic skills and equipment to take on most jobs.

ÂŠ 2009 Derek Clegg Photography