One of the most impressive riders at the Centenary Isle of Man TT is hoping to cap an incredible season with victory in the Duke Road Race Rankings.
Manxman Conor Cummins leads the standings by 459 points from fellow TT star Guy Martin with one round remaining. However, Cummins is not riding at the final round – the Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, this weekend, meaning Martin could still snatch the win.
Cummins notched up a fifth, two sixth places and an eighth around the awesome Mountain Course during the Centenary TT, as well as the Irish Senior and 600cc Road Race Championships and two podium places at the Ulster Grand Prix.
He extended his lead over Martin at the Killalane Road Races, the penultimate round of the Duke Road Race Rankings, three wins on the Jmf-Millsport Yamaha.
The 21-year-old took victory in the Open Championship Race, beating Martin Finnegan by three seconds, took the win in the 600cc Championship Race by just 0.5 seconds from William Dunlop and completed the hat-trick with a 1.9 seconds win over Finnegan in the Grand Final.
He will have to wait until this weekend to discover if he has claimed the unique Geoff Duke Trophy as Martin bids to cut the points lead at Oliver’s Mount.
Martin has also enjoyed success this year, including three podium finishes at the Centenary TT. However, he has a mountain to climb if he is to take the Duke Road Race Rankings crown.
John McGuinness, the 13-times TT winner and fastest man ever around the Mountain Course, William Dunlop, Ian Lougher, Martin Finnegan, Ryan Farquhar and many more stars are also expected to be bidding for glory.