Steve Heneghan and the Quattro Group, HCL Yamaha R1 headed over seas to the Kennedy International North West 200 road race, based in Northern Ireland, at the weekend, and he battled hard with many top riders to bring home two strong results.
Harrow rider Steve was to race in the top three classes, the CP Hire Superstock Race, the Black Horse Superbike Race, and the main event, the Kennedy International DeWalt Performance Tools Superbike Race.
He was riding his Superstock bike in all three, and was at a definite disadvantage in the two superbike races, as the bikes of his rivals would be much quicker and stronger.
There were two days of practicing, in which Steve set some good times for only his second time at the event. His times improved from 4.53.2 minutes to his best time of, 4.47.4 minutes, which is almost six seconds.
This placed him in a respectable 43rd place on the grid for all three races.
The Kennedy International DeWalt Performance Tools Superbike race was first for Steve and, after making a storming start, even with his disadvantage, he made up ten places in three laps on the infamously difficult road circuit.
Steve's steering damper snapped on lap three, causing him to retire. He had made obvious progress txxxgh, as the 2008 Yamaha R1 was 10mph down on last year's bike, but he was still lapping faster than last year's times.
"I'm happy with the progress that has shown us, but annoyed I didn't get to finish the race," commented the local rider.
The next race was the CP Hire Superstock Race, which was to be run over five laps of the nine-mile long circuit. Steve made an even better start this time in the class to match his bike.
On the first lap he passed over twenty riders, taking him from his qualifying place in 43rd to an impressive 22nd place on the first lap.
He fought hard in the top thirty for the remaining laps and finished a staggering 25th out of a field of 60 riders.
The final race was the Blackhorse Superbike, where Steve would again be at a disadvantage, but it didn't seem to hinder him at all.
On the first of six laps he stormed up the order to an impressive 25th, not far off some of the top contenders. He battled until the last lap, and came in in 26th position out of 72 riders.
Steve also shaved an impressive seven seconds off his qualifying time in the race, giving him a personal best.
"I'm happy with the two results, but annoyed I didn't manage to finish the main race," he said.
Steve and the team now head to Donington Park in Derbyshire to contend the fourth round of the Metzeler National Superstock 1000.
