Pearson Joins the 130 Club
 
 
Morrell Racing Kawasaki rider Michael Pearson joined the Dundrod 130 Club at a sun drenched McKinstry Skip Hire Ulster Grand Prix on Saturday, with the Co-Down rider lapping the 7.4 mile Dundrod circuit in a time of 3 minutes24.595 seconds, a speed of 130.228mph in the final race of the day, the visititlisburn.com Superbike race, in which Pearson finished in 10th place.
It was the perfect ending to a difficult day for the MP Racing Team, after both their bikes, experienced some difficulties in the racing, and at one time it looked like Pearson may have to sit out the final Superbike race of the day.
Pearson also finished in 8th place in the Strong Construction Supersport Race after a hectic battle with Ollie Linsdell and James McBride, with Pearson just getting the verdict by 100th of a second over Linsdell at the line, with Pearson also setting his fastest ever lap on the Carryduff Forklifts 600 Kawasaki on lap three, at 124.456mph.
 
Michael Pearson:  That was one hard days racing out there.  The heat was a big factor, and even at the end of the warm up laps I was sweating.   We had a few problems with both bikes over the weekend, and we knew before the race that the 600 Kawasaki was way down on speed, and I could not get her to rev out on the long straights.  It was so slow in places that I could have fallen asleep.   We battled on with her and got an 8th place finish in the first 600 race which was real good considering that we where loosing out on power.   In the second Supersport race I did one lap and came in on the re-start.  I was wasting my time and did not see the point in continuing.      I was having a great battle in the Superstock race and really enjoying it.  I think I was laying in tenth place just behind William Dunlop when going through Budore, the bike started to cut out and that was it.  I managed to get 13th place on the re-count after the race was stopped.  We think it may have been the quick shifter, so we disconnected it for the first Superbike Race.   In it, I was again laying in 10th place on lap six when this time going through Jordons Cross the bike cut out again, and I parked her up.   The lads got the bike back and stripped her down and the only thing we could think of was that there may have been some dirt in the fuel filter.    In the second Superbike Race, I was really fired up and wanted to get a real good lap in...I knew that the 130mph lap was there if I could get a good run.   In it, William Dunlop, myself and James McBride got into a bit of a scrap and it was great fun slip streaming each other down the kilo.   At the flag I managed to get tenth place in front of James, but the Team greeted me with big smiles and as soon as I saw that I knew that I had done it.  It was my dream come true.....130.228mph.   This time the Morrell Kawasaki never missed a beat, so hopefully that is the end of that, but all in all, a good Ulster for me considering the problems we had.    If it was not for the boys in the team, Dunlop Tyres, Shark Helmets, and all my loyal sponsors, none of this weekend would have been possible".
 
Willis Marshall:  "Michaels results and lap speeds at the Ulster where remarkable.  In the Superbike Race where he lapped at over 130mph, Michael was riding a standard Superstock bike, with no fancy master cyclinders, no quick shifter, just standard.   His race time over five laps would have given him 6th place in the Superstock Race in front of Guy Martin, such was his pace.   The bikes are totally knackered and need a rebuild now before we go to Killalane next month.   Money is tight espicially after the Southern 100 crash, so unless we get some additional sponsorship before Killalane, we will have to call it a day for 2010.   However, the whole team are over the moon with Michaels performace at the Ulster Grand Prix, and well done to Ian Hutchinson, Bruce Anstey and Keith Amor for making it such a wonderful meeting". 

Picture by Alan Armstrong:
 
Michael leads Ketterings James McBride over the Deers Leap in the first Supersport 600 race.