Paul Jordan took his maiden International road race win on Thursday evening when he took a thrilling victory in the opening Supertwins race at the Ulster Grand Prix. The Dafabet Devitt Racing Kawasaki rider’s winning margin was just 0.092s over Joseph Loughlin with Jamie Coward only two tenths further back in third.
It was Loughlin, riding the Team ILR/Mark Coverdale Paton, that led at the end of the opening lap by 0.304s from Jordan with Lee Johnston in third and Coward and Christian Elkin close behind. Only 1.6s covered the top five and it set the tone for the rest of the race as positions changed hands frequently.
Loughlin still led at the end of lap two, half race distance, but his advantage was down to 0.14s with the order remaining the same although it was Elkin in fourth who was the quickest at 119.423mph.
Lap three saw a change as Johnston retired the KMR Kawasaki and as the riders went into the fourth and final lap, Loughlin still led from Jordan and Coward with Elkin slipping back.
Jordan hit the front along the Flying Kilo but Loughlin and Coward weren’t giving up and the race was anyone’s with positions continuing to change hands.
As they headed towards the line though, it was Jordan who was in front and he took his first International win from Loughlin and Coward, who set the fastest lap of the race at 119.480mph, as just 0.255s split the top three. Elkin took fourth and although the battle for fifth was almost 30 seconds further back, it saw an entertaining four-way dice which eventually went the way of veteran Ian Lougher on another Team ILR/Mark Coverdale Paton.
Xavier Denis, Jonathan Perry and James Chawke were right in his wheel tracks as Neil Kernohan and Maria Costello completed the top ten.
