Sunflower Trophy: Glenn Irwin pledges £4,000 to family of William Dunlop

Glenn Irwin will donate £4,000 to the family of William Dunlop following his double success at the Sunflower Trophy races on Saturday.
Carrick man Glenn Irwin will donate 4k to the family of William Dunlop following his success at the Sunflower Trophy races.Carrick man Glenn Irwin will donate 4k to the family of William Dunlop following his success at the Sunflower Trophy races.
Carrick man Glenn Irwin will donate 4k to the family of William Dunlop following his success at the Sunflower Trophy races.

The Carrick man won both Supertwins races on John Burrows’ B.E. Racing Kawasaki machine at the County Down circuit.

Irwin won £400 in prize money, but his band of loyal sponsors have boosted that amount to £4,000 and the 28-year-old will hand it over to William’s partner, Janine, daughter Ella and new-born baby Willa.

The Ballymoney road racing star was tragically killed during practice at the Skerries 100 in July.

Carrick man Glenn Irwin with Jeremy McWilliams at the Sunflower Trophy races on Saturday.Carrick man Glenn Irwin with Jeremy McWilliams at the Sunflower Trophy races on Saturday.
Carrick man Glenn Irwin with Jeremy McWilliams at the Sunflower Trophy races on Saturday.

British Superbike rider Irwin said: “I am delighted to announce I am donating £4,000 to William Dunlop’s young family. After pledging to donate my prize fund of £400 from the Sunflower Trophy races, nine of my fantastic sponsors all agreed to do likewise.

“Their logos were all squeezed onto John’s bike and a huge thank you to FonaCab, Ears PLC, Silicone Engineering, BLRC, MET Healthcare, MTA Components, Rapid International, Feckin’ Irish Whiskey and Technidrive.”

Irwin won the first Supertwin race from Dan Cooper and young Aghadowey prospect Eunan McGlinchey, who was riding the McAdoo Kawasaki.

In the second race, billed as the Junior Sunflower Trophy race, Irwin edged out former Grand Prix winner Jeremy McWilliams by 0.133 seconds, with McGlinchey taking the final rostrum place and a new lap record to boot. McWilliams, riding the KMR Kawasaki for Ryan Farquhar, slid out of the first race earlier in the day.

The Sunflower meeting was the final Irish short circuit event of the season and incorporated the last round of the Ulster Superbike Championship.