The Duke Road Race Rankings was established in 2002 to analyse and acknowledge the season-long performances of riders involved in a series of motorcycle road racing events held on public roads. It was the idea of Isle of Man-based Peter Duke, son of former World Champion Geoff Duke, who in conjunction with road-racing journalist Leslie Moore, author Mac McDiarmid and archivist Phil Edge, developed a scoring system which would recognise the significance of the individual events. Riders' aggregate performances over a season-long assessment of several road racing events acknowledges the most consistent racer as the ‘championship’ winner. Since Ian Lougher's first-year win in 2002, all big names of road racing have been considered, such as Adrian Archibald, Richard Britton, Jason Griffiths, Darran Lindsay and, more recently, Manxman Conor Cummins.
The purpose of the Duke Road Race Rankings is to recognise achievements across the year by those riders who enter not just the ‘major’ meetings, but also the smaller road races. To be considered for the Geoff Duke Trophy, star names need to attend lower-profile events to earn points, helping to ensure strong grids for meetings which would otherwise be overshadowed by the main events – the Isle of Man TT, North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix. The records show a split between Ryan Farquhar and Ian Lougher, apart from 2007 when Manxman Conor Cummins received the award in only his second full-season on the roads.
The Duke Road Race Rankings series features around two dozen meetings every year, including many of the long-established Irish and Isle of Man road races, and has remained largely unaltered since 2002 – apart from cancellations and the addition of extra meetings, such as the Armoy Road Races. The series received coverage in leading publications, such as Motor Cycle News, Road Racing Ireland and Bikesportnews, culminating in an annual presentation gathering.
The Duke Road Race Rankings commenced its 21st active season at the Bob Smith Spring Cup Road Races at Oliver's Mount over the weekend of 13 & 14 April.
The Duke Road Race Rankings gets fired-up for its 18th Championship season with the opening round of 2019 the KDM Hire Cookstown 100 Road Races on Friday and Saturday 26 & 27 April, which also kick-starts the Irish Road Race season.
Reigning Champion, Mullingar's Derek McGee will commence the defence of his title at what is the first of a total of 25 rounds, as the Duke Rankings organisers warmly welcome back two rounds at the unique Oliver's Mount Course in July and September, after a 12-month sabbatical.
The 2018 Duke Road Race Rankings Championship gets underway over the weekend of 21 and 22 April, at the Bob Smith Spring Cup Road Races taking place over the popular Oliver's Mount Course – the first of four meetings at the Scarborough, Yorkshire venue this year. The Duke Road Race Rankings now in its 17th year of competition, having first been run in 2002, has a total of 25 rounds this year held in Northern Ireland, Eire, England, the Czech Republic, Finland and Germany. Over the 16 years of the Duke Road Race Rankings, seven overall winners have received the prestigious Geoff Duke Trophy.
Ian Lougher won in the first year and took the title again in consecutive years 2005 & 2006. Ryan Farquhar won his first rankings title in 2003, retaining the number one slot in 2004, then after loaning out the trophy for three years dominated proceedings for the five years 2008 – 2012. Seven championships in total!
Manxman Conor Cummins took the honours in 2007; Michael Dunlop in 2013; Yorkshireman James Cowton 2014; William Dunlop 2015, with the title going to Yorkshire for the second time in 2016 in the hands of Dean Harrison, who retained his title in 2017, taking top spot in the rankings table from the first round, taking seven race wins from seven starts and putting in seven fastest laps and holding that position throughout the 25 rounds.
Deans racing statistics for 2017 Duke Road Race Rankings Championship are, 23 race wins, 2 second places, 5 third places, a further 6 top six placings and seventh places, plus 16 fastest laps, 4 record laps and 1 absolute lap record during the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod. All of which earned him a total of 2506 points.
The 2017 Duke Road Race Rankings Championship commences on Saturday and Sunday 22 & 23 April at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough with the Bob Smith Spring Cup Road Races.
Imatra has been added to this years Duke Road Race Rankings schedule, as the famous Finnish meeting forms for the first time, part of the prestigious roads series.
The twenty-three round series which commenced at the Mid Antrim 150 National Road Races in Northern Ireland in early April and concluded at the recent Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix saw Dean making a cautious start to his 2016 season, his first with the Silkolene Engineering Yamaha Team, before dominating the Duke Road Race Rankings from late June.
The twenty-seven year old Yorkshireman joined the rankings at the second round at the Bob Smith Spring National held at Oliver's Mount slotting into third place slipping to ninth prior to the first International, the North West 200, recovering to eighth, then climbing back to third after the TT, topping the table after the Cock o'the North Road Races at Oliver's Mount, round 10 of this year's series.
From then on Dean headed the Rankings with Lincolnshire rider Ivan Lintin chasing hard to catch his Yorkshire neighbour, which was somewhat thwarted after a racing incident at the Southern 100, which left Ivan missing a number of rounds and him ending up second for the third year running.
2013 Duke Road Race Rankings Champion Michael Dunlop took third place.
Rising star Malachi Mitchell-Thomas riding for the John Burrows 'Cookstown' Team headed the 2016 rankings after the opening round at Mid Antrim and remained on the top rung until the TT, despite his untimely passing at the 2016 North West 200, such was his early season dominance.
Malachi finished in 17th place overall in this year's Duke Rankings.
Ian Hutchinson briefly topped the rankings after the TT, prior to Dean's 'throttle hold' on the Championship in the second half of the road racing season and after 23 rounds emerging as a worthy winner, becoming only the seventh rider to see his name engraved on the coveted Geoff Duke Trophy since the Championship Series started in 2002.
William Dunlop secured the prestigious Duke Road Race Rankings Championship in 2015, emulating his younger brother Michael who took the title two years ago in 2013.
The twenty-four round series which commenced at the Spring National Road Races at Oliver's Mount in April and concluded at the recent Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix saw William having a season long battle with fellow 'pure roads' rising star Ivan Lintin which was only resolved at the final round in the Southern hemisphere when the chequered flag fell.
Lincolnshire rider Ivan Lintin, riding for the R&C Express Team took an early lead in the 2015 series after the opening round at the North Yorkshire venue remaining in front until the fourth round, the first of the International rounds, the North West 200, where seven-times Duke Rankings winner Ryan Farquhar took over at the top of the table.
Ian Hutchinson took over the helm after the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races only for Ivan to regain the leadership after the Barry Sheene Race Festival held at Oliver's Mount, round nine – a lead he was to hold on to until the Ulster Grand Prix where William demoted him to second spot.
The Ballymoney rider continued to head the Duke Rankings as the European rounds were run and concluded once again at Oliver's Mount for the International Steve Henshaw Gold Cup Road Races in September with a mere 24 points separating the pair after 23 rounds with only Macau remaining.
Then Ivan Lintin received an invite to compete and his team R&C Express took up the offer. Ivan making his debut on the 3.8028 mile Circuit da Guia course had to finish in the top six.
William Dunlop opened his Duke Rankings account at the second round, the Cookstown 100 taking 13th spot in the table, quickly moving into third after a very wet Tandragee 100, the climbing to second.
A double race victory and record lap at the 'Race of Legends' at Armoy William was back in second spot and so to Dundrod and the Ulster Grand Prix in mixed conditions a 2nd; 4th; 5th; 6th & 10th was enough to put the Tyco Team rider at the top of the Duke Rankings becoming only the sixth rider to see his name engraved on the coveted Geoff Duke Trophy since the Championship Series started in 2002.
The winner of the 2014 Duke Road Race Rankings was honoured at the Auto 66 Dinner & Prize Presentation which took place on Saturday, 17 January at the Holiday Inn, York. Yorkshire's James Cowton becomes the 13th winner of the Duke Road Race Rankings series since its inception in 2002 and the first English rider to collect the prestigious award.
Twenty-two year old James had a stellar season on the roads, his third year racing 'between the hedges' amassing six race victories during the year, at Oliver's Mount, Billown and Dundrod, where he took his first international race win at the Ulster Grand Prix.
James' first victory of the year was at the Blackford's Pre-TT Classic races in the Post Classic race where he also set a new lap record, following that with a double at the Barry Sheene Race Festival at his home circuit, Oliver's Mount before taking another double win at the Dundrod 150 Road Races.
Add in a further nine second and 13 third places out of the 45 races he finished, only three were out of the top six whilst setting seven fastest laps.
James received the coveted Geoff Duke Trophy and replica being only the sixth recipient of the unique award in its 13-year history from Geoff's son Peter Duke, managing director of Duke Marketing, who was instrumental in setting up what is now considered to be an accurate 'barometer' of the most successful riders of the season who are dedicated to ‘between the hedges’ road racing, by including the less well-known national events alongside the world-famous international meetings.
The 2014 Duke Road Race Rankings was held over 25 rounds commencing at the Spring National Road Races at the North Yorkshire venue of Oliver's Mount in mid April and concluded mid November at the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, James was third in the table after the opening round and throughout the season maintained a position in the top six, slotting into second after the Ulster Grand Prix climbing on to the top rung after the Steve Henshaw International Gold Cup Road Races, the penultimate round, the final round at Macau un-affecting the top three positions.
Peter Duke commented: 'Another thrilling season with 479 point-scoring riders underlines the increasing popularity of real roads racing and I am extremely proud that the Duke Series plays its part in the sport.
'It's often thought Irish riders dominate road racing, but this years results showcase the talent and enthusiasm for 'closed roads' in the rest of the British Isles. Long may it continue!'
The Duke Road Race Rankings Series commenced for its 12th year of competition at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough, North Yorkshire on 21 April 2013 at the Ian Watson Spring Cup National Road Races, organised by the Auto 66 Club.
The Duke Road Race Rankings Series commenced for its 11th year of competition at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough, North Yorkshire on Sunday 15 April 2012 at the Ian Watson Spring Cup National Road Races. Organised by the Auto 66 Club.
The Duke Road Race Rankings celebrated its 10th year in 2011. Ryan Farquhar retained the Duke Road Rankings title for the fourth successive year, his sixth time in all and received the 'new' Geoff Duke Trophy at the Adelaide Motorcycle Awards Night in Belfast in January 2012. Farquhar has the original trophy in his permanent collection, having won the award outright after completing a hat-trick of title wins in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Ryan Farquhar said he was 'made up' to win his sixth Duke Road Race Rankings Series after another superb season on his KMR Kawasaki machines. The Dungannon racer claimed 43 victories and 11 podium finishes on his way to a winning points tally of 3,754.
William Dunlop claimed second place ahead of brother Michael, who won a second TT title in 2011. Farquhar set 27 fastest laps during the 23-round series but said he was disappointed at not claiming more wins at the International road races. Farquhar won at both the Manx Grand Prix and Southern 100 meetings on the Isle of Man in this year.
Ian Lougher, who was the inaugural winner in 2002 and took the titles again in 2005 and 2006, finished in fourth place.
TT winner Ryan Farquhar clinched the Duke Road Race Rankings for the third time, closing a successful 2008 season by clinching the rankings title at the final meeting of the year, the Gold Cup races at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough. The 2008 Duke Road Race Rankings had been scheduled to be held over 23 rounds, but that number was cut to 19 due to four race meetings being hit by bad weather and other factors.
One of the upcoming riders from the Centenary TT races secured the Geoff Duke Trophy. ManxmanConor Cummins, who placed fifth, two sixths and an eighth at TT, secured the top position in the rankings during his first full-year of pure road racing.
Guy Martin, who secured three podium finishes at the Centenary TT, finished in second place, 138 points behind, but 281 points ahead of third placed William Dunlop.
The twenty-five round series were held at all national and international road races in the north and south of Ireland, the Isle of Man and England. At the conclusion 147 points separated the champion and second place man, Martin Finnegan, who in turn was just nine points ahead of the late Darran Lindsay.
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