This time the award has come from his home Borough of Ards as he has been nominated for the Ards Borough Sports Person of the Year 2011. The winner will be announced at an awards bash on Friday 9th March in the Queens Hall Newtownards.

Kirk “To receive another nomination for my achievements is really humbling, to be recognised by my local Borough and somewhat outside the motorcycling world makes it extra special. I have already been recognised through a reception with Mayor Oswald late last year and I really wasn’t expecting anything else.

Obviously it would be fantastic to win such an award but just to be nominated for things like this makes all the hard work seem worth while. I would like to thank everyone who nominated me for the award and am looking forward to the occasion.”

Along with long time rival Brian McCormack Kirk chatted on stage about his 2011 titles, his plans for 2012 and the success of the relatively new series. One major change which convinced Kirk to defend his title is the news that a round will be held North of the border this year at Kirk’s favourite circuit Bishopscourt.

Kirks Masters defense begins on 21st & 22nd April at Mondello Park, for details visit www.mondellopark.ie

Admission is again kept at the low price of £5 per head with doors open at 8pm and the band beginning shortly after 9pm. The entertainment this year is being provided by The Juke Box Jurors and there will also be a large selection of great prizes on the night.

Also confirmed is that the newly crowned Enkalon Motorcyclist of the Year and 2011 British Supersport Champion Alastair Seeley will be there on the night so come along for a brilliant nights craic. 

www.thejukeboxjurors.com – Visit the band’s site to hear a sample of their music

www.marinecourthotel.net – Visit the Marine Court’s website for accomodation or directions

First up was the MCUI UC awards in the La Mon Hotel on January where Kirk received his coveted MCUI medals for the Ulster & Irish Superbike and Irish Superstock Championships.

Two weeks later it was time for the Adelaide Motorcycle Awards in the Ramada Hotel where Kirk was to receive his Adelaide Masters Trophy.

On top of that Kirk was nominated for the Short Circuit Rider of the Year (eventually won by World Superbike star Eugene Laverty) and Motorcycle Rider of the Year (won by Alastair Seeley). Finishing in the top six for Motorcyclist of the year meant Kirk was introduced on stage with the cream of Irish Motorcycling talent and got his hands on the famous Joey Dunlop trophy albeit for a couple of minutes!

Kirk – “It has been a great month and it was a real honour to be in the top six for the Enkalon Irish Motorcyclist of the year. I have some lovely new additions to the trophy cabinet and had two great nights out with my team and supporters.

It is always nice to receive recognition for your achievements so thank you to everyone who voted for me over the winter and supported me in my quest to win those titles. The 2011 celebrations are over now though and it is time to concentrate on 2012 and working towards more trophies this time next year.”

The good news just keeps coming at the minute as I have just learned that I am one of the fifteen nominees for the 2012 Enkalon Motorcyclist of the Year!
I’m under no illusion that I don’t stand a chance of lifting the award but to be nominated amongst such big names is a real honour.

The fifteen nominees are: -
Kirk Jamison
Martin Barr
Andrew Brady
John Burrows
Michael Dunlop
William Dunlop
Keith Farmer
Ryan Farquhar
Jack Kennedy
Eugene Laverty
Michael Laverty
Ian Lowry
Jonathan Rea
Alastair Seeley
John Simpson

You can vote for your favourite at www.adelaidemotorcycleawards.com

Just two days after clinching the Irish Superbike Championship I was given another accolade for 2011 when I was invited for tea with the Mayor Ards, Mervyn Oswald.
I was invited up to be presented with a plaque in recognition of my sporting achievements this year which I have to say I was really chuffed with. I was allowed to bring along the family and we all had some refreshments, chatted for over an hour in the Mayor’s Chamber’s and had plenty of photographs taken.

My partner in crime Scott Thompson was also there receiving the same in recognition of his Ulster Championship success this year. Both our families know each other well so it was a really nice evening which I will remember fondly for a long time.

I’d like to thank the Mayor for his hospitality and also for simply recognising what Scott and i have achieved for the lower Ards this year. Thanks also to my family for coming along and to Jim Shannon and John Savage for putting me forward for the award.

Battered but Champion!

I knew heading to Bishopcourt that a solid race one result should see me crowned ISB Champion and allow me to go and enjoy myself for the rest of the day against the BSB boys. I always enjoy the Sunflower, trying to raise my game and claim a scalp or two so that was definitely my aim for Saturday.

Q1 on Friday was wet and I felt really comfortable, I moved up to 3rd place after about 15 minutes of the 20 minute session but knew it could well be dry later on so pulled in to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes. The only guys ahead of me at that point were the TAS Suzuki duo of Seeley and Lowry so to be ahead of Jack Kennedy was really pleasing. In fairness both Kennedy and Cody Nally pipped me as I sat back in the pits but I was still provisional front row and more importantly ahead of title rival Matthew Percy.

Another oil slick by the sidecar fraternity made a complete mess of the rest of the event as far as I am concerned. The Bishopscourt circuit up until that point had never looked better and they deserve massive credit for that, I absolutely love the place. For the rest of the event however we were forced to ride around a mess of concrete dust which completely ruined it for me. The marshals and everyone worked hard over lunch to clear the track up but without the correct equipment it is a waste of time. I also have to say that my sponsor Jim Angus and Assistant Clerk of the course Roy Biggerstaff were the only two people out washing the circuit into the night to try and make it better for Saturday, were the bloody hell was everyone else?

Anyway, on to Saturday and the conditions were awful. As well as the mess on the circuit the wind was really strong and gusty making it difficult to push to the limit. I got an absolutely rubbish start in the first race and then got held up by a crash at turn one. I didn’t panic though and slowly picked off a few guys to end up in behind an impressive Nico Mawhinney in 7th place. Matthew was running 4th so it was job done and just a matter of counting down the laps to claim the title. Matthew then unfortunately went down, handing the title to me regardless of anything else that happened. I then decided that Nally in 3rd wasn’t far ahead so put my head down to go for a podium and claim the title in style. Well, I did it in style but not the way I was hoping for! I pushed past Nico into turn one but was rewarded with an almighty tank slapper from the front of the bike. I don’t know if it was the concrete dust, wind, tighter line or whether I bottomed out the forks, it doesn’t really matter though as it resulted in me somersaulting at 120mph towards the gravel trap. Jeez it hurt and I thought I had broken my leg and shoulder when I came to a stop. As always the medics on hand couldn’t have been better and after a trip to the medical centre I limped out to a muted celebratory return to the team. I felt sorry for them all as it really ruined the moment but that’s racing and the important thing is that we won the title.

The bike was in a similar condition to myself, it took a battering but could have been worse. It’ll take a few quid to fix it up again but it’ll be fixed all the same. My first duty as ISB champion was to attend the A&E at the Ulster Hospital but luckily I left with nothing more than a set of crutches. I suffered muscle damage and bad bruising and swelling to my left arm and shoulder, a sore neck, head and foot. I also did some muscle and ligament damage to my right knee, it is also full of blood and I may have torn the cartilage but other than that I got away with it.

I first took in the Irish Superbike Championship in 2006 finishing runner up to Alastair Seeley. I haven’t been outside the top six in the six years I have competed in it so to finally clinch the number one spot gives me great satisfaction.

My clean sweep of four titles this year is quite simply down to having a fantastic team and band of supporters. Without both of these the race weekends would simply not go as they have done and without my sponsors I wouldn’t be there at all. I would like to thank the whole team, Dad, Jim, Cliff, Uncle Jim and Mum and Lynsey for their tireless work all year. To my band of supporters Derek, Linda, Ken, Mark, Julie and more recently Becka, Annalee, Andy and Tori thanks for the cheers and support. A massive thank you also to two other men who have been so very influential to many years of my racing, Paul Lindsay and Alan Finlay. To my sponsors, Bridgestone, AGV, RST, Feckin Irish Whiskey, Abacus, Nice Bike Paintshop, Rodney Brown Gardening Services, JD McGeown’s, the Fallen Heroes MCC, Neil Biggerstaff and of course my Supporters Club, I thank you all.

The club was formed from a small group of individuals who supported Kirk already and whilst this same nucleus still drives the club it has grown to become one of Kirk’s main sources of funding for his racing.

Derek Keenan was re-elected as Chairman for a second term as everyone celebrated not only the recent championship successes but also the fact that the club has continued to thrive in what are difficult times for fundraising, pumping over £20,000 into Kirk’s racing.

Next on the horizon is the draw of the Rossi Raffle at the Sunflower Trophy Races on 22nd October before 2011 is signed off by the annual Club Christmas Dinner in The Wildfowler Inn Greyabbey.

Adelaide Masters Series
1 Kirk Jamison 160 CHAMPION
2 Damien Byrne 145
3 Matthew Percy 139
4 Marshall Neill 111
5 Paul Swords 98
6 Jack Kennedy 88

Irish Superstock Championship
1 Kirk Jamison 401 CHAMPION
2 Gavin Johnston 228
3 Mark Glasgow 215
4 Richard Rea 166
5 Jamie Hamilton 92
6 Nico Mawhinney 66

Ulster Superbike Championship
1 Kirk Jamison 210 CHAMPION
2 Matthew Percy 154
3 Cameron Donald 125
3 David Haire 114
5 Denver Robb 110
6 Mark Johnston 95