The 2008 Duke Road Race Rankings Series starts its seventh year of season-long competition at the North Yorkshire venue of Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.

The Ian Watson Spring Cup National Road Races take place at the picturesque hillside course on Sunday 20^th April and has attracted a quality entry, both solos and sidecars, in what is a scheduled fourteen race programme.

As well as being the first ‘traditional’ road race of the season in the British Isles, it is also the opening round of the Duke Road Race Rankings Series which, incidentally sees the twenty-third final round played out at the ‘Mount’ over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 20th & 21^st September.

Regulars to the 2.43-mile circuit include a substantial contingent from both the North of Ireland and Eire, headed by Ryan Farquhar and William Dunlop, whilst the ‘Manxies’ will also make their presence felt with the likes of Chris Palmer along with Nick Crowe and new passenger Mark Cox in the sidecar class.

Twice Rankings winner, Ryan Farquhar, eighth in 2007 will be riding his 600 and 1000cc Harker Kawasaki’s, whilst third placeman last year, William Dunlop will be aboard machines from the Raymond Lilley and P J Flynn stables in all the solo classes.

Castletown’s Chris Palmer, fifth last year has a brace of Mannin Hondas together with his R6 Solway Yamaha to commence what may well be his final season on the roads.

However, with such a quality entry there will be no easy races throughout the one day meeting as local competitors will be out to show their circuit knowledge to advantage over the ‘overseas travellers’ already mentioned.

The Ian Watson Spring Cup National Road Races begins at 08:30am with Practice, followed by Qualifying at 10:00am and Racing commences at 12:30pm.

No sooner will the chequered flag have dropped for the fourteenth and final time on late Sunday afternoon, before the competitors head for the second round of the Duke Rankings at the popular Cookstown ‘100’ National Road Races on Saturday 26th April on the 2.100-mile County Tyrone roads course.

Full information and the up to date positions in the Rankings tables will be available on www.paddockgossip.com, along with reviews and images.