First ran in 1962, when under the Ted Andrew Trophy title, the Bob Smith Spring Cup feature race has-been captured by elite names ranging from Joey Dunlop to Dave Leach to David Jefferies to John McGuinness MBE to Adrian Archibald to Ryan Farquhar to Guy Martin to Dean Harrison.

Impeccable Scarborough racing debutant Richard Cooper, added his name this afternoon to the Spring Cup winners list, emerging on top from a six-lap encounter held in wet conditions.

Cooper the thirty first different Spring Cup winner, gave suitors Boyce Precision Engineering/Russell Racing their second consecutive blue-riband race triumph at the traditional season opening Oliver’s Mount meeting after Michael Browne’s victory in 2024.

The new quickest North Yorkshire ‘Mini TT’ newcomer of this decade, path to success was-made clearer when early race leader Franco Bourne (Team ILR with Frog Vehicle Developments) crashed out at Drurys Hairpin on lap three (the prospective TT newcomer emerged unharmed).

With Bourne side-lined, R9 Yamaha equipped Cooper inherited a huge advantage over nearest pursuers Rob Hodson (SMT Racing – V2 Panigale Ducati) and Galashiels Johnny Stewart.

Cooper’s final race winning gap to eventual second place finisher Hodson, stood at just inside 6.13 seconds (6.128 to be exact).

Stewart who remarked post-race to circuit commentator Brad Hix that “conditions were sketchy” was super happy to finish third.

Tom Weeden, lap on lap getting more at home with his new 765 RS Triumph placed fourth (0.158 behind Stewart).

Fostec Engineering supported David McArthur took fifth, final Supersport (A) race winner Andy Smart (VRS Racing) occupied sixth.

Lead Super Twins vaulted rider Stephen Gorton finished seventh with Sam Johnson (P8), Barry Furber (P9), Rhys Hardisty (P10) wrapping up the leader board top ten.

Five more racers took the chequered flag, Joey Lambden (P11), Jack Worth (P12), Adam ‘Chad’ Child aboard the rasping CF Moto (P13), Michael Allen (P14) and Aaron Cooke (P15).

MadBros Racing’s Gary McCoy, Marcus ‘Spartacus’ Simpson, Conor Cummins (NLC Suzuki), Ryan Dixon (Trickbits Racing Triumph) were notable non-starters.

Day Two Round-Up

With heavy hearts following yesterday’s tragic incident, racing continued today at the 2026 Bob Smith Spring Cup.

Before a reshuffled fourteen race schedule got underway, morning warm-up sessions began just past 9:00 AM.

Team ILR with Frog Vehicle Developments Franco Bourne, sterling Scarborough newcomer Richard Cooper treated the trackside crowd to entertaining battles for Super Twins Race Two, Supersport (A) Race 1 honours.

The second six-lap Twins race burst saw Bourne, Cooper covered at the finish line by 2.7 seconds (2.708 to be exact) but this told only one percent of the race story with the former BSB riders tightly matched throughout.

It was a similar story within the (A) Supersport contest as Bourne again just held sway, over Cooper who set what proved the race’s fastest lap (1.47.505) and swiftest lap across the meeting, in the process becoming the quickest Oliver’s Mount debutant of this decade.

The NW200 goliath went onto add success in the final Twins race, to Bob Smith Spring Cup feature race triumph, elevating his event wins total to four.

Outside Cooper and Bourne, fourteen more competitors mastered changeable conditions to achieve class successes.

F2/Pre-Injection Sidecar hat-trick heroes Carl Fenwick/Jake Roberts, Greg Lambert/Andrew Haynes.

Dan Frear (400cc Races two & three winner), eight times Sidecar TT Champion Dan Sayle (125/Moto 3 Races two & three winner).

Shaun O’Hara (CB 500 Race Two winner), Grant Aitchison (CB 500 Race Three winner), Stuart Hall (Two Stroke Races one & two), James Dutton (Supermono Races one & two).

Tom Weeden showing his proven wet weather racing skillset, winning both Classic Superbike races.

Michael Allen, Oliver’s first-timer Nicholas Round shared the Supersport (B) race wins whilst Manx GP front runner Toby Shann, TT 2026 bound this year, led home the six-racer participated L. May Plant Support contest field.