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Below is brief report on the Irish Kart Gran Prix, 5 Nations and Ulster Championships.
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Irish Kart Gran Prix
Irelands top kart racing drivers were in action recently at the Boal Carparks of Aldergrove sponsored Irish Kart Gran Prix with the Ulster Karting Club event attracting one of the largest ever entries at Irelands premier race meeting. Although the foot and mouth crisis saw fewer mainland entries than normal the event still attracted almost 180 drivers.
Saturdays heats all got away in dry conditions but unfortunately Sundays pre finals and finals ended up in near wash out conditions at times to add to the challenge of one of the countries toughest events.
The Cadets class again produced one of the largest entries. In the pre finals the weather conditions changed rapidly just prior to the race catching out a lot of drivers. However it was Daire Hayes from Cork that came through to win with Portadowns Stuart Lyness second and Chris Smiley from Carrickfergus also making a smart tyre choice to bring him home in third.
The finals however saw the big guns back in force with Killinchys Jamie Glover rising to the challenge and almost immediately taking the lead. Despite starting well down the grid Josh Mulholland from Randalstown and 5 Nations champ William Cochrane were soon forging through to challenge Glover but in the end despite a tough challenge young Glover went on to a close win. Mulholland finished only a machines length behind in a dash to the line that nearly saw Cochrane snatch second.
The Junior TKM had an equally large entry and the pre finals saw the favourites out in big style but it was Dungivens Chris Irwin who really shone in the wet conditions to win from Carryduffs Gareth Conn and 5 Nations champ Ryan Magennis.
The finals however saw Conn immediately take the lead and inside the first two laps opened up over a second of a lead. Irwin and Magennis swopped second numerous times in the early and mid race but then Irwin pulled out a few quick laps, including fastest of the race , to see him break free from Magennis and set off after Conn. The last few laps saw Irwin close right in on Conn in what was shaping up for a last lap showdown, and showdown it was. An equally tough battle was also ensuing between Magennis and a rapid Liam Regan but both came to grief in a tangle that saw both picking themselves out of the gravel traps. But as the leading pair went onto the last lap Irwin slipped past Conn at the tight paddock corner but Conn immediately responded and re took the lead three bends later. Then more drama when both got into a tangle with three bends to go only to see Irwin come out unscathed and in the end go on to take his first ever major title.
Ballymenas David McCullough and Dublins Jonny Magee made steady progress throughout the final and in the end their persistence paid off with second and third. Conn, Magennis and Regan did finish all be it well down the grid. An unfortunate end to what was going to be a classic battle of the giants but close racing can produce dramatic results.
The fastest Junior class for the JICA machines saw Cian Lennon from Dublin and Dundalks Niall Breen the 5 Nations champion thrash it out in pre finals and on this occassion it was Lennon who was victorious with Paul Smith in third.
The finals however saw Breen take the lead but on this occassion he was not heading off into the distance as in other race meetings with Smith and Raymie Eastwood taking up the challenge. However, it was all over for Smith by the third lap when he was flagged into the pits leaving Eastwood and Lennon to thrash it out for second. Realising the potential challenge Breen pulled out a few macines lengths but the rage behind only drew the challengers closer as the leading three formed a high speed chase. As the race closed the challengers were right with Breen but in the end Breen held them off to take another major title. Eastwood almost made it with only a machines length keeping him off top spot on the podium with Lennon easing off in the last yards to take third.
The Junior TKM Inter had a small turnout and in pre finals the defending champion Philip Clements from Carrodore proved his point again with a win from Connor Harvey from Letterkenny and Ballymoneys Aaron Roper. The finals again saw the three favourites up front but this time Harvey did not get a real chance when he was forced to retire in the second lap. In the end Clements went on to win comfortably from Roper with Dundonalds Ryan McShane coming through to pick uyp third.
The Senior TKM class had one of its best turnouts with Englands Paul Walsh returning to take on 5 Nations champion Keith Biggerstaff after having to play second fiddle to him in the last big one at Nutts Corner. The Pre finals however saw Biggerstaff take the win from defending champion Alex Dempsey from Maghera with Walsh settling for third.
The finals again saw Biggerstaff take up the reigns but this time around Walsh was the challenger with Dempsey in third. As the race progressed it looked like it could be any one of the three such was the closeness of competition and lead they had on the rest. However , just after half was Dempsey over cooked it a bit putting him into the gravel and although he got himself restarted he was out of contention. The last lap saw the leaders at it hammer and tong but in the end Biggerstaff took the flag from Walsh with the steady driving Joe Lawn from Portavogie picking up third just ahead of Drumbos Robert Irwin.
However, there was still post race scruitiny to go and unfortunate for Biggerstaff he was to be disqualified handing it to Walsh with third being picked up by Irwin as a result.
Another massive turn out of Pro Kart drivers saw one of the favourites Michael Curran from Greyabbey take the pre finals with a very well deserved second for Banbridges Darwyn Young ahead of 5 Nations champ Michael McAuley from Newtownabbey.
The finals however saw McAuley throw down the challenge in the opening bend when he shot through to lead with Curran and Robert Robinson giving chase as Young got overhauled in the opening lap as well. Curran however was not having any of it and two laps later regained the lead with McAuley and Robinson giving chase. At the half way Curran decided enough was enough with the fastest lap of the race putting him a second ahead. Meanwhile McAuley and Robinson thrashed it out for second and in the process Curran pulled away again. In the end Curran went on to a comfortable victory ahead of McAuley with Robinson third after nearly making it through to second.
The fastest non gearbox class for the Rotax Max machines had a healthy entry with 5 Nations champion Philip Harkness from Moneymore taking the pre finals ahead of a rapidly improving Neville Bell from Dundrod with Mark McIvor taking third.
The finals again saw Harkness in control right from the start with his team mate McIvor slipping into second early on. However , Bell was in determined form and retook second by the end of the opening lap with Bangors Gilbert Yates also in the running in third as McIvors mistake cost him two places. Up front though Harkness held firm control. Quarter distance also saw a mistake from Bell letting Yates and McIvor both through and the next few laps saw Yates give chase after Harkness opening up the front three a bit. Harkness though was well aware of the challenge and kept his distance. As the race closed McIvor was right with Yates again but again a last lap drama was in store when Yates ended up in the gravel traps leaving Harkness to go on to win from McIvor with Bell holding on to third.
The Gearbox classes saw potential entries to be made in the record books by Justin Doherty in 125 and Colin Menary in 250S/K. Both drivers took the British Grand Prix titles two weeks previous and both were very much in the running for the Irish GP titles.
The 125 class pre final got away in dry conditions and saw Doherty from Ballymoney take the win from Ballyclares Gary Agnew with Crumlins Dean Jackson in third.
However Dohertys chances of making it into the record books fizzled when in a very wet final the opening lap saw a forced retirement for the class favourite. The lead was immediately taken up by Jackson but it was short lived when two laps later Agnew forged through to lead. Ballyclares Geoff McBride also entered the scene at the same time and soon put the pressure on Jackson which eventually paid off in the same lap. Up front though Agnew was in control as McBride and Jackson continued to battle it out for second. The rage for second saw the pair draw closer to Agnew and the final lap saw all three in one of the closest gearbox finals for some time. In the end however Agnew held on to win with a well pleased McBride holding second from Jackson.
The 250S/K pre final also made it in dry conditions just before the weather broke for good but this time it was Portadowns Robert McAdam that took the honours from Dublins Peter Deery and Moiras David Hamilton.
The 210cc class was small in number and ran with the 125 class. In the end Portadowns Davy Adair took the title with Ballinderrys Dessie Black taking second.
The finals saw unbelievable conditions from the off with McAdam the only driver visible off the line in the cloud of spray. The conditions certainly helped McAdam pull out some distance in the early lap with Hamilton and Deery coming through to hold second and third. As the race progressed it was clear that Ballymoneys Brian 'Bogey Man' Kennedy was not going to let conditions put him off when at quarter distance he forged into third setting fastest lap of the finals in the progress. But up front McAdam was holding on, all be it a slender lead on a closing Hamilton who in turn had a good gap between himself and Kennedy. The closing stages saw Hamilton draw closer but it was to no avail as at the line McAdam took the GP plates with Hamilton a well deserved second and a well pleased Kennedy in third. Menary suffered throughout the finals and in the end settled for fifth behind Richard Dewart.
All in all the event went off smoothly and the club would like to pay thanks to the large turnout of drivers, officials, marshals, medical officials and club organisers for their superb effort.
Race Statistics
Cadet 1. Jamie.Glover, 2. Josh.Mulholland (+0.83 sec), 3. William Cochrane (+0.89sec). Fastest lap J.Glover, heat 1, lap 5, 51.80 sec, 44.96 mph average.
Junior TKM. 1. Chris Irwin , 2. David McCullough (+10.07), 3. Jonny Magee (+13.71). Fastest lap Gareth Conn, heat 2, lap 5, 46.51 sec, 50.07 mph average.
JICA. 1. Nial Breen, 2. Raymie Eastwood (+0.48), 3. Cian Lennon (+0.91). Fastest lap Nial Breen, heat 1, lap 10, 43.87 sec, 53.09 mph average.
Junior TKM Inter. 1. Philip Clements , 2. Aaron Roper (+5.33), 3. Ryan McShane (+27.06). Fastest lap Philip Clements, heat 1 lap 10, 46.62 sec , 49.95 mph average.
Senior TKM. 1. Paul Walsh, 2. Jow Lawn (+11.51), 3. Robert Irwin (+11.73). Fastest lap Keith Biggerstaff heat 1 lap 8, 46.40sec, 50.19 mph average.
Pro Kart. 1. Michael Curran, 2. Michael McAuley (+4.04), 3. Robert Robinson (+4.59). Fastest lap Michael Curran heat 1, lap 8, 49.85 sec, 46.72mph average.
Rotax Max. 1. Philip Harkness, 2. Mark McIvor (+1.55 sec), 3. Neville Bell (+3.70). Fastest joint lap Philip Harkness & Aaron McMaster, heat 1, lap 4, 42.68 sec, 54.57 mph average.
125 Gearbox. 1. Gary Agnew, 2. Geoff McBride (+0.42), 3. Dean Jackson (+ 0.81). Fastest lap, Justin Doherty, Pre final lap 7, 36.88 sec, 76.83 mph average.
210cc. 1. Davy Hamilton, 2 Dessie Black, Fastest lap. Dessie Black, heat 1, lap 2, 42.71 sec., 66.34 mph.
250S/K 1. Robert McAdam, 2. David Hamilton (+0.38), 3. Brian Kennedy (+7.47). Fastest lap, Brian Kennedy Pre final lap 3, 35.71 sec, 79.35mph average.
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5 NATIONS
The weekend of 23rd & 24th June saw the Kartparts sponsored 5 Nations championships take place at Nutts Corner. The foot and mouth crisis and clashes with other British championship events saw a much reduced turnout from mainland GB but this was made up for by a great turnout by drivers from Southern Ireland. Drivers in the Ulster Karting Club promoted non gearbox championship took on three 10 lap heats on the Saturday and 12 lap pre finals and 15 lap finals on the Sunday.
The Cadets had a near capacity turnout and the heats saw all Ireland champion Ray Lusty from Larne and Co.Kilkennys Craig Breen thrash it out with Lusty just taking pole for the pre finals. However it was Breen that set the pace in the pre finals with Dublins Andrew Maybin squeezing into second ahead of Lusty.
The off in finals immediately saw Breen take the lead with Lusty and Maybin giving chase in that order. After three laps however fourth man on the grid William Cochrane from Downpatrick was starting to show his form when he stormed through to take second as Lusty seemed to go off the pace slightly. A lap later and both Cochrane and Maybin had forged past Breen who also seemed to be having a problematic time.
By half distance Cochrane and Maybin were still at it up front but now it was Dublin's Dean Keating that was starting to show his hand as he pressurised the leading pair after coming up from seventh. Lusty by now was just staying in the top five with Breen still dropping places. At the three quarters stage Keating made his move to second but up front Cochrane was still holding on. For the remaining laps the three settled down a little as Lusty made it back up to fourth but up front the leaders were some seven seconds ahead. As the last lap board went out Keating was right behind Cochrane and it was obvious that it was going to be close. At the line the pair were almost side by side and to most it looked like the race was Cochranes but the timing system said that it was Keatings. After a post race examination of the machines to check transponder positions and a meeting of the officials young Cochrane was declared five nations cadet champion by the slenderest of margins of 0.01 second. Keating accepted second after a thrilling race with Maybin taking third and Lusty holding onto fourth.
The capacity grid of Junior TKM drivers saw Gareth Conn from Carryduff and Stoneyfords Ryan Magennis set the pace in heats with Conn taking two wins to put him on pole for the Pre finals. However, it was defending Gran Prix champion James Leckey who stole the show in the pre finals with a slender win on Lawrence Boal with Conn in fourth. Magennis was unfortunately sidelined with only two laps to go forcing him to start right at the back of the final grid.
From the off in the finals, it was Boal, Conn, Dungivens Chris Irwin up front when the three got past Leckey early on. The second lap saw Conn make his move to the front though with Boal right behind. Unnoticed to the raging up front battle however was the rapid progress by Magennis and by third distance he was up to an incredible fifth place having reeled in 25 drivers in the process. As the race neared half distance Conn and Boal continued to set a hot pace as Magennis took first of all Leckey and then Irwin a lap later. With five to go Magennis started his challenge on Boal and as back markers started to be caught made it through to second. As a shocked Boal continued in third Magennis got right up on Conn and the closing laps saw the pair almost glued together with Boal still a big threat. As the last lap board went out it looked like Conn was going to hold on until Magennis pulled off another brilliant overtaking manoeuvre at the paddock straight to take the lead. Conn did everything he could on the closing lap but once ahead Magennis pulled away slightly and at the flag took victory from Conn by 0.66 seconds. Boal came home a close third with Irwin and Leckey finishing off the top five. The drive by Magennis also earned him the man of the meeting award.
The very fast JICA class also saw Magennis take on the tough opponents but on this occassion two heat wins were enough to see European championship contender Niall Breen from Dundalk stamp his mark to take pole for the pre finals with Belfasts Raymie Eastwood a well deserved second on the grid. Again it was Breen to dominate the pre finals but this time Ronan Corcoran from Cork took second making it a Kartparts team on the front row for the finals.
The finals again saw Breen in blistering form and from the off immediately opened up a commanding lead on Corcoran. As Breen started to pull away it was clear that the main race was for second between Corcoran and Emmet Queenan from Roscommon and with Dublins Mike Slein right on their tails the battle for second was intense. As the race progressed Breen continued to pull away and by the half way was a good three seconds ahead of the raging battle for second. At three quarters distance Slein had made it through to third when Queenan was forced to retire but by that stage Corcoran had managed to break free from the battle anyway. No impression could be made on Breen though and at the flag he came home with alsost six seconds to spare. Corcoran took a well deserved second with Slein a further five seconds down in third.
The Junior TKM Inter class had a small turnout and throughout the meeting it was defending Gran Prix champion Philip Clements from Carrodore and Connor Harvey from Letterkenny that dominated. Both dominated the heats and pre final but it was certainly clear that Harvey was going to be a tough match in the finals.
From the start in the finals Harvey rocked Clements camp for a while when he shot into the first lap lead. however Clements soon regained composure and regained his lead by the end of the lap with Lisburns Kris Fitzpatrick holding out well in third. Harvey continued to hold a steady pressure on Clements but every time he attempted to overtake Clements saw the attack and closed up any gaps. At the three quarters stage though Clements had managed to pull out a few lengths on Harvey which was just enough to give him the break he needed. At the flag Clements held out to take another major title with Harvey just over a second adrift. Fitzpatrick came home in third in his first major championship meeting.
The Senior TKM class saw Newtownabbeys Keith Biggerstaff and Liverpools Paul Walsh thrash it out in the heats and although Walsh took two wins the third heat win and two seconds were just enough to put Biggerstaff on pole for the pre finals. Again the pair thrashed it out but in the end the pre finals saw Walsh come through to take the win by a machines length from Biggerstaff.
The finals again saw Walsh hold on to the lead from Biggerstaff with Drumbos Robert Erwin in a close third place. The early laps continued to seeWalsh in strong form but Biggerstaff had other plans and at third distance forged through to take the lead leaving Erwin to challenge Walsh. As the race neared half distance though the leading pair broke free with Walsh trying everything to get through. Lap after lap the pair were practically fixed together and as the final lap board went out it looked like Walsh would make his move. However, it was not to be and despite pressurising hard in the closing bends Biggerstaff just held on to win with less than a machine length in it over Walsh. Erwin held a steady pace throughout to take a well deserved third from the Smith team from Comber with Stephen taking fourth ahead of Robert and William.
The Pro Kart class saw defending Champion Cecil Conn from Carryduff really stamp his mark in heats with two wins helping him to pole for the pre finals ahead of Greyabbeys Michael Curran. The pre finals again saw Conn on winning form with a comfortable win in store ahead of the raging battle for second which this time was taken by Moiras Jason Morrow.
The opening lap of the finals however saw Conn really see the strength of the opposition when Newtownabbeys Michael McAuley shot through into the lead with Curran battling it out with Morrow for third. The openig laps saw McAuley and Conn swop places a number of times but in the fourth lap Conn held on to the lead when Curran made it through to second. At the half way point Conn, Curran, McAuley and Morrow were in a close line with all the three challengers hoping for a chance to slip through. And at the three quarters distance that chance came when McAuley made his second break through at the paddock corner to lead. A lap later and both Curran and Morrow were past but up front McAuley was opening out a few yards on Curran.
The closing stages saw Davy Lemon from Newtownards and Aghalees Robert Robinson also on a charge when they both reeled in a slightly faltering Morrow but up front it was still McAuley who was battling it out with Curran in another epic battle. The last lap saw the pair continue their relentless battle but at the flag it was a very popular and well deserved win for McAuley with Curran a very close second. Conn held on to third some two seconds down with a well pleased Davy Lemon just holding out to Robinson and Morrow.
The fastest class of the meeting was for the Rotax Max machines and right from the off Jason Curran from Newtownards again stamped his mark with three wins giving him pole for the pre finals with Moneymores Philip Harkness alongside. The pre finals saw Antrims Gary Blair show his potential when he shot through to take the early lead. Curran however was having none of it and after regaining the lead went on to win from Blair and Andrew Armstrong with Harkness in fourth.
The finals saw Curran get away cleanly but it was not so clean for Blair and Armstrong when the pair and Alden Minford tangled leaving all three sidelined right in the first corner. Up front however Curran still led but there was intense pressure behind from Harkness and his team mate Mark McIvor. By the three quarters stage the challengers were right with Curran and really piling on the pressure. At the half way point Harkness seized his chance and shot through to lead at the hairpin. As Harkness started to open out slightly McIvor held an intense pressure on Curran who seemed to have some sort of trouble. Never the less Curran battled on but the closing laps saw McIvor also forge through as Curran continued to lose some ground. Although McIvor set off after Harkness at the flag it was Harkness who took victory with a one two for the team seeing them break the domination by Curran who held on well to finish third. Belfasts Richard Fitzsimmons drove well in the closing stages to take fourth only a few machine lengths behind Curran with a well pleased Aaron McMaster in fifth.
The next big meeting for the club at Nutts Corner is Irelands largest kart meeting when all classes compete in the two day Boal Carparks sponsored Irish Kart Gran Prix on 11 & 12 August.
5 Nations statistics
Rotax Max: 1 Philip Harkness, 2 Mark McIvor (+1.6 seconds), 3 J Curran (+4.09). Fastest lap J Curran, lap7 heat 1 and lap 4 heat 2, 42.18 sec, 55.21 mph average.
Pro-Kart: 1 Michael McAuley, 2 Michael Curran (+0.75), 3 Cecil Conn (+3.23). Fastest lap J Morrow, lap 8, finals, 49.51 sec, 47.04mph average
Senior TKM: 1 Keith Biggerstaff, 2 Paul Walsh (+0.07), 3 Robert Erwin (+5.37). Fastest lap P Walsh, lap 4, heat 2, 46.23sec, 50.38 mph average
Junior TKM Inter: 1 Philip Clements, 2 Connor Harvey (+1.71), 3 Kris Fitzpatrick (+24.35). Fastest lap, P Clements, lap 8 pre final, 46.53 sec, 50.05mph average.
JICA : 1 Niall Breen, 2 Ronan Corcoran (+5.86), 3 Mike Slein (+10.34). Fastest lap R Magennis, lap 7, heat 3, 43.74sec, 53.24 mph average
Junior TKM : 1 Ryan Magennis, 2 Gareth Conn (+0.66), 3 Lawrence Boal (+0.69). Fastest Lap R Magennis, lap 5 , heat 2, 46.12 sec, 50.50 mph average.
Cadet: 1 William Cochrane , 2 Dean Keating (0.07), 3 Andrew Maybin (1.26). Fastest Lap W Cochrane , lap 5, heat 2, 51.05 sec, 45.62 mph.
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ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Easter Monday and Tuesday saw one of the largest ever turnouts at Nutts Corner for the Nibbles Catering sponsored Ulster Kart Racing Championships. The event comprised of three heats per class on each day with the best two results on each day counting which really showed off the consistent performance of drivers over the two days .
The Ulster Karting Club promoted event was the opening event of the season as a result of the previously planned Ulster Cup and NIKA championship rounds which were forced to be cancelled due to the foot and mouth crisis.
In the huge turnout of Junior TKM drivers, Stoneyfords Ryan Magennis threw down the challenge right from the start with a win from Lawrence Boal from Loanends but the intensity of the top five early on showed it was going to be a close one overall. Niall Quinn from Co.Meath was showing extremely strong form and a win in his second heat soon put the pressure on especially when Magennis had a poorer than expected run in his second heat. Boal however was also showing his hand with a win in his third heat and a second and a third earlier on in the day gave him the overall lead at the end of the opening day.
The size of the class meant that the grid had to be split and as it turned out only one of the heats on the second day saw the three top challengers race against each other with Quinn opening up with a close win on Magennis in the opening heat. In the other heats both drivers scored well with a second win by Quinn and a win for Magennis each pushing the final result right to the last heat to see here they all ended up.
In the end Magennis came through to take the final win from Boal and in so doing his total scoring gave him the championship overall from Quinn. Two top five places on the second day dropped Boal into third overall but a superb performance none the less.
Dungivens Chris Irwin and Five Nations Champion Raymie Eastwood battled it out throughout for fourth but in the end Eastwood just snatched it.
Worthy of a special mention was the terrific driving by last years Cadet champion Isaac Lyons from Hillsborough who was just starting to get to grips with the faster class. Lyons immediately showed his form on the opening day with two top five placings which together with a third and a fourth on the second day gave him sixth overall.
The Junior TKM Inter class saw Carrodores Philip Clements in blistering form as well from the start with four class wins giving him the championship from Lisburns Kris Fitzpatrick. Clements result was even more impressive since the class was malgamated in with the Junior TKM and over the two days three of Philips wins were outright in the combined class. The second for Fitzpatrick who is
an almost newcomer to the sport also showed off his
championship winning potential though. Third in class was Dromores Andrew Rutherdale who took one of his best championship results.
In the huge turnout of Cadet drivers, all Ireland
champion Ray Lusty was out in strong form right from the off and two heat wins early on certainly showed that he meant business. However, the winter series champion William Cochrane from Downpatrick was also showing strong form with a win and a second to his credit to show his determination. The second day saw the pair in even closer contention but this time it was Cochranes turn with a win early on really putting the pressure on.
The second heat of the day however saw Lusty reply with a win and with Cochrane taking second it was going to go to the final race for a decider with anything lower than second for Lusty giving the title to Cochrane. In the end the pair hammered it out but at the flag it was Cochrane to win from Lusty in second and with pair on equal points overall a count back to the previous day was needed. The tie breaker rules were that best first
result of the whole meeting would be the deciding factor.
In the end Lustys opening win was the deciding factor and after a nervous wait Lusty was declared champipon with Cochranes impressive second showing that he will be a strong contender for the season.
Waterfords Craig Breen, Bangors Richard McAlorum and Josh Mulholland battled out for third place with Mulholland setting the pace early on. In the end a better second day for Breen saw him pull through to third just ahead of McAlorum with Mulholland only one point further adrift in fifth.
The senior TKM saw one of last years Junior contenders Keith Biggerstaff in strong form in one of his first races in the class. Right from the off Biggerstaff threw down the challenge with two impressive wins on the opening day giving him the early lead on another hot favourite and Junior champion Victor Gibson from Bangor.
The second day was just like the Cadets race with second placed Gibson fighting back with an opening win. Biggerstaff immediately responded with a win in the second heat with another final race of the day being necessary to sort them out.
However, Gibson was in determined form and after a tough closing race snatched his second win of the day and with both drivers on equal points another count back was necessary. This time however it was Gibsons opening win of the meeting that was just enough to secure the championship from Biggerstaff.
Equally impressive were the Smith brothers Robert,
William and Stephen from Comber who were on the pace
right behind Gibson and Biggerstaff. Stephen pilied the pressure on hardest with two seconds on the opening day putting him in third overall and with a second and a third on the second day secured third ahead of Lisburns Robert Irwin. William and Robert also drove well to claim fifth and sixth espectively.
The fast JICA class saw Bangors Paul Smith in dominant form from the off with straight wins in his points scoring races giving him a comfortable win at the finish with his results certainly setting him up well for the season. The early races were closely fought for however with Coleraines Richard Tannahill and Dublins Aaron Coby hot on the pace throughout but in the end a win in one of the heats on the second day was just enough to see Coby
snatch second from Tannahill.
Cian Lennon and Mike Shane were not far off the pace
either with both drivers in the running for third but on the day Lennon just missed out by one point with another single point only separating him from fifth placed Shane.
In one of the fastest classes for the 100cc Libre
machines, Joe McGonnigle from Muff, Co.Donegal was in championship winning mood right from the off with a superb win and a second showing his etermination. Corks Brian O'Mahoney was also in a similar mood and also had a win and a second with both drivers sharing top spot at the end of the opening day.
Dublins Mark Smith took a win and a fifth early on to hold third but Smith pulled out the stops on the second day with two wins just giving him the edge on Joe who in the end settled for the well deserved second. Although O'Mahoney took a second in one of his second day heats an eleventh place in his second best heat was just enough to drop him outside the top three to fourth overall leaving
his brother Rayne to take a win and a second to elevate him to third overall in a superb closing days racing.
Top placed Northern Ireland drivers was Muckamores Stuart Henderson who took top five results throughout to give him fifth overall at the finish just ahead of Belfasts Tony Mooney.
The ProKart class again produced close racing throughout but up front it was Greyabbeys Michael Curran who dominated throughout with four wins, two on each day securing him another championship title. Past all Ireland champion Robert Robinson from Aghalee drove well throughout to be Currans closest challenger with a win, a sixth and two seconds to Curran giving him second overall.
However, Robinson did have a tough time getting runners up spot with NI champion Cecil Conn from Carryduff and Whiteabbeys Michael McAuley also in strong form. Conn looked especially threatning on the opening day with a second and a third giving him the early runners up slot only for two sixth places on the second day to drop him down to fifth overall. McAuley had the reverse situation with a win and a third on the second day briniging him
very close to Robinson but in the end settling for third overall. Moiras Jason Morrow kept a cool head throughout though with consistent thirds fourths and fifths giving him a well deserved fourth at the finish.
The hotly contended for Rotax Max class initially saw multiple champion holder Ryan Gibson from Dromore in the hot seat with a win and a third to his credit. He too was under close pressure however with Moneymores Mark McIvor also taking an win and a third with his opening win of the meeting just giving him the class lead. Jason Curran from Newtownards took the third win of the opening
day but an eighth place in his other best heat forced him down to fourth with another Moneymore man Mark McIvor slotting into third. Bangors Gilbert Yates wasnt far off the pace either though with a second place helping him into a potential top five position.
The second day however saw Curran really get his act
togerher with three superb wins to his credit. Gibson had the reverse situation though and although he took two good results the closeness of things up front looked like he could miss out on a top three placing. Harkness, McIvor and Yates all had second places each and in the end their second best results saw all three on equal points at the end. Currans wins however gave him the win overall with the tie breaker rules showing the opening days win by Harkness just giving him second from McIvor
with Yates in fourth. Gibson rubbed his wounds, swore at himself and accepted fifth but based on his early performance he will undoubtedly be one of the drivers to beat this season.
Gearbox classes were low in numbers and in the 125cc
class Hillsboroughs Derek Patterson in strong form racing on last years ex Noel Lindsay championship winning machine. From the off Patterson put his new machine to good form with a win and a second giving him the early class lead. The second day saw an even better run with two wins under his belt giving Patterson his first ever major title. Broughshanes Andy Hamilton made a come back to the class and promptly showed his potentail was not lost with a win on each day to his credit helping him to second overall with a consistent two days racing helping newcomer Philip Millis to a well deserved third.
In the 250cc class, Moiras David Hamilton and Bangors Colin Menary the multiple champion and class favourite were the drivers setting the pace from the off. Although Menary took the opening win, Hamilton fought back hard with two wins giving him the opening days lead. Jonny Wilkinson from Newtownards and Waringstowns Richard Dewart took two top five places to keep them him well in touch with the leaders with the pair on joint third overall after the opening day.
Menary on day two however was back on form with two wins from the start being enough no matter what to help him secure another championship title. Although Hamilton also took a win in one of his three races, Newtownards Jonny Wilkinson snatching second in one of the heats but the third for amilton was just being enough to keep him in second overall. Dewart's consistency continued on the second day to give him fourth overall.
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