Five different classes provided a full programme of motorsport action when Stock Car racing resumed at Ballymena Raceway on July 23 after a four week break. The National Hot Rod division commenced their World Qualifying campaign for 2011 at the B R S Cars sponsored fixture and it was former British Champion Gary Woolsey who made the perfect start with a faultless hat-trick of victories in his Mercedes SLK. Denver Grattan clinched the coveted Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy after a series of hard fought races in the F2 Stock Car division, while Michael Reid once again took the Stock Rod spoils in his Vauxhall Corsa. The final winners were completed by Dean McCrory in the Junior Rods and Stephen Nevin in the Classic Hot Rods.

click for review

sponsored by: BRS Cars, Cullybackey

#940 Gary Woolsey 6th in National World Final

#57 Raymond Harper finished 3rd in Stock-Rod Euro Challenge

Chris Haird is the National Hot Rod Champion of the World for 2010 after a superb drive at the Foxhall Raceway Ipswich on July 4. The Cambridgeshire based driver took the fight to defending champion and pole sitter Carl Boardley over the early stages and assumed the lead when Boardley dropped out on lap 19. From then on Haird was shadowed all the way to the finish by Shane Murphy from County Cork , with James Jamieson Jnr. flying the flag for Scotland in third.

The pre-race drama centred on Northern Ireland Champion John Christie. His Vauxhall Tigra failed to make the minimum weight requirement after the qualifying lap times and would subsequently take no further part in the weekend. Gary Woolsey proved to be the quickest of the local entrants, qualifying his Mercedes SLK on grid position 4. The Portadown driver would run in the top four all race and indeed crossed the line in fourth, but a post-race penalty issued for an incident with Andrew Holtby would drop Gary down to sixth in the official result behind Holtby and Matt Simpson. Stewart Doak, Keith Martin and Glenn Bell all dropped out during the race, but Mark Heatrick made it all the way to the chequered flag to record his first World Final finish at his third attempt.

In the Stock Rod class Raymond Harper and Micky McFall were involved in the thick of the battle for the European Challenge Cup. Irish Open Champion Harper qualified on the front row of the grid for the final, with McFall back on row three and the pair were both part of the five car lead group which pulled away from the main pack. This lead quintet also included Scotland ’s Kerr Patterson and Robert McDonald, plus Spedeworth star Andy Sturt and a typically fraught Stock Rod battle developed with McFall sent sideways onto the inner shale speedway at one point. It was Micky himself however who caught the eye of the steward a few laps later and received a black flag which ended his hopes of victory. Raymond ran second for a long while before eventually having to settle for third behind Sturt and Patterson, but the pace displayed by both local drivers certainly bodes well for their own World Championship race which takes place at the same venue on October 2nd.

Other big winners over the weekend included England’s Jason Wilks who lifted the 2-Litre Hot Rod World title and his fellow countryman Lee Skoyles who was crowned Lightning Rod World Champion. Glenn Salmon lifted the Superstox National Championship and Colin Gomm took his new Mercedes SLK to victory in the National Hot Rod Best in Britain race. 

click for BMR drivers @ Ipswich photos

photo's thanks to Brian Lammey

,,,,,,,,,,,,Competition winner ,,,,,,,,,, ,Kellie Martin receiving her Spedeweekend tickets from .2ltr. Hot-Rod Final winner ,Adam Heatrick

photo's thanks to www.mkpics.net

www.bwplive.com & www.pwphotos.biz

On the same evening that England’s footballers failed to score once there were no such problems for Gary Blair who proved to be the hat-trick hero at the RS Tyres & Batteries sponsored meeting on June 18. Blair proved uncatchable in the F2 Stock Car class where the former karter romped to three wins out of three. The Production Cars made a guest appearance at the sun-trenched Showgrounds and it was current form man Gregory Crawford who collected a heat and final double success. Sean McFerran  was another celebrating a double, this time in the Junior Rod class, while there were first final wins of 2010 for Kenny Wilson in the Classic Hot Rods and Freddie Fleck in the Group Two Lightning Rods.

click for review

sponsored by: RS Tyres & Batteries, Glenarm.

Ballymena CarFest & Truck Show returned to Ballee Playing Fields on Saturday June 12 and once again a fine crowd enjoyed both the sunny weather and the great range of exhibits on display. Last year’s inaugural show featured a range of short oval cars from Ballymena Raceway and this year's turnout was even better, with no less than 19 different cars on display from six different classes.

A number of eye-catching new cars were on display for the first time, with pride of place going to the stunning Peugeot 206cc National Hot Rod which former Group Two Irish Champion Chris Foster will use for his assault on the Big League. Also breaking cover for the first time was the beautifully crafted BriSCA F2 of #278 James  ‘Big Ted’ Holland, while a gaggle of head-turning new Stock Rods from the likes of Alex Hunter, Chris Gordon, Bobbie Johnston, Micky McFall and John McMillan were all immaculately presented.

In the Group Two Lightning Rod ranks the first ever Mk. 4 Vauxhall Astra built by Arthur Roxborough created a lot of interest, while Ryan Wright’s Saloon Stock Car came straight from competing at Raceway the previous evening. After racing his own car at Friday night’s meeting Ryan had returned home and worked into the wee small hours to complete the graphics on some of the display cars as well, a great effort from Ryan and his team.

Raceway promotion girls Haley and Rhianne distributed a number of fixture lists amongst the general public, while the management were also kept busy fielding enquiries for rules at the Raceway stand. The promoters would like to sincerely thank all those who provided cars for the show and gave up their free time to help promote oval racing. Our Oval Racing NI partners at Nuttscorner Oval also had a collection of cars on display adjacent to the Raceway exhibit. The overall standard of the cars on both stands was impeccable and undoubtedly created a very favourable and professional impression of short oval racing which was a credit to all involved. Just to add to the occasion are very own National Hot-Rod racer Glenn Bell was revealed as 'The Stig' after making a dramatic entry.

click for CarFest photo's

click for more CarFest photo's

photo's thanks to John Wolsey & Brian Lammey

National Hot Rod racer John Christie is the new Northern Ireland Champion for 2009/10 after the final round of the World Qualifying Series at Ballymena Raceway on June 4. Christie did all the was required to maintain his top spot by following home main rival and race winner Glenn Bell in the meeting final to capture the title for the first time. The other final winners at the McMillan Travel of Ballymoney sponsored meeting included Stevie McNeice in the Stock Rods and Liscinda Smyth in the Group Two Lightning Rods, while the Saloon Stock Car honours fell to Stuart McCammon.

click for review

sponsored by: McMillan Travel, Ballymoney