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MEETING REVIEW

Friday 6th August 2010

Group Two Challenge Cup – Lightning strikes again for Doherty

The tried and trusted reverse grid qualifying format was used to determine the grid positions for the Challenge Cup final and it was Liscinda Smyth and Gareth McCrory who headed the 22 car field for the first qualifier. Smyth took full advantage of her pole position slot to record a flag to flag win, with defending champion Stephen Doherty coming through for second and Graham Young in third. James Goldie and Michael Rodgers occupied the front row for heat two, but it was Kenny Carson who burst through from row two to take up the running. The entire field was brought under caution with the Vauxhall Astra of David Reynolds stranded on the back straight with a front wheel very much awry. With the track cleared again the action resumed and Carson managed to keep his slender advantage over Rodgers to the end, with Lyle Murray third over the line.

When the points were tallied up it was heat two winner Carson who claimed pole position, with defending champion Doherty alongside. Smyth and Murray shared row two ahead of Young and Jonny Gillespie, with the top ten rounded out by Rodgers, Samuel Montgomery, David Wilson and Daniel Norris. The initial start was short lived as the field was pulled up with Samuel Montgomery’s stricken car blocking the track on the entrance to Suffolk turn. The restart didn’t get much further until the yellow flags were aired once more after a tangle at Suffolk bend which involved, amongst others, Smyth, Young and Murray. When the race eventually settled down it was Carson out front with Doherty tracking the leader’s every move. The front pair had edged out a small gap back to Rodgers, then Norris, Gillespie and James Goldie. Doherty looked the quicker of the leading pair and the defending champion bided his time until the right opportunity arose to nip through on the inside of Carson and take up the running. Once out front Doherty confidently pulled clear to take a well executed win, while Rodgers moved through to second in the closing laps. Carson was forced to settle for third, with the top six completed by Norris, Goldie and McCrory.

Stock Rods – Carl the Conqueror

Sixteen cars lined up for heat one which quickly developed into a two-way battle between yellow tops William Laffin and Matthew Moore. Laffin managed to keep his Vauxhall Nova in front all the way to the flag, but subsequently lost his win at the hands of the steward which gifted Moore his first race win since his recent return. White top Carl Sloan set about building a strong advantage in the opening laps of heat two and that early race pace proved very useful as Victor McAfee closed in rapidly over the closing stages. McAfee relentlessly zoomed in on the leader’s Vauxhall Corsa as the lap boards counted down, but Sloan had just enough of a cushion in reserve to claim a hard earned maiden victory. Sloan was intent on a repeat performance in the final too and once again built up a strong gap over the chasing pack. A yellow flag caution period wiped out that advantage however, so the leader now found the entire pack lined up on his back bumper and just to make things a little more interesting it started to rain as well! Showing admiral composure Sloan simply got his head down and drove hard at the resumption and far from being swamped by the pack the white top actually began to pull away again. By the finish Sloan had captured his first trophy in some style by extending his advantage to the length of the straight to cap a memorable night for the sixteen year old. Laffin and Moore showed up well again in second and third, with Raymond Harper the first of the star grade home in fourth.

Saloon Stock Cars – Wright on time

Darwin Wright was the pace setter in heat one, until Anthony McIvor removed the leader with a well executed spin out. McIvor soon found Andrew Stewart tapping on his back bumper and when the Irish Champion moved in front most observers thought that was the end of the matter. To McIvor’s credit however the yellow top came storming back at Stewart and made a real fight of it right to the finish. The pair both went scrambling through the final corner as the bumper went in again and it was Stewart who gathered it all up a fraction quicker than McIvor to win the dash to the finish line. Wright made sure he would not be annoyed in heat two by simply leading from start to finish in this one, the white top well clear of the rest of the pack which were all battling for second. Once again the bumpers were flying in on the last lap, this time Anthony McIvor and Ryan Wright the main protagonists, as Kieran McIvor picked a path through to snatch second with Tommy McCrory Jnr. in third. Darwin Wright obviously felt his ‘pull away from the rest and keep clear’ plan worked so successfully in heat two that the white roof decided to put it into practice again for the final. Wright was in command of this race all the way to secure his first ever final win at Raceway with a polished performance. Stuart McCammon recorded his best result of the evening in second, with Anthony McIvor scoring well again in third.

Junior Rods – Dean does it again

James Steele continued his improved form of late with another victory in the opening heat. Star names Sean McFerran and Dean McCrory enjoyed a fierce scrap for the honours in heat two, with McFerran ahead when it mattered most to take the spoils. McCrory had his revenge in the final however, where the Antrim lad made a quick break through the field to establish his Peugeot 106 out front and make it two final wins on the trot at Raceway. Daniel Shannon put in a strong drive to finish as runner-up in his Vauxhall Nova, with heat one winner Steele third on this occasion.

Classic Hot Rods – Nifty Nevin

With only two cars present the Classic events turned into a series of match races between Kenny Wilson and Stephen Nevin. Wilson gained the upper hand in the opener, but Nevin fought back to take the honours in race two and the final.

photo's courtesy of John Wolsey, Racemart.