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Ten competitors contested the WinterNational where two reverse grid qualifying heats determined the grid for the championship final. Wilson Hamilton occupied pole position for heat one and the former Super Rod World Champion occupied the front running position until his Vauxhall Tigra was tipped into a spin on the exit of Suffolk bend. Republic of Ireland visitor Brendan O’Connell took it up at that point, but the man on the move was Stewart Doak. The Portadown driver charged through from grid six to relieve McConnell of the lead before powering home well clear. An entertaining scrap for second developed between Mark Heatrick and Keith Martin over the closing stages with Heatrick just managing to keep his nose ahead all the way to the finish. Martin made the most of a pole position starting slot in heat two to blast away into the lead, but Doak was catching the eye once more and soon demoted Jason Winning and John Christie to run second. The Cirrus Plastics Vauxhall Tigra then closed in on the leader’s Peugeot 206cc and Doak immediately went on the attack around the outside line. The pair treated fans to a fine display of rod racing as they mastered the tricky track conditions to skilfully circulate side by side for a number of laps. Doak eventually made his advantage tell to claim win number two of the afternoon, with Martin a gallant second and Christie, back behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta for the day, in third.

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Those two heat victories easily earned Doak pole position for the championship final with Martin alongside on the front row. Right from the off the two drivers continued their entertaining duel from the previous race and spent the opening laps of the final racing neck and neck. Unfortunately the classic battle which appeared to be brewing was cut short when Martin’s Peugeot 206cc spun off after the two cars touched along the back straight. From then on it was a straightforward victory for Doak who completed his hat-trick of wins to claim the WinterNational title for the second time in three years. Christie demonstrated that his Ford Fiesta is still a potent force with a strong showing on his way to second, with Hamilton also impressing on his way to third in ex Ronnie McMillan Tigra. The new champion was presented with a set of Hoosier Racing Tyres courtesy of championship sponsors Wash’n’Dash, Maxwell Freight Services and LM Paints of Ballymena, plus a £750 voucher donated by Ludlow Motorsport.

Like their big brothers in the National Hot Rods two reverse grid qualifying heats were used in the Stock Rods to determine their line-up for the Wash’n’Dash Challenge Trophy final. The twenty-six car entry included a number of drivers from Tipperary Raceway and it was one of the visitors, Alan McCormack, who set the early pace in heat one. European Champion Gary Butler then eased ahead at Suffolk bend and looked set to take the win, but Micky McFall had other ideas and blasted passed the Dubliner on the final lap to snatch a terrific win after a great drive from grid position fifteen. McFall soon stamped his authority on heat two as well and never looked in any trouble during this one as the Yokohama Champion made it two wins out of two.

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That brace of wins locked out pole position for McFall’s Vauxhall Nova which had British Champion Frankie Lynn’s Vauxhall Corsa alongside for company on the front row. It was Lynn who found the better traction at the green flag to snatch the lead with McFall tight on his tail in second. The leaders were going at it hammer and tongs during the opening skirmishes until their cars made contact which sent both out of control and onto the infield. Lynn managed to wrestle his Vauxhall Corsa back onto the track and somehow still retain the lead, but McFall skidded back into the path of the unfortunate Alastair Bolton which cost both any chance of victory. Lynn meanwhile now found his mirrors full of Victor McAfee and McCormack, but the British Champion made the most of his great escape to drive faultlessly over the remaining distance to claim the trophy. McCormack nipped passed McAfee on the final lap to snatch second, with the top six completed by Republic of Ireland visitors Keith Butler, John O’Donovan and William O’Donovan. The race winner received an additional prize of four Yokohama Tyres presented by John Duff of event sponsor Wash’n’Dash.

James Goldie dashed the hat-trick hopes of Lyle Murray by taking victory in the Group Two final. It was sweet revenge for Goldie who had earlier led the heat races until the closing stage only to be denied at the line in both by the fast finishing Murray. Goldie’s Vauxhall Astra set the pace once more in the final and as before Murray moved through the pack to challenge the leader. A late race suspension to clear a blockage from the track only added to the drama, but this time Goldie would not be denied and held on for a fine win. Murray was forced to settle for second on this occasion, while Shane Gault produced a storming drive from the back of the pack to finish third.

Newcomer Thomas Dilly made an immediate impact on his first outing in the Classics. Dilly hinted that he could be a force to reckon with in 2010 by steering his Ford Escort Mk. 1 to victory in the heat race before Irish Open champion Desie Howard took the silverware in the final.

Race one for the junior racers produced a clear win for Caleb Howard in his Nissan Micra. The Moneymore lad was first across the finish line in heat two as well, but an incident with another car at Suffolk bend saw Howard penalised by the race steward and Andrew Gamble declared the winner.