Friday 23rd July 2010

National Hot-Rods 2010/11 WQR 1

Raceway hosted the opening round of the 2011 World qualifying series and an improved entry of 12 cars took part. Chris Foster and Ian McReynolds both made their debuts in the N.I. Series and there were also welcome returns for Davy McKay, Paul Crawford and Robert Forsythe, the latter behind the wheel of a sparkling new A&D built Vauxhall Tigra. It was Gary Woolsey however who got the new campaign off to a flying star, the Portadown ace collecting a maximum haul of points after rocketing to clear victories in both heat races and the meeting final. Mark Heatrick followed Woolsey home in the second heat and the final, with Stewart Doak his closest challenger in the opening heat.

BriSCA F2 Stock-Cars Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy

The fine entry of 17 cars put on some fast and furious F2 racing which proved very productive for the Grattan Racing Team. Gary Grattan looked set to clinch a clear win in the opening heat until he lost a lot of time with a backmarker one lap from home. That tangle offered Graham Fegan an opportunity to pounce, but Grattan managed to resist the defending champion’s best efforts to hold on. The second heat started with a bang as heat one winner Grattan was left hanging from the wall on Fisherwick bend and Ted Holland went in hard at Suffolk bend. Denver Grattan upheld family honour in this one however to romp home ahead of Craig McConnell and Fegan. It was Denver again who steadily made his way through the field in the final to take up the running and the Banbridge driver never put a wheel wrong to ensure the Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy would be heading to County Down. Fegan was a good second and Gary Grattan was promoted to third when Adam Maxwell was penalised two places for passing under yellow flag conditions.

 Stock-Rods

Michael Reid continued where he had left off at Ballymena Raceway on July 23. Reid had recorded victory in the Stock Rod final at the previous Raceway meeting back in June and when racing resumed after a four week break it was Reid who once again who went home with the silverware. Victor McAfee raced away with heat one from the blue grade in his Peugeot 106 before yellow grader Geoff Milligan took the honours in heat two. Events took a turn for the worse for Milligan in the final when his Vauxhall Corsa was spun along the start/finish straight, the #27 car then being hit a hard blow by Lee Johnston. After the restart Reid worked his way in front of early leader Carl Sloan to take up the running mid-race and calmly held off the close attentions of McAfee over the closing laps to make it two finals on the trot at Raceway.

Junior-Rods

Dean McCrory was denied victory in the opening heat by the race steward, but the Antrim lad bounced back to take victory in the final. McCrory was first across the line in heat one, but was penalised by the steward for his part in an incident with Aidan McFerran which handed a first Raceway victory of the season to Daniel Shannon. McCrory was also frustrated in race two where James Steele drove a fine race to beat McCrory to the chequered flag. Newcomer Jamie McCurdy set an impressive pace in the opening stages of the final, but it eventually all came right for McCrory who steered his Peugeot 106 through the field to come home well clear of Steele and Sean McFerran.

Classic Hot-Rods

Stephen Nevin was back on top form in the Classic Hot Rods. Last time out Nevin missed out on the silverware when Paraic McCormack from County Tipperary upset the formbook. This time around however normal service was resumed as Nevin added another trophy to his collection. Robin Morrow made his first Raceway appearance of the season in his attractive Ford Anglia, but it was Nevin who made his intentions clear from the off with a win in the opening heat before Kenny Wilson accounted for heat two. McCormack’s car overheated on the starting grid of the final and when Wilson’s car was forced to stop with a fire in the engine bay the track was clear for Nevin to cruise home to his second win of the evening.