Successful Title Defences For Bell & Roots At Tullyroan Speedweekend

It was a weekend of successful title defences at Tullyroan Oval as the local race fans were treated to a fantastic event that featured the very best drivers from across the British Isles. Portadown’s Glenn Bell successfully defended his British Championship title in the elite National Hot Rods division, whilst English Superstox star Nick Roots retained his European Championship title in some style.

Bell also took victory in the Leslie Dallas Memorial trophy which netted hi a cool £1,000 prize money and four new race tyres, whilst World Champion Michael green continued was another to successfully defend a title, this time the Superstox Irish Open Championship.

An excellent entry from right across the British Isles gathered to contest the British Championship for the National Hot Rods, with first blood falling to Scotsman Robert McDonald. The current World Champion showed the rest the way home to take the win over Adam Hylands and Norfolk teenager Perry Cooke. Heat two saw Glenn Bell take the win in his Fiesta, holding off Derek Martin at the flag with Ben McKee third. After a Scottish and Ulster win, the English joined the fun in heat three as Oxfordshire’s Jason Kew took the honours over Gavin Murray and Dave Casey.

Bell and Martin shared the front row for the final with a blockbuster of a start seeing them all vying for the lead. Bell was in control though, with Martin slotting into second ahead of Hylands who had made a great run around the outside off the line. Bell kept control for the duration of the 45 lap event, holding off any surge from Martin to take the flag and retain his British title. Derek was a gallant runner up, with Hylands just holding off the attacking McDonald on the line.

Day two of the weekend saw the Leslie Dallas Memorial Trophy up for grabs, and it was Bell who was again claimed the honours, the magnificent trophy and a cool £1000 prize money. Hylands and Martin filled the places, the latter with an eye catching run around the outside over the closing laps.

A full field of 35 Superstox took to the track for the European Championship, and the action didn’t take long to start as World Champion Michael Green and local favourite Lee Davison both found themselves upside down before they had even taken the green flag in heat one! Both emerged unscathed as the heat wins fell to former World Champion John Mickel (twice) and Bangor’s Craig McConnell.

The European Championship final was then dominated by Nick Roots, as he powered ahead off the start to successfully defend his title, with Green staging a great comeback from his earlier rollover to land second ahead of Mickel for an all-English top three.

Sunday saw the Irish Open Championship up for grabs, and it was Green who retained that title ahead of Roots, with Augnacloy’s Kyle Beattie in third.

A whole host of support action took place over the two days, with the Classic Hot Rods seeing Scotland’s Graeme Callender claim the Irish Open Championship, whilst Anthony Morgan from the Republic of Ireland was victorious in the Jim Purdie Memorial Trophy.

The coveted Keir Millar Memorial Trophy for the Ninja Karts fell to newly crowned World Champion Leyton Hughes from Antrim ahead of Ryan Berry and English visitor Finley Kew. The 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Masters fell the way of Portadown’s Adam Heatrick after a commanding drive ahead of Ryan McCrory and Cork’s Ian Riordan.

The Stock Rods provided close action on Saturday evening as Glenavy’s Joe Largey took the win, whilst Portadown’s Dylan McCann completed a heat and final double in the Lightning Rods on Sunday.