Bell Rings Up Another National Hot Rod Victory

An exciting evening of racing at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday, May 23rd, saw Portadown ace Glenn Bell take the National Hot Rods honours in Round 13 of World Series NI. Dungannon’s Jake Devlin was another big winner as he scooped the 2.0 Hot Rods silverware, whilst the other feature race winners at the meeting were Garvagh’s Stephen Boyd (1600 Rookie Bangers), Ballymena’s Mark McBurney (Lightning Rods) and Magherafelt’s Jordan Davis (Ninja Karts).

The opening National Hot Rods heat saw Adam Heatrick out front until he hit trouble in the closing laps. That handed the lead and the win to the similar Mazda of former World Champion Derek Martin ahead of a fast charging Glenn Bell and Jeff Riordan. Heatrick led heat two before retiring once again, handing the lead to Martin before a caution was called with just three laps to go when Nigel Mccauley found himself stranded on the Tullyroan End. The restart was nail-biting stuff, with Martin getting bundled wide which opened the door for crowd favourite John Christie to take the win ahead of Martin and Bell.
The final saw Davy Clarke and then Martin ahead, but Derek then had no answer to the lightning fast duo of Bell and Christie. Both swept around the outside to hit the front, with Bell taking a very creditable victory despite the Lotus of Christie being glued to his rear end over the final laps. Riordan, Adam Maxwell and Derek McMillan completed the places.

The local 2.0 Hot Rods drivers were joined for the evening by World Champion Jason Secker from Scotland. The heats were all about Portadown man Rab Preston, as he grabbed the opener by a distance from Ronan McNally and Jake Devlin. Preston made good use of his white grading once again in heat two, taking another morale boosting victory. Stuart Agnew and Ryan McClure completed the top three after Devlin was docked for contact from second.
Preston again made his getaway at the front in the final, but Devlin once again had the bit between his teeth as he basted clear of his fellow blue graders. Jake pulled off a great outside pass to hit the front, taking a pleasing win over Aaron Stewart and Preston.

There was action aplenty from a strong 24-car field of 1600 Rookie Bangers, with plenty going on around the track right from the first green flag in heat one. Steven Bolton broke free to win this one ahead of Deano McGrath and Alan Haugh.
Heat two again saw incidents galore, with a number of stoppages to rescue stranded drivers. Bolton was the man to watch once again as he took his second win of the night over Jonny Rutherford and Haugh.
Aaron McGraw set the pace in the final until he hit trouble and retired, which put Dubliner McGrath into the top spot chased by Haugh. Haugh then went out too, with Stephen Boyd getting himself ahead at this stage to win the silverware to round off a very entertaining evening. Lee Booth, Rutherford and Keith McMahon filled out the top spots.

The best entry of Lightning Rods so far this season included a couple of Tipperary visitors, but it was Conor Doherty who took the opening heat having held off Mark McBurney all the way home, with Tam Agnew in third. Heat two followed a similar pattern with Doherty again the victor despite the efforts of McBurney from behind. Ricky Shaw and Aaron Rogers were next home.
McBurney got to the head of the field quickly in the final, and from there he never looked back as he took a great win. In his mirrors though was a great places battle, which saw Nigel Jackson take a great runner up slot, equalling his lap record in the process. Doherty, Mark Corry and Shaw rounded out the top five.

The Ninja Karts field again burst through the 20 kart barrier, including England’s Bobby Davis Jnr Jnr and Tipperary’s Tadhg Coonan. Sophie Evans led early in heat one before she was overhauled by Joshua Moore who raced clear to take his first ever win over Davis Jnr Jnr and Ollie Williamson. Moore and Joey Henderson disputed the early lead in heat two before they tripped over each other and went out. Harry Hoy took over up front but it was Jordan Davis who powered through to the lead and the win over Davis Jnr Jnr and Irish Champion Jack Murphy.
Evans, Henderson and Joey McNally all had spells out front in the final, before star man Jaxon Cairns took over with Murphy right on his tail. Contact between the two saw Cairns spin out, and although Murphy came through to take the chequered flag he was unfortunately disqualified for his part in the demise of Cairns. That handed a delighted Jordan Davis his second win of the night ahead of Eddie Fowler, Davis Jnr Jnr and Williamson.

Hat-Trick Hero McKeown Dominates At Aghadowey

Co Armagh driver Drew McKeown was the star man at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night, May 16th, as he went through the card unbeaten to scoop a hat-trick of wins in National Hot Rods World Series NI Round 12.
On a night of close, competitive racing Meath’s Declan O’Connor won the coveted William Cooke Memorial Trophy for Stock Rods, whilst there were King of Aghadowey title wins for Portadown’s Steven Haugh (Superstox) and Ballymoney’s Nolan Wilson (Thunder Rods). The other feature race of the evening fell to Lurgan’s Duane Wheelan as he completed a heat and final double in the Lightning Rods.

Davy Clarke stepped off the front of the grid to lead the opening National Hot Rods heat, but he had no answer to the pace of Drew McKeown as he powered through to the front to win over Derek McMillan and Jeff Riordan. Heat two saw McMillan the first to challenge Clarke on the outside line, but McKeown pulled off an opportunistic move up the inside of both to take his second victory of the night, this time ahead of Dean McCrory and Riordan.
McKeown quickly worked his way to the front in the feature final of World Series NI Round 12. He soon stretched clear and took the win to complete his hat-trick for the evening in some style after a faultless performance. McMillan impressed in second as he kept McKeown honest all the way home, with Riordan, McCrory and Adam Maxwell next over the line.

The Stock Rods were contesting the William Cooke Memorial Trophy, with the first graded heat win falling to Sam McNeice after he relegated Declan O’Connor after what was an excellent race. O’Connor made no mistake in heat two, this time getting his win ahead of Stevie McNiece and Siobhan Martin.
The final for the coveted trophy saw O’Connor grab the lead from pole, as major threat Sam McNeice got railroaded back from his outside front row start. Martin settled into second, but she just couldn’t quite get on terms with O’Connor to mount a challenge. Declan sped home to take the spoils after a fine drive, with Martin, Darragh O’Shea and Mark Foster filling the places.

Jordan McFetridge impressed out front in the Superstox heats, the novice leading the opener until three laps to go when World Champion Steven Haugh powered through to win over Sean Mark. In heat two it was Conor Murphy who took over out front, taking a popular win from Mark and Ethan Martin.
The closed grid King of Aghadowey final saw Mark and Murphy occupy the front row, but it was Haugh who got the better of the early exchanges to hit the front, even holding off an early attack from Jamie McCann. Haugh then pulled clear to take the King of Aghadowey crown from McCann and Dean Catherwood.

It was also King of Aghadowey time for the Thunder Rods, with twenty cars on hand for the first heat. Andrew McLean soon hit the front in this one to win over Adam McKinney and Jason McMullan, before the reversed grid heat two went the way of Norman Purdy with Joshua McMullan and Mark McLaughlin following him home.
There was a huge early battle in the final for the second place, but this only allowed polesitter Nolan Wilson to edge further and further clear out front. McLaughlin eventually broke clear from the pack, but by now Wilson was long gone and he took a very impressive win indeed over McLaughlin, Jason Darragh, McKinney and James Goldie.

The Lightning Rods, whilst down in numbers, produced some outstanding racing all evening. Andrew Woods held the lead in the opener before Duane Wheelan rushed around his outside to grab a great win over Mark McBurney. In heat two it was Tom Hewitt who broke Woods’ resolute defence to take the win over Ian Hobson.
The final again saw Woods out front, and once again it was Wheelan who powered around the outside to complete his double for evening after a great performance. Conor Doherty and McBurney completed the top three.

McClure, Cherry & Cairns Win Big At Tullyroan

An exciting evening of racing in changing conditions at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday night, May 2nd, saw Portadown’s Ryan McClure scoop the final honours in the well subscribed 2.0 Hot Rods formula. The Junior Productions Golden Helmet saw local Tullyroan driver Casey Cherry take the title, whilst Portadown’s Jaxon Cairns was victorious in the Moffett Family Trophy for Ninja Karts.
The other feature races on the night saw Ballymena’s Gary Freeburn win the Tullyroan Challenge Cup for 1400 Stock Cars, whilst Ross Houston from Waringstown gave his new BMW a dream debut with a win in the Lightning Rods.

The opening heat for 2.0 Hot Rods saw a very busy raceway with a big grid on hand, and it was Ballymena man Chris McCloy who took the win, even overcoming a mid-race caution to lead home Ronan McNally and Adam Hylands. McCloy led early on again in heat two, but this time it was Ryan McClure who hit the front to win from Hylands and James McKinney.
The final was another exciting encounter, with McClure again demoting McCloy from the early lead to race home to his second win of the night, and in some style too. Hylands again took the runner up spot ahead of the rapid Jordan Rochford and McKinney.

Damp conditions made the going treacherous in the opening Junior Productions heat, with Jack Morrison powering through to take the flag. But he had grabbed the attention of the Steward during the race and was demoted in the final analysis. That handed the win to Jack Murphy ahead of Tony Calvin and Rowdy Grattan. Calvin the drove the race of his career in heat two, leading for much of the distance until pipped at the death by Jake Barnett who took the win. Austin Grattan followed Calvin home in third.
The final, for the stunning Golden Helmet Trophy presented annually by the McKeown family, saw Calvin and Murphy share the front row of the grid, but star man Casey Cherry quickly hit the front. As the race progressed defending champion Leyton Hughes moved through to second, but despite heaping plenty of pressure on the leader it was Cherry who took the title after a fine drive. Hughes, Morrison and Ryan Berry completed the top four.

A huge field of almost 30 Ninja Karts included visitors from England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Sophie Evans drove superbly to lead the opening heat until well past half distance, before Jordan Davis swooped past to grab the win ahead of Jaxon Cairns and Denver Bevan. Heat two was another great race on a packed track, and this time it was Harry Hoy who took a great win ahead of Cairns and Cahan Bradley.
Evans held the lead early in the Moffett Family Trophy final, before Joshua Moore hit the front only for the young drivers to be brought to a halt by a caution period after a crash. On the restart Cairns wasted little time in grabbing the top spot, racing home for a splendid win over Ollie Williamson and Jack Murphy, the latter having been a very busy young driver having competed in both the Ninja Karts and Junior Productions throughout the evening.

After a busy period recently for the 1400 Stock Cars, numbers were down a little but that didn’t detract from the action on track. Michael Logan led the opener until Matthew McKinstry bumpered his way past as they took the last lap board. But he had shown his hand too soon, with Logan coming back hard into the final bend to come out on top ahead of McKinstry and Winston Weir. McKinstry then got his win in heat two, leading home Curtis McConkey and Logan at the chequered flag.
The closed grid Tullyroan Challenge Cup final saw McKinstry in the lead until he was dumped into the wall by Gary Freeburn, as World Champion Curtis Greer nipped past both to take it up. But Freeburn wasn’t done just yet, hitting back hard on the World Champ to go back ahead and power home to the win. Logan came through for second ahead of Greer and Josh McKinstry.

The Lightning Rods saw a much improved field including a debut for the new E92 BMW of Irish Champion Ross Houston. The opening heat saw the worst of the conditions, which played right into the hands of wet weather expert Nigel Jackson. He took the win over Mark McBurney and Houston. Heat two saw an impressive flag-to-flag win for Andrew Woods, as he led home returnee Tam Agnew and World Cup Champion Mark Corry.
Woods again caught the eye in the final, leading for much of the distance until the flying star duo of Houston and Jackson powered past. Jackson was tracking Houston’s every move, but Ross held on for a maiden win in his new car ahead of Jackson and Corry.

Brilliant Bell Wins Aghadowey National Hot Rods Final

A keenly contested race meeting at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday April 18th saw Portadown’s Glenn Bell power through to take the honours in the eleventh round of World Series NI for the National Hot Rods. Garvagh’s Stephen Boyd was the other big winner, as he took a last gasp win in the 1600 Rookie Bangers Spring Classic after a sensational finish.
The other feature race winners at the meeting were Enniskillen’s Stevie McNiece (Stock Rods), Ballygowan’s Ethan Martin (Superstox) and Rasharkin driver Jason Darragh (Thunder Rods).

Round 11 of National Hot Rods World Series NI saw a debut for the sublime new Lotus of Simon Kennedy. The heats were all about Ahoghill racer Philip McCloy, as he won the opener ahead of Cork’s Jeff Riordan before repeating the feat in heat two ahead of Ian Riordan and Glenn Bell.
In the feature race final, McCloy looked all set to make it a perfect hat-trick for the night, leading until a mid-race caution period when Carl Sloan found himself stranded on turn three. That closed the field right up for the restart, and it was current form man Bell who romped away from the outside line to hit the front and take the win in superb style. McCloy had to make do with second after a very productive night, ahead of Ian Riordan, John Christie and Jeff Riordan.

The 1600 Rookie Bangers entertained right from the off and it continued throughout the evening. Alan Haugh stormed through the chaos to win the opener ahead of Stephen Boyd, before heat two saw Aaron McGraw get the better of a superb dice with Steven Bolton to grab the victory.
The Spring Classic final saw a big rollover for Josh Goligher on the pit bend, before the climax boiled down to a scrap between Haugh, Boyd and Bolton. As they headed towards the final bend it was anybody’s win, but Bolton and Haugh found the wall which opened the door for Boyd to steam through to victory after a sensational finish. Gavin Gamble and McGraw completed the podium finishers.

The opening Stock Rods heat saw an impressive win for 16-year-old Portadown lad Ryan Jackson, the Junior Productions graduate heading home veteran campaigner Victor McAfee at the flag. Jaydon Brunton led much of heat two before Meath’s Declan O’Connor went ahead to take the win just ahead of Stevie McNiece.
O’Connor relieved Brunton of the lead in the final at mid-distance, and looked odds on to make it a double for the night. That was until a charging Harry Minish took the challenge to him, bundling his way past but attracting a penalty as he went. As the lead duo tripped over each other, the raceway opened for McNiece and Stevie duly grabbed the lead to take what at one stage looked a very unlikely win. Behind McNiece came Jonny Cardwell and Sam McNeice.

The open-wheeled Superstox saw Troy Crawford grab both heat wins as he showed some great pace from the yellow grade. In the opener he led home British and Irish Champion Jordan Robinson and Ethan Martin, before heat two saw him take the flag over Jordan McFetridge who made a great run to second.
The final was their best race of the night, with some superb jostling for position within the pack. Martin managed to break free out front, and Ethan romped home to his first ever final win in the formula, and a popular win it was too! Jamie McCann and Gerard Hartley completed the top three.

A big grid of Thunder Rods completed the programme, and their opening heat was perhaps the race of the meeting! Toby Hutton held firm out front despite a whole gaggle of cars snapping at his heels. But it was Norman Putrdy who took the win after an audacious swoop right around the outside on the last lap. Heat two saw Adam McKinney take the honours ahead of Nolan Wilson and Liam Wilson.
The final saw rapid novice Owen McLaughlin in the initial lead, until Rasharkin’s former Irish Champion Jason Darragh hit the front on lap nine. Darragh held on to take a creditable win ahead of Lee McCloy, James Goldie and Liam Wilson.

McCann Defends Superstox Challenge Cup As Woolsey and Hughes Win Again

Loughgall driver Jamie McCann successfully defended the Tullyroan Challenge Cup for Superstox last Saturday night, April 11th, in what was a superb race from the open-wheeled Stock Cars. There were also feature race wins at the Tullyroan Oval meeting for Scotch Street’s Wayne Woolsey (2.0 Hot Rods), Antrim’s Leyton Hughes (Junior Productions) and Ballymena duo Conor Doherty and Adam Grahamin the Lightning Rods and Thunder Rods respectively.

Jamie McCann made good use of his drop to the blue grade to win the opening Superstox heat ahead of World Champion Steven Haugh, before there was a very popular heat two win for Ethan Martin despite the closing McCann and Haugh.
The closed grid Tullyroan Challenge Cup final saw McCann and Haugh share the front row, but it was Dean Catherwood who hit the front once things settled down. On the tricky racing surface, McCann was tracking his every move and pounced at the perfect time, tipping Catherwood into a spin. McCann raced clear to seal the Challenge Cup win, with Catherwood putting on a stirring recovery to snatch second from Jordan Robinson and Haugh.

Another big grid of 2.0 Hot Rods saw a great finish to the opening heat as recent returnee Ryan McClure snatched the win on the line by inches from long time leader Dean McFarland. Heat two saw a decisive victory for Ronan McNally ahead of Thomas Dilly and Adam Hylands.
The feature race saw McNally out front early on before a caution period when Dilly became stranded on the home straight. At the restart McNally and Hylands tripped over each other, allowing McFarland through to the lead tracked by star man Wayne Woolsey. Woolsey slipped under McFarland to hit the front, and then held off a spirited challenge from James McKinney to take the win.

A whole host of penalties were handed down in the opening heat for the Junior Productions for jump starts and contact, and that promoted the third man over the line, Jack Murphy, to the victory over Tony Calvin. Murphy then led heat two for a time, until he was overtaken by a fast-charging Jack Morrison. Morrison took the win over Leyton Hughes and Murphy.
Calvin and Morrison had spells ahead in the final, but it was the undoubted King of the Scene Hughes who raced through to the front to take his thirteenth feature race win in succession – an astonishing achievement! Morrison, Murphy and Keegan Turtle completed the places.

The opening Thunder Rods heat saw a clear win for Jack Gault over James Steele and Adam Graham. Gault repeated the feat in heat two to earn himself an automatic upgrade on the grid for the final, this time heading home Johnny Gillespie and Adam McKinney.
The final saw Owen McLaughlin ahead early on before Adam Graham came steaming through to the front. Adam took a clear and decisive win over Liam Wilson and James Goldie as the chequered flag came down.

An excellent first Lightning Rods race saw Conor Doherty grab the lead from Andrew Woods, before star man Nigel Jackson pipped him for the win on the run to the flag. Doherty did take the honours in heat two, holding off Jackson and Duane Wheelan.
The final saw Doherty ahead from the sixth lap, and from there he duly completed his double for the night ahead of Jackson and Whelan once again.

Tullyroan Oval Practice Evening - Thursday 16th April

There is a Practice Evening this Thursday, April 16th, from 6pm - 9pm.

All formulas are welcome, cost is £40 per car.

Spectators can attend free of charge.

McNeice Shines Again At Aghadowey Easter Monday Meeting

Having won the NI Open title on Easter Saturday at Tullyroan Oval, Randalstown Stock Rod ace Sam McNeice completed a dream weekend when he also tasted victory in the coveted Alan Connolly Memorial Trophy at Aghadowey Oval on Easter Monday.
On a day of close racing across all the classes, Cork’s Ian Riordan won the National Hot Rods final whilst Crumlin’s Matthew Milliken took the honours in the 1400 Stock Cars Irish Masters. Portadown’s Jaxon Cairns won a frantic Ninja Karts King of Aghadowey event from a huge field, whilst there was a heat and final double in the Thunder Rods for Limavady’s Liam Wilson.

The opening qualifier for the Stock Rods saw a flag to flag win for Stevie McNiece ahead of Darragh O’Shea, before teenager Harry Minish scooped heat two by just holding off pressure from Sam McNeice and Mark Foster.
The final, for the coveted Alan Connolly Memorial Trophy, saw Sam McNeice on pole spot and he quickly assumed the lead over Minish. Scottish Champion Robbie Armit soon moved to second and heaped huge pressure on Sam over the second half of the race. But McNeice was equal to what Robbie had to offer, the Randalstown driver coming home to successfully defend the trophy for his second big win of the weekend. Armit was great value in second ahead of the impressive O’Shea in third.

The opening National Hot Rods heat saw a straightforward win for Adam Maxwell over Ian Riordan, before Ahoghill’s Phillip McCloy took a popular win in heat two despite big pressure from behind from Riordan and Drew McKeown.
Davy Gurney stepped off the line to lead early in the final, but it was Riordan who quickly moved through to the lead. From there National Champion Ian controlled the race from the front, taking the honours after a very productive day points-wise. Maxwell, John Christie, Shane Murray and World Series leader Glenn Bell completed the top five.

The 1400 Stock Cars were very lively all day, and saw a debut in the formula for Geoff Hearst. There was action all around in heat one, as Matthew Milliken stormed through to win over World Champion Curtis Greer and Craig Bodenham. Heat two saw Lexi Crooks set the early pace until she was overcome by Matthew Weir, but a perfectly timed last bend hit by Greer saw him take the win by the slenderest of margins over Weir and Milliken.
In the Irish Masters final, pole-sitter Greer got bundled wide on the mass start, which allowed Milliken to edge clear. Despite action all around, Milliken controlled the race to take the title win, with Greer recovering to second ahead of Gary Freeburn and Josh McKinstry.

A huge field of Ninja Karts from all four corners of the British Isles contested the King of Aghadowey. England’s Bobby Davis Jnr Jnr took the opening heat win ahead of Scotland’s Alfie Shevill, before heat two saw the locals on top as Jaxon Cairns led home Jack Murphy. Heat three saw England’s Henry Hunn just pip Cairns to the win on the last lap.
Well over 30 karts took the green flag in the King of Aghadowey final, with a huge lead battle between Cairns, Mason Carberry and Hunn. After a late race stoppage, the lead was contested by upwards of eight karts in a sensational race. Cairns held on out front to take a deserved victory over English duo Johnny Wheeler and Parker Smith. Next home were Murphy, Hunn and Carberry.

The Thunder Rods completed the programme, with Norman Purdy showing great pace on the outside line to win heat one ahead of Liam Wilson and Liam Irwin. Wilson went one better in heat two to win over Andrew McLean.
The final had everything, with James Steele ahead at mid-distance before he was bundled down the order. That let Wilson power through to win once again ahead of Purdy, Lee McCloy and Johnny Gillespie.

Big Tullyroan Easter Wins For Bell, McNeice and Woolsey

Storm Dave couldn’t deter the racers at Tullyroan Oval on Easter Saturday night, as they served up some superb action to entertain the holiday weekend fans. Portadown’s Glenn Bell was victorious in Round 9 of National Hot Rods World Series NI, whilst a hard fought NI Open for Stock Rods fell to Randalstown’s Sam McNeice.
Scotch Street’s former World Champion Wayne Woolsey won the 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Masters, with other feature race wins going the way of Steven Haugh from the Birches (Superstox) and Antrim’s Leyton Hughes (Junior Productions)

The changeable weather conditions kept the drivers busy all evening, with set up and tyre choice critical. Portadown driver Mark Heatrick made great use of his generous yellow grading to take the opening National Hot Rods heat win in his Fiesta, heading home Glenn Bell and Jeff Riordan. Mark repeated the feat in heat two, this time ahead of a fast-charging Adam Maxwell and James Ginty.
The final saw a superb dice on a track that was drying at a fast rate of knots. Heatrick had a spell out front until he was demoted by Cork’s Ian Riordan. Ian held sway out front, even when Bell and John Christie joined the scrap for the top spot. Riordan then got wrong-footed in the backmarking traffic, allowing Bell to slip ahead and take the win over Christie, with Riordan having to make do with third in the end.

A huge field of Stock Rods contested the annual NI Open, with a very welcome sprinkling of visiting drivers adding to the occasion. The first heat saw defending champion Mark Foster out front until he lost out to Scotland’s Robbie Armit who took the win. The packed raceway was leading to some competitive action, and heat two fell to Irish Champion Sam McNeice ahead of Harry Minish, with veteran Victor McAfee catching the eye in third after a great outside run on a late restart.
Armit and Foster disputed the early lead in the NI Open final, which was run on a rapidly drying track. McNeice pulled off a splendid move to relegate both and hit the front, grabbing a deserved lead he would never lose all the way to the flag. As Sam took the title win, British Champ Siobhan Martin came on strong late on for second, with Dan Shannon inheriting third after Minish and Callum Magill inherited penalties.

Visitors also boosted the 2.0 Hot Rods field to the mid-twenties, and they served up some of the best action seen all evening. Shane McMillan took a flag to flag win in the opener, coming home ahead of Adam Hylands, Wayne Woolsey and Ally Neill. The reversed grid heat two was easily the best of the night, and an early contender for race of the season. Callum Doak and James McKinney were battling for the lead out front, but had a whole gaggle of cars breathing down their necks. In the damp conditions a whole multitude of lines were being used in the search for grip, with next to no contact between the cars at all. Rob Barnett managed to claw himself to the front when it mattered most to take the win in an incredible race, with McKinney, Hylands and Doak next home.
The Irish Masters final saw Hylands ahead from the off before Woolsey found the slenderest of gaps down his inside into turn one. As Wayne went ahead, Hylands and World Champion Secker kept the pressure on all the way, searching for a way past. Woolsey kept his cool though, keeping it neat to take the win in some style over Hylands, Secker and Andy Best.

The Superstox provided the contact element for the day, with Troy Crawford taking a deserved heat one win over Stephen Stewart, before British Champion Jordan Robinson claimed heat two ahead of Steven Haugh.
Andrew Murphy set the pace in the feature race, but he had no answer when World Champion Haugh came knocking in the final stages. Steven took the win from Robinson and Murphy.

The opening Junior Productions heat saw Jack Murphy out front early on until Jack Morrison swooped past to win from Leyton Hughes and Ryan Berry. Heat two saw a decisive win for Jamie Hadden, who controlled the race from the front ahead of Morrison and Murphy.
The final saw Tony Calvin, Jake Barnett, Hadden and Morrison all have spells in the top spot, before Hughes came charging past at the halfway point to take the win. Behind the flying British and National Champion came Morrison, Casey Cherry and Hadden.

Hylands Tops In Hoosier Series Opener At Aghadowey

The new race season at Aghadowey Oval kicked off in great style with some fantastic racing on Saturday night, March 28th. With a packed pit area and big grids in every class on show, it was Portadown’s Adam Hylands who took the feature event of the night, the opening round of the Hoosier Challenge Series for 2.0 Hot Rods.
World Champion in the 1400 Stock Cars, Cullybackey’s Curtis Greer, showed great pace in his new car to land a heat and final double, whilst Glenavy’s Jamie Cardwell took victory in the competitive Stock Rods division. There was also a heat and final double for Antrim’s National & British Champion Leyton Hughes in the Junior Productions, with the final feature race of the evening falling to Limavady’s Liam Wilson in the well-subscribed Thunder Rods formula.

A very pleasing field of over twenty 2.0 Hot Rods took to the grid for their opening heat, which developed into a huge battle for the win nearing the end. Ronan McNally held on for the victory ahead of former World Champion Adam Hylands and local driver Aaron Stewart. Heat two saw British and Internations Cup Champion Conor Hughes take the honours after a stirring drive, although due to mechanical issues that was the last we’d see of him for the evening.
With the grid for the final, the opening round of the annual Hoosier Challenge Series, lined up in points order it was Hylands who quickly hit the front. He was never to be challenged as he took a straightforward victory to really set down a marker for the 2026 season. Ally Neill impressed on his way to second ahead of Stewart and James McKinney.

The all-action 1400 Stock Cars produced some super entertainment all evening, with Michael Logan’s aging Toyota Starlet just holding off World Champion Curtis Greer in the opening heat in his brand new Vauxhall Tigra. Heat two saw a couple of caution periods as the drama ramped up, with Greer this time powering home to victory ahead of Matthew Weir and Graham Meek.
The final had everything, with some sensational racing keeping the crowd on their toes. There were a couple of early cautions, for debris and then a big crash for Tommy McCrory on the pit bend. Greer looked set to capitalise on the field being closed up, but the bumpers went in hard and he got shovelled right down the order as Curtis McConkey stretched clear out front. Another caution however, when Logan was stranded on the back straight, brought Greer back into contention and he showed the rest a clean pair of heels to complete his double for the night in some style, having looked right out of it at one stage. Josh McKinstry and Weir completed the podium places.

Neil Capper held sway out front in the opening Stock Rods heat, until a mid-race stoppage for Darragh O’Shea in trouble. At the double-file restart the outside lane really did get the jump, with Declan O’Connor taking the win ahead of Jamie Cardwell and Siobhan Martin. Junior Productions graduate Ryan Carroll impressed out front in heat two, until the repaired O’Shea took a welcome win ahead of Harry Minish and Sam McNeice.
Carroll again led the way for a time in the final, but this time it was the charging Cardwell who was coming fast. Jamie hit the front on lap 10, and despite some late pressure he held on for a deserved win. O’Shea and Ballymena stalwart Victor McAfee chased him home ahead of McNeice and O’Connor.

An excellent grid of Thunder Rods took to the track which bodes well for the season ahead. The opener fell to Cullybackey-based newcomer Jack Gault after a fine drive, as he led home Irish Champ James Goldie and James Steele. Heat two saw Liam Wilson first across the line but he was demoted to third for contact by the Race Steward, handing victory to Jason McMullan ahead of Steele.
Gault set the pace in the final ahead of Stephanie Hawthorne, with Wilson again making strides from the rear of the line up. Liam went second with just 4 laps to go, and quickly set about chasing down the leader. Wilson then managed to haul himself past Gault on the outside line on the very last lap, taking a splendid win by the narrowest of margins. Gault impressed as he finished off a very good evening with second spot ahead of McMullan and Steele.

Completing the programme were the young 10–16-year-old stars in the Junior Productions. Ninja Karts Irish Champion Jack Murphy once again impressed out front in heat one, leading for much of the way before Leyton Hughes dived past to take the flag. Unfortunately for Leyton he was adjudged to have jumped the start and copped a two-place penalty, as did Murphy for late contact. That handed the win to Jack Morrison ahead of Ryan Abernethy.
Heat two saw Hughes and Casey Cherry scythe through the field at blistering pace like a hot knife through butter. Both bettered the lap record in the process, but although Cherry was fastest on the timing screen it was Hughes who took the win.
The pair once again closely contested the final, which was brought under caution at a time for a huge home straight rollover for Scottish lass Candice Smart. She emerged unscathed as battle resumed between the lead duo. Cherry once again bettered the lap record, but it was National and British Champion Hughes who took his second win of the night after a very impressive evening’s racing. Cherry, Noah Teggart and Keegan Turtle were next home.

McKeown Takes First National Hot Rod Victory As Haugh Brothers Both Grab Last Gasp Wins

The new race season at Tullyroan Oval started in style on Saturday evening, March 21st, with some excellent racing across all the formulas on show. Bleary’s Drew McKeown took the honours in the elite National Hot Rods division, whilst Haugh brothers from the Birches both tasted glory with last gasp wins for Steven in the Superstox and Alan in the 1600 Rookie Bangers.
Newcomer Duane Wheelan from Lurgan surprised many with a heat and final double in the Lightning Rods, whilst Scottish youngster Alfie MacLeod made his trip across to Tullyroan worthwhile by taking a great win in the Ninja Karts.

A very pleasing 19-car entry of National Hot Rods saw new cars being debuted by both Davy Clarke and Adam Heatrick. The first heat belonged to Philip McCloy as he took the win over Jeff Riordan and Derek Martin, before Cork man Riordan went one better in heat two to grab the honours ahead of Drew McKeown and Shane Murray.
The final saw McKeown and Riordan dispute the lead for much of the distance, with Allen Cherry gamely trying to get on terms. McKeown was able to stretch his advantage nearing the end to take a great victory, his first in the formula. Many eyes though were on former World Champion John Christie, who had the crowd on their feet as he hit the outside line to race through for second in superb style. Riordan, Cherry and Martin completed the top five.

The 1600 Rookie Bangers entertained as always, with a great battle between Deano McGrath and Alan Haugh in heat one. Haugh got spun which allowed McGrath to take a fine win ahead of Lee Booth. Heat two was tremendous, with Gavin Gamble ahead until he was spun on the last lap by Steven Bolton. Bolton then withstood a last bend attack from Haugh to claim the flag ahead of Haugh and Josh Goligher.
The final saw Josh Anderson in the thick of the action as he had his car totally destroyed. McGrath had the lead until attacked by Bolton, who then lost out in the traffic. That put McGrath back ahead, but Haugh arrived with a last gasp move to grab a superb victory at the death ahead of McGrath. Bolton and Gamble tangled late on which gifted third to Goligher at the end of a great night’s racing from the formula.

A very respectable seventeen Superstox gridded for heat one, with Andrew Murphy ahead until a mid-race caution period. That allowed Neil Hyndman through to give his new car it’s maiden win ahead of World Champ Steven Haugh and Stephen Stewart. Andrew Murphy then made no mistake in heat two, racing to a clear win over Conor Murphy and Hyndman.
The final was their race of the night, with Andrew Murphy ahead but being chased hard by Conor Murphy, Ethan Martin and Paddy Murphy. But Haugh was making big inroads from the rear of the grid, and he stole the lead on the last lap, just when it matters most. Steven took a superb win ahead of Andrew Murphy, Paddy Murphy and Martin.

The Lightning Rods first heat saw Conor Doherty ahead for much of the distance, only for Jake Morgan to slip past with three laps to go to grab the victory over Ian Hobson. From then on the night was all about newcomer Duane Whhelan, as he took a clear heat two win over Doherty before repeating the feat in the final to claim his first silverware on what was a dream debut. He will be one to watch in 2026. Mark McBurney and Morgan filled out the podium slots in the final.

Visitors from England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland bolstered the Ninja Karts field to almost 30 karts, which also included five local newcomers. The heats went the way of Ollie Williamson and Eddie Fowler, who both come on strong very late on to snatch their victories.
As it had been all evening, the going was frantic in the final on a packed raceway. All the young drivers drove superbly, and it was Scotland’s Alfie MacLeod who got the break to land a fantastic final win. Harry Hoy was second ahead of England’s Quinnleigh Felton.

**Due to a hardware issue we had some troubles with the electronic timing at the meeting. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Cirrus Plastics Continue Sponsorship of DMC National Hot Rods

Portadown based Cirrus Plastics have renewed their sponsorship of the National Hot Rods at DMC Race Promotions for 2026.

In one of the longest standing sponsorships in Ulster racing, the local National Hot Rod stars will once again contest the Cirrus Plastics DMC Race Promotions Points Championship in 2026.

The championship sees the domestic DMC points system used across all the National Hot Rods races at Tullyroan Oval and Aghadowey Oval in the calendar year of 2026. This includes the second half of 2025/26 World Series NI, the opening part of World Series 2026/27 plus the British Championship weekend as well.
The winner of the series will receive four new Hoosier slick tyres, plus the Cirrus Plastics trophy.

Cirrus Plastics will also be the headline sponsors of the National Hot Rods British Championship at Tullyroan Oval in September.

Cirrus Plastics are market leaders in the manufacture of polythene bags and film from their factory in Carn Industrial Estate in Portadown.

DMC Race Promotions would like to thank Alvin and Stewart Doak, both former National Hot Rods racers themselves, for their continued support of DMC Race Promotions.

The opening points scoring meeting in the Cirrus Plastic DMC Race Promotions Points Championship is this Saturday night, March 21st, at Tullyroan Oval.

2026 Fixtures Now Available

The 2026 DMC Race Promotions Fixture List is now available to view on the website under the 'Fixtures' tab.

(Whilst every care is taken in compiling this list, some changes may occur. Always check our website close to the meeting date for the latest fixture news).