McCann Bounces Back With Tullyroan Final Victory

Fantastic racing was the order of the evening at Tullyroan Oval last Saturday, with thrilling action throughout the meeting. Loughgall’s Jordan McCann bounced back from a huge crash just three weeks ago to land the National Hot Rods final, whilst young Antrim racer Leyton Hughes took the honours in the Moffett Shield for Junior Productions.
Donemana’s Gavin Gamble won the Rookie Bangers Spring Classic, whilst the other two feature races fell to drivers from the Ballymena area, Ahoghill’s Reuben Kernohan in the Stock Rods and Conor Doherty from Cargan in the Lightning Rods.

Round 12 of Diemen.com World Series NI saw a pleasing entry of cars, with Shane Murray getting out of the blocks fast to win the opening heat superbly ahead of Jordan McCann and World Champion Derek Martin. Heat two saw a dramatic finish, as the field had just a one lap shoot out to the chequered flag after a late race caution. Simon Kennedy held on for the win despite huge pressure from Drew McKeown and Glenn Bell behind.
The final saw Jordan McCann quickly work his way to the head of the field, as a huge pack of star drivers hounded him down. As they entered the final laps they were all together, with McKeown and Murray looking for the chance to pounce. McKeown had a serious effort on the last lap thwarted, as McCann held on for a very welcome win after an excellent drive. McKeown, Murray and Bell rounded out the top four.

The Junior Productions were racing for the annual Moffett Shield, with some great prizes on offer presented by the Moffett Family. A number of restarts were required in heat one with Irish Champion Matthew Weir taking the win after first across the line Leyton Hughes was demoted for a restart infringement during the latter stages. Heat two a great win for debutant Owen O’Brien, who held the field off to take the flag ahead of Ryan Abernethy and Tom Hewitt.
O’Brien again led the Moffett Shield final impressively until past the half way mark, but he just couldn’t stave off a superb charge from the flying Hughes. There was just no stopping Leyton, and he powered home to win the superb shield ahead of Callum Doak, who has surged through to second, and Andrew Russell.

There was close, competitive action from the Stock Rods all day long, with the opening heat falling to impressive recent newcomer Darragh O’Shea. There was a great scrap for the places which was led home by Sam Wilson ahead of Reuben Kernohan. Heat two saw O’Shea again victorious, with Wilson once again in second despite heavy pressure from Sam McNeice and Kernohan late on.
With O’Shea upgraded to further back the grid for the final, it was Aaron Dilly who set the pace before O’Shea did manage to work his way to the front but with the pack on his tail this time. Kernohan was able to grab the lead, and he held on all the way home for a fine win ahead of World Champion Dan Shannon and Wilson.

There was a very tight finish to the opening Lightning Rods heat, with Conor Doherty just getting the nod over Gerry Rogers and Ian Hobson. Star man James McKinney then came through to win the second heat, as he slipped under Doherty late on to take the chequers ahead of Mary Corry.
The final was all about Doherty, as he put plenty of daylight between him and his challengers early on. As he took an impressive win to earn an upgrade for the next meeting, McKinney and Corry completed the top three.

The Rookies Banger entertained always with plenty of on track frolics, with Lucas Goligher claiming the opener ahead of Phillip Farrell. Goligher again took the second heat, this time ahead of his brother Josh and Stephen Boyd, the latter two having had a great battle for second.
Farrell led the opening laps of the Spring Classic final, with Gavin Gamble coming through to the front at mid-distance. Despite Irish Champion Boyd putting on the pressure, Gamble held on for the win ahead of Boyd and Lucas Goligher.

McKeown is 2.0 Hot Rods King of Aghadowey

Drew McKeown from County Armagh claimed the 2.0 Hot Rods King of Aghadowey title as the drivers and fans enjoyed a sunny spring evening at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night.
There was action aplenty amongst all five formulas on show, with Portadown duo Steven Haugh and Ollie Williamson taking heat and final doubles in the Superstox and Ninja Karts respectively, whilst there was also a double for Magherafelt newcomer Philip Porter in the Thunder Rods. The stars of the evening were arguably the 1300 Stock Cars, where Lisburn’s Craig Bodenham secured the feature race victory.

The opening 2.0 Hot Rods heat saw a fantastic finish as Scott Cochrane just held off Wayne Woolsey by millimetres on the line after a fantastic battle, before heat two went to Ryan McCrory ahead of Drew McKeown.
Cochrane had pole spot for the King of Aghadowey final and went ahead, before a superb opportunistic move by McKeown saw him find a gap into the Brown Trout Bend. McKeown made off into the distance to secure the win over McCrory and Jordan Rochford, the latter having slipped past Woolsey on the final lap for third.

The all-action 1300 Stock Cars entertained all evening with the bumpers going in hard. The opening heat was simply superb, which a whole host of cars rattling off the wall late on as they battled for the win. As they went to the final turn it was anybody’s victory, with Gareth Halliday driving superbly to take the chequered flag ahead of Craig Bodenham and Michael Logan.
An equally action packed heat two saw a rollover for James Crossett as Logan took the win from Robbie Wright amidst the drama.
The final just couldn’t live up to the high standards set before, with Bodenham racing clear to record a well deserved victory over David Wilson and Jonathan Brown.

Brian Lammey set the pace in the Superstox opener, before losing out to Dean Catherwood. In an exciting finish Steven Haugh bumpered his way to the lead late on to take a great win over World Champion Craig McConnell.
Heat two again saw Lammey in the early lead, but this time it was Jordan Robinson who powered through to win with McConnell once again the runner up.
Jonathan Crawford and Lammey disputed the early lead in the final before Paddy Murphy took over. He had no answer to Haugh’s pace, the Birches man steaming through to record his second win of the night ahead of Catherwood and Murphy.

A pleasing entry of 20 Ninja Karts took the green flag in their opening heat. With Ollie Williamson leading until a late caution period. Star man Jake Barnett pounced to hit the front on the restart and win from Ollie and Keegan Turtle.
Williamson then starred throughout the remainder of the meeting, taking heat two from Barnett and then driving a superb final to take the silverware in style. After a tense scrap with Kahan Bradley, Ollie edged clear to win ahead of Barnett and Rowdy Grattan. Ollie also received the Best White Grade award from sponsors LJN Motorsport, with Rowdy Grattan taking the Best Yellow Grade trophy.

A busy field of Thunder Rods saw the evening’s racing dominated by the novice grade. Andy Brown raced clear to win the opening heat over Philip Porter while much attention focussed on the huge scrap within the main pack.
Porter then took over for the remainder of the meeting, the Magherafelt novice claiming heat two ahead of Brown and then relegating early leader Jordan McFetridge to win the feature final as the Thunder Rods again produced the goods.

Maxwell Weathers The Storm To Take Tullyroan Win

Despite the howling wind from Storm Kathleen, an excellent evening of Hot Rod and Stock Car racing was served up at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday night, April 6th. Crumlin’s Adam Maxwell took the honours in the feature event, Round 11 of Diemens.com World Series NI for National Hot Rods, whilst Bleary’s Drew McKeown grabbed the spoils in the 2.0 Hot Rods. Dungannon’s David McMenemy won what was easily the race of the night in the Superstox final, whilst the other feature race winners were Limavady’s Josh Goligher in the Rookie Bangers and young Lacey Bevan from Coleraine in the Junior Productions.

Welcome visitor Lauren Judge bolstered the National Hot Rods field, as local driver Jordan McCann grabbed a welcome win in heat one ahead of Nigel McCauley and Gary Woolsey. The rain arrived for heat two and it saw World Champion Derek Martin come to the fore, taking the win over Adam Maxwell and Woolsey.
The drivers were all back on slick tyres for the final as the track dried, with McCauley leading the way for much of the distance. Maxwell found the slenderest of gaps into the Tullyroan Bend and he went on to scoop the spoils of Diemens.com World Series NI Round 11. Shane Murray came through for second ahead of Glenn Bell.

Dean Catherwood looked all set to land the opening Superstox win of the night, only for a caution for debris in the closing stages bringing the pack onto his tail. He was bundled out of the way by the star men, as National and Irish Champion Lee Davison took the victory over Jordan Robinson and Davy Clarke. Brian Lammey led heat two for much of the way and looked a likely winner, until the chasing back caught him in the final stages. Catherwood this time made no mistake to win ahead of Robinson and Steven Haugh.
The final, the opening round of the Spedeworth TV/NIOvalTV Series, was without doubt the race of the night! As they entered the closing stages it boiled down to a battle between Clarke, Robinson and David McMenemy, with the lead swapped numerous times over the last couple of laps. McMenemy entered the final bend in third spot but came out the winner as the bumpers went in, the Dungannon man taking the silverware for the second meeting in succession. Robinson and Clarke helped produced a stunning finish but had to settle for second and third.

The 2.0 Hot Rods were racing in the opening round of the Hoosier Challenge Series, and former World Champion Andy Best just held on to win the opening heat despite the best efforts of Allen Cherry on the outside line in what was an excellent race. Cherry went one better in heat two, taking the win ahead of Connor Hughes and Wayne Woolsey.
The final was another superb dice, as the changing track conditions led to a ding-dong battle for the premier places. Cherry, Hughes and McKeown traded places early on before Cherry settled into the lead. McKeown was tracking his every move and pulled off a superb undercut into Turn 3 to grab the lead, the victory, the silverware and a new race tyre from sponsors Hoosier Tyres UK.

The Rookie Bangers again entertained as they always do with some fantastic action. Gavin Gamble won an action packed opening heat ahead of Stephen Boyd, before a dramatic Heat Two saw leaders Gamble and Josh Goligher dicing for the top spot before they crashed out. That opened the door for Ryan Nixon to land the win over Boyd.
The Tullyroan Challenge Cup Final saw a rollover for David Gurney before we were treated to a fantastic finish. Irish Champion Boyd hit the front but he had Josh Goligher tracking his every move. Josh played the waiting game before pouncing into the final bend, lunging to send Boyd out wide to the wall and allowing him to nip through and steal the win. Boyd held on for second ahead of Marc Morrell in third.

Jack Morrison was the winner of the opening Junior Productions heat of the night, ahead of Leyton Hughes in second. In the very wet second heat it was Lauren Berry who coped best to take the chequered flag ahead of Hughes and her brother Ryan Berry after a great drive.
The final on a drying but greasy track was all about Lacey Bevan, the former Ninja Karts Irish Champion getting the hammer down right from the off. She left the pack trailing to chase down early pacesetters Tom Hewitt and Morrison, before sweeping ahead and onto a very impressive victory. Hughes was next home to complete a full set of runner up slots for the evening, with Hewitt and Morrison next home.

Big Easter Monday Wins for Murray, McNiece and Carberry

Ace Galgorm National Hot Rods star Shane Murray continued his excellent start to the 2024 race season by taking victory in the tenth round of Diemens.com World Series NI at Aghadowey Oval on Easter Monday. The other big event on the programme was the coveted Alan Connolly Memorial Trophy for Stock Rods, which went to Enniskillen’s Stevie McNiece. Suffolk ace Mason Carberry won the King of Aghadowey in the Ninja Karts whilst 16-year-old Dungannon lad Jake Devlin impressed as he won the 2.0 Hot Rods final. Garvagh’s Zack McCombe was the other feature race winner in the Thunder Rods.

The National Hot Rods were superbly fast all afternoon around the Aghadowey circuit, as Gilford’s Nigel McCauley and Scotland’s James Mooney shared the heat wins.
The final was a dramatic encounter, with Mooney leading Cork’s Jeff Riordan as they entered the second half of the event. Mooney then blew his engine which spun him out of the race and led to Riordan losing a lot of ground. Glenn Bell took over out front as they resumed, but with just three laps to go he then succumbed to a puncture. That opened the way for Shane Murray to power through to the win, ahead of Derek Martin and a recovered Riordan.

Twenty seven Stock Rods took to the grid for the Alan Connolly Memorial Trophy, in memory of the former World Champion from Ballymoney. Adam Sloan won the opening heat after a great drive, ahead of Mark Crawford and Stevie McNiece after a number of penalties were handed down. The second heat saw a flag to flag win for Glenavy teenager Callum Magill ahead of Scottish stars Siobhan Martin and Gary Dean.
The big money Alan Connolly Memorial Trophy final saw McNiece the first to show in the lead ahead of Sloan, but Sam McNeice soon worked his way up to second and looked the fastest car on track. But Stevie McNiece used every inch of his experience to hold on out front, the Enniskillen ace taking the win and the superb trophy ahead of Sam McNeice and World Champion Dan Shannon.

A superb entry of 35 Ninja Karts from right across the UK arrived to battle for the King of Aghadowey crown. Eight-year-old World Champion Mason Carberry from Suffolk grabbed two of the three heat wins, with the other going to Hampshire’s Charlie Weston.
The King of Aghadowey final started with a huge rollover for Alan Beattie, from which he thankfully emerged unscathed. Carberry controlled the lead over the remaining distance to take the win, ahead of Ahoghill’s Lewis Hazlett, Hampshire’s Arthur Ware and Fife driver Rory Wilson.

Veteran Londonderry driver Colin McFarland rolled back the years with a fine win in the opening 2.0 Hot Rods heat ahead of Ally Neill and Scott Cochrane, before Cochrane improved in heat two to take the win in style ahead of Peter Henderson and Adam Weir.
The final turned into an almighty scrap for the lead, as recent Junior Productions graduate Jake Devlin fought a rearguard battle against a whole gaggle of cars. McFarland managed to drag himself alongside Devlin to take the flag by the closest of margins, but Colin was unfortunately demoted for contact earlier in the race. That elevated delighted teenager Devlin to the victory, with Andy Best taking the runner up slot.

The Thunder Rods saw a host of impressive newcomers on display, and it was one of those in Tyler McMaster who drove superbly to lead much of the way in heat one. He couldn’t hold off a charging Neil Capper though, as Neil surged ahead to take the win over McMaster and another impressive debutant in Jordan McFetridge. Capper again shone as he also won heat two ahead of another rapid novice in Philip Porter and McFetridge.
In his first ever race meeting, Porter looked good again in the final by edging ahead right from the off. With five laps to go David Reynolds bundled past to the lead, but whilst he was first to take the chequered flag he was docked by the Race Stewards. That handed victory to Zack McCombe over Josh Goligher and the demoted Reynolds.

Woolsey and McNeice Grab Easter Glory At Tullyroan

A super Easter Saturday evening saw the holiday crowd treated to some competitive racing at Tullyroan Oval. Portadown stalwart Gary Woolsey took victory in Round 9 of National Hot Rods Diemens.com World Series NI, whilst Randalstown’s Sam McNeice took a commanding win in the Stock Rods Northern Ireland Open. Portadown teenager Daniel Stewart took a polished heat and final double in the 1300 Stock Cars, whilst the Lightning Rods silverware fell to James McKinney from Strabane.

A healthy 17 car field of National Hot Rods came under starters orders, with the opening heat falling to the Ginetta of Scotch Street’s Gary Woolsey. Nigel McCauley and Jordan McCann chased him home, before McCann improved to win heat two ahead of Glenn Bell who had driven a great race to second.
The final was a fantastic encounter too, with Woolsey quickly hitting the front but he was then reeled in by the pack nearing the end. McCauley and Shane Murray mounted attacks for the top spot, but Woolsey remained resolute and took the win and a new tyre courtesy of sponsors Diemens Hot Sauces. Murray, McCauley, Adam Maxwell and John Christie completed the places.

The local Stock Rod drivers were joined by drivers from Scotland and the Republic of Ireland for the Northern Ireland Open. A superb heat one saw Stevie McNiece and Sam McNeice battling hard for the lead, with Stevie coming back hard late on in heavy backmarking traffic. Sam just held on for the win ahead of Stevie and defending title holder Jonny Cardwell. Heat two saw World Champion Dan Shannon take the win, even overcoming a late race restart to hang on ahead of Mark Crawford and impressive Scottish teenager Robbie Armit.
The final paired McNeice and Crawford on the front row, with Sam pushing hard early on to squeeze an advantage which he extended as the race went on. As he came home for a fantastic title victory, Declan O’Connor also impressed many with his run to second ahead of Shannon and Scottish star Siobhan Martin.

The 1300 Stock Cars were bruising as normal, with a late caution in the opening heat providing a stunning finish. The bumpers, and the lead, were swapped numerous times before Robbie Wright got the nod on the line ahead of Daniel Stewart and Gary Freeburn. Heat two and the final were then all about Stewart, as the teenage Junior Productions graduate grabbed both heat two and the final in some style. Heat two saw Freeburn and Bobbie Johnston fill out the top three, before Wright and Irish Champion Matthew Milliken were the placemen in the final.
A Dash for Cash, sponsored by Autoweld Belfast, completed the proceedings and after some heavy hitting it was Wright who took the win.

A new era dawned for the Lightning Rods with some rule changes over the winter, and it was debutant Conor Doherty who took the win in the opening heat after a great drive in his superbly presented BMW. Dermot Tynan and James McKinney were next home, before McKinney went on to win heat two ahead of Tynan and Ross Houston.
Doherty hit the front on the final, but some superb moves in the traffic from McKinney saw him swoop around the outside to complete an outstanding double for the evening, ahead of Ian Hobson and Tynan.

Double for Murray at Great Season Opener

The 2024 Ulster oval racing season began in fine style at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday evening, with all five formulas on show producing great action for the big crowd on hand. Galgorm’s former British and European Champion Shane Murray claimed a heat and final double in the eighth round of National Hot Rods Diemens.com World Series NI.
Bleary’s Drew McKeown came out on top in a keenly contested 2.0 Hot Rods category, with other feature race winners being Dungannon’s David McMenemy in the Superstox, young Antrim ace Leyton Hughes (Junior Productions) and Garvagh’s Stephen Boyd (Rookie Bangers).

There was a three way fight at the front of the opening National Hot Rods heat between Andrew Stewart, Nigel McCauley and Glenn Bell, with Stewart getting shuffled wide as Bell came through to take the chequered flag. The Stewards adjudged Bell to be the cause of Stewart’s demise, and he was unfortunately docked two places which handed the victory to Shane Murray. McCauley led the way for most of heat two, before he hit trouble which saw a clear victory go to World Champion Derek Martin.
A shower during the opening laps of the final made things very slippery for the drivers, all of whom were on slick tyres. McCauley again led the way with Bell and Murray squabbling behind. Bell romped through to take the win on the road, but once again fell foul of the Stewards for contact to get past Murray on the tricky surface. Murray thus inherited the win and with it the silverware and new tyre from series sponsors Diemens Hot Sauces. McCauley took second ahead of the demoted Bell.

A fantastic 2.0 Hot Rods field in the mid-twenties produced a dramatic opening heat, which saw a number of stoppages and penalties handed down. Former World Champion Andy Best from Dungannon came through with a fine drive to take the win ahead of Allen Cherry and Ally Neill, before Londonderry driver Colin McFarland just held on to take heat two despite the advances of Cherry on the outside line over the closing stages. Colin got the nod on the line by just 0.014 seconds!
The final saw young Junior Productions graduate Jake Devlin set the early pace, as McFarland and Best tripped over each other behind. That opened the door for former European and Irish Champion Drew McKeown to steal through to the lead, and he went on to record a convincing win over Best and Conor Hughes.

The bumpers were exchanged hard all evening in the Superstox, with the opening heat falling to the new car of Dean Catherwood on its race debut, as he held off Davy Clarke and David McMenemy. Heat two saw an atrocious start with some away much too soon on the rolling lap, with Curtis Greer coming home in first place. He was one of those who was penalised for the jump start, which handed the win to World Champion Craig McConnell over Steven Haugh.
Troy Crawford and then Clarke led the final, before McMenemy bumpered his way to the front on lap 8. Over the closing laps Davy had Lee Davison bearing down hard on him, but McMenemy held on for a morale boosting victory over Davison and Haugh.

The Rookie Bangers entertained all evening, with Marc Morrell coming through to take the win in the opening heat ahead of Gavin Gamble. Heat two was very lively as Phillip Farrell took a great win over Morrell and Chris Herron.
The final had a bit of everything, as Farrell hit the front and looked a great bet until he was baulked by a backmarker. That opened the door for Irish Champion Stephen Boyd to hit the front, and he superbly withstood a last corner attack from Morrell to claim the silverware. Morrell and Farrell filled the places.

An excellent entry of 17 Junior Productions took to the track, with the young drivers showing some great skill during the evening with some spectacular racing. Recent Ninja Karts graduate Jack Morrison held his nerve to win the opening heat after a fine drive, ahead of Cole McGann and Lauren Berry. Heat two saw another novice in Caolan Fegan lead until half distance when Leyton Hughes swooped past to lead. There was a late caution, after which Callum Doak superbly came through for the win ahead of Hughes and Andrew Russell.
Tom Hewitt showed well out front early in the final, but there was no stopping Hughes in this one as he powered to the front. Once again a late caution brought the field together but Leyton held on for a great win despite the best efforts of placemen Doak and Matthew Weir.

Martin Masterclass at Aghadowey Festive Meeting

National Hot Rods World Champion Derek Martin was the star of the show at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday 30th December, the Dungannon man revelling in the tricky conditions to complete a faultless hat-trick of wins.
English youngster Charlie Weston took victory in an outstanding Ninja Karts Stars of Tomorrow Challenge, whilst the other feature race winners were Antrim’s Ryan McCrory (2.0 Hot Rods), Armagh’s Mark Foster (Stock Rods) and Ballymoney driver Neil Capper (Thunder Rods). The holiday meeting finished with a fantastic Caravan Destruction Derby which fell to Limavady’s Matthew Nicholl.

Drew McKeown settled into the lead in the opening National Hot Rods heat, but as always most eyes were on the squabbling pack of star grade drivers making strides forward from the rear of the line up. The stand out man was Derek Martin, the World Champion using the wide outside line to move towards the head of the field. When he arrived on McKeown’s tail he went straight to the outside line, swooping ahead for a stunning win over Adam Maxwell and McKeown.
The second hear followed a similar pattern, with Martin again coming home victorious ahead of John Christie and Nigel McCauley. The final, Round 7 of Diemens.com World Series NI, saw the expected Martin domination once again. In a masterclass of greasy circuit driving, the World Champion romped home to collect the silverware and a new tyre courtesy of series sponsors Diemens Hot Sauces. In addition, Derek also claimed the DMC Race Promotions Points Championship which runs across the calendar year, for which he received another excellent trophy and four more race tyres courtesy of sponsors Cirrus Plastics.

A field of over 30 Ninja Karts saw the 6-11 year olds descend on Aghadowey from all corners of the British Isles for the Stars of Tomorrow Challenge. Cullybackey’s Keegan Turtle took a last bend win in the opening qualifying heat, before heat two went the way of Hampshire racer Charlie Weston. The third heat saw Rowdy Grattan come home out front for another NI win.
With all thirty karts in the final it was a sight to behold as they headed off into the first bend at breakneck speed. As the race settled down it was Ahoghill’s Lewis Hazlett who was ahead of a superb places battle. The drivers had to contend with a couple of caution periods during the race, and after a late one with just two laps to go Weston found a gap to overtake Hazlett and come home to take the title for England in a sensational finish. Hazlett was great value in second ahead of Cumbria driver Jayden Jeffrey.

The 2.0 Hot Rods were joined by England’s Mitch Souter and Scotland’s David Frame for the afternoon, with Drew McKeown first home in the opening heat only to be docked two places in the final analysis for contact. That elevated Conor Hughes to the win ahead of Ryan McCrory. McKeown, who was doubling up in both the National and 2.0 Hot Rods, made no mistake in heat two, slipping past leader McCrory with three laps to go to take the win over Hughes.
The final saw a great, race-long tussle between McKeown and Hughes, but all the while McCrory was making his escape out front. Ryan held on to win after a perfect drive, ahead of McKeown, Hughes and Adam Best.

A competitive field of Stock Rods, including some welcome Republic of Ireland & Scottish visitors, contested three fine races, with the opening heat falling to British and National Champion Mark Crawford after on the road winner Dan Shannon copped a huge penalty for contact. Heat two saw a superb drive from Kells star Adam Sloan to take the victory, ahead of Colin McNiece and Stevie McNiece.
Liam Irwin led the opening laps of the final before Mark Foster was this time the first to show from the pack. Mark continued to pull clear out front to take a commanding win, the Armagh man coming home ahead of Sloan, Callum Magill and Rab Preston.

Liam Wilson made a return to the ovals in the Thunder Rods division and promptly took both heat wins! The first came as he just held off Andrew McLean at the line, before the second was much more accomplished ahead of Tom Archibald.
The final saw Neil Capper demote early leader Ryan Cunningham to hit the front, with Neil then extending his advantage all the way home to the chequered flag. The impressive McLean and Irish Champion James Goldie were next home.

A very entertaining Caravan Destruction Derby completed the programme, with Ian Bolton, David Gurney, Andy Hearst and Paul Crooks all excelling as they entertained the holiday crowds. They drove through the caravans and demolished them all around the track, but it was Limavady’s Matthew Nicholl who took the honours as the last man standing.

Gurney Stars In Boxing Day Big Van Bangers

An entertaining Boxing Day race meeting at Tullyroan Oval produced some fine race action for the bumper crowd on hand. The Big Van Bangers entertained as always with some spectacular crashes as David Gurney from Londonderry took the Van-dalism silverware. Other feature race winners included Cullybackey's Ryan Wright in the Lightning Rods and a hat-trick for Cork's Cole McGann in the Junior Productions, whilst Bangor's World Champion Craig McConnell took the Superstox honours whilst Phillip Farrell from Monaghan won an excellent Rookie Bangers Festive Challenge.

The Big Van Bangers always star at Tullyroan Oval over the festive period, and this time around was no different. There was carnage right from the first green flag, with Stevo McGrath and Tony Gillespie well involved. Dave Haugh picked up some huge damage as David Gurney in his Amazon-lookalike Transit took the Van-dalism victory over Paul Compelli and McGrath.
Compelli then picked up huge damage in a very lively Allcomers event, which saw Gurney again take the honours. An excellent Destruction Derby boiled down to a fight between McGrath’s huge mini-bus and Gurney, which Stevo came out on top in to take the honours.

Some very welcome Tipperary Raceway regulars bolstered the Lightning Rods grid which led to some great racing throughout the meeting. Dermot Tynan got the early break in the opening heat to race clear and record a popular win with Trevor O'Brien in second. Heat two saw a welcome win for Gerry Rodgers as he held off the advances of Ian Hobson and Ryan Wright.
The final was all about Wright however, the usual Saloon Stock Car man behind the wheel of the borrowed Ross Houston BMW for the afternoon. More often seen working in Race Control at Tullyroan meetings, Ryan quickly hit the front and managed to stave off some tough late opposition from O’Brien, Tynan and Hobson to collect the silverware in style.

The Rookie Bangers were as eventful as always, with Josh Goligher coming through to take the win in the opening heat ahead of his brother Lucas and Stephen Boyd. The brothers swapped places in heat two, Lucas this time leading home Josh with Boyd again in third.
Phillip Farrell was the man who made the break at the start of the final, the Monaghan driver racing clear into a lead he would never lose. Josh Goligher chased hard but couldn’t quite get on terms, with Boyd taking third spot.

An excellent field of Junior Productions took to the grid, with Cork’s Cole McGann the star of the show all afternoon. After a brush with the wall in practice, Cole was quickly in his stride to win heat one from Andrew Russell and Leyton Hughes. Some sterling pit work to change an engine between races saw Callum Doak astonishingly back in action for heat two, with McGann again the winner from Alfie Litter and Lauren Berry.
A further handicap on the grid for his two heat wins didn’t deter McGann in the final, and even with a mid race caution he held the star names at bay to complete a perfect hat-trick for the day. Matthew Weir, Hughes and Andrew Hawe completed the places.

A depleted field of Superstox for this out-of-season fixture saw the heat wins shared between Lee Davison and Gerard Hartley, before World Champion Craig McConnell came to the fore in the final to take the trophy ahead of Davison and Steven Haugh.

Merry Christmas From DMC Race Promotions

DMC Race Promotions would like to wish all our drivers, race fans, sponsors and staff a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We hope to see everyone at our festive fixtures at Tullyroan Oval on Boxing Day and Aghadowey Oval on December 30th

Irish Title Victories For McNiece, Goldie and Dawson-Stirling

The curtain came down on the 2033 race season at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night with a full programme of championship events. The on track action was right from the top drawer all evening, with Irish Championship success falling to Ballymena’s James Goldie (Thunder Rods), Enniskillen’s Stevie McNiece (Stock Rods) and Crumlin’s Riley Dawson-Stirling (Ninja Karts). Dungannon’s Simon Kennedy scooped the coveted Richard Turtle Memorial Cup for National Hot Rods, while Portadown’s Jordan Robinson was victorious in the Superstox King of Aghadowey.

It was wet for the Stock Rods Irish Championship event, which saw Stevie McNiece take the lead from pole position ahead of Sam McNeice and Mark Crawford. Sam was trying everything he knew to get on terms but just couldn’t get close enough to the leader to mount a challenge. Stevie came home to take the Irish Championship crown with Sam in second, while Declan O’Connor, after a great run from down the grid, landed third after a fine drive.
O’Connor then continued his good form with victory in the Irish Revenge in what was another excellent race. Adam Sloan and Rab Preston filled the places.

James Goldie quickly turned his pole position in to the lead in the Thunder Rods Irish Championship, the Vauxhall Astra driver edging clear in the early stages on a damp track. But his big rival Daniel Rodgers came fighting back hard, and for much of the latter stages he was challenging for the lead position. Goldie kept all under control despite the efforts of Rodgers, and James took the chequered flag and the Irish Championship title. Daniel was a very gallant runner up after an excellent championship race.
The reversed grid Irish Revenge event, sponsored by McLaughlin Plumbing & Heating, was a fantastic race until it all went wrong entering the home straight late on, with cars spearing off in all directions. Through the melee came Ballymena’s David Reynolds to grab the win ahead of Neil Capper.

The National Hot Rods gridded an impressive field of 17 cars for round 6 of Diemens.com World Series NI and the Richard Turtle Memorial Cup, including a formula debut for former 2.0 Hot Rods European and Irish Champion Drew McKeown.
Heat one saw a great drive by Cork’s Ian Riordan to grab a well deserved win, with McKeown impressing in second ahead of John Christie. Heat two was wet, and the recent rain-master Adam Maxwell was on top form. The British Champion scythed through the field to win at a canter, ahead of Shane Murray and World Champion Derek Martin.
Before the Richard Turtle Memorial Cup final the wet track was drying, leaving the drivers with a headache as to tyre choice. The correct choice turned out to be 4 wets as the circuit just didn’t dry enough. One of those on the wrong choice was Glenn Bell, who went for an early spin and took Martin with him, as Dean McCrory held the lead up front.
Riordan saw his opportunity to challenge, but McCrory got the door closed just in time only to be forced wide by contact from Jeff. Riordan raced clear and took the chequered flag, but he was demoted two places in the final analysis for the contact on McCrory. That elevated Simon Kennedy to first place, and having just staved off the late advances of Christie, Simon was delighted as he collected the Richard Turtle Memorial Cup and the new tyre from World Series NI sponsors Diemens Hot Sauces.

Nineteen young stars in the Ninja Karts formula came to grid for their Irish Championship, sponsored by R J Barnett Agri Contractors. It quickly developed into a fantastic dice between Riley Dawson-Stirling and Lewis Hazlett. There was nothing between them for the whole distance of the title race, with Riley hanging on ahead out front to take a fantastic Irish title success. Hazlett came home for a deserved second ahead of Keegan Turtle and Charlie Johnston.
The Irish Revenge race saw another epic race from the young stars, with Dawson-Stirling again grabbing the win ahead of Hazlett.
The Allcomers event saw heartbreak for young Ollie Williamson, as the novice grader led right from the start and looked set to take his first ever win. Having driven superbly, he got caught up with backmarkers late on and spun off. That handed the lead to another very impressive novice in Evan Beattie, but he lost out to a flying Jake Barnett as they approached the final bend. Jake took the win with Evan excelling in second, ahead of Alan Beattie, Austin Grattan and Ethan McQuillan at the end of a fantastic final race of the season for the 6-11 year olds.

It was great to see a 17 car field of Superstox after many sustained heavy damage a week previous at Tullyroan. Brian Lammey led the opening heat but Jack Morrow came through for the win just ahead of Steven Haugh. Heat two saw Davy Clarke race clear to take a popular win ahead of Lee Davison and Jordan Robinson.
There were some robust exchanges of bumpers in the early laps of the King of Aghadowey final, with Robinson coming through to take a clear win ahead of World Champion Craig McConnell and Jamie McCann.

Hughes The Man In 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Championship

An action packed programme of events brought the racing season at Tullyroan Oval to an end on Saturday evening, October 28th. Antrim’s Conor Hughes scooped the main award of the night when he was crowned 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Champion, whilst Adam Maxwell from Crumlin managed a heat and final double in the National Hot Rods Diemens.com World Series qualifier.
Dublin’s Stevo McGrath made it three Irish Championship titles on the bounce in the Unlimited National Bangers, whilst the other feature races fell to Birches star Steven Haugh in the Superstox and World Champion Nigel Jackson in the Lightning Rods.

The atmosphere was at fever pitch as the 2.0 Hot Rods moved off on their formation laps ahead of the Irish Championship. Drew McKeown and Conor Hughes shared the front row, with Hughes getting the early edge on the outside to move ahead on the wet track. A huge battle developed for the places, but former British Champion Hughes was well clear and took the flag for a commanding win. McKeown, Wayne Woolsey and Jordan Rochford filled the places.
A keenly fought Irish Revenge race saw a great win for Ryan McCrory ahead of McKeown and Adam Best.

The National Hot Rods were contesting the fifth round of Diemens.com World Series NI, with British Champion Adam Maxwell scything through the field in the wet to take the opening heat ahead of Glenn Bell and Kenny McCann. Heat two saw Scotsman James Mooney take a very popular win, after first on the road Phil McCloy was dropped two places by the Stewards for jumping the start. Shane Murray took second in the final analysis.
The final was once again all about Maxwell as he took his second win of the evening, hitting the front after just 10 laps of the race such was his pace. World Champion Derek Martin kept him honest all the way home in second, ahead of a great battle for third which went the way of Murray over Bell.

Polesitter and defending champion Stevo McGrath was first to show in the Unlimited National Bangers Irish Championship, before being demoted by Leonard Dunn. Dave Haugh then powered ahead on his return to racing, only to then get caught up with the backmarking Kieran McIvor. Dunn seized his chance and went back ahead, only for mechanical issues to intervene almost straight away. That handed the lead back to Stevo McGrath and he claimed his hat-trick of Irish titles ahead of McIvor and Jonny Murdock.
Haugh made amends with victory in both the Irish Revenge race and the Allcomers, with the Stephen Bannon Memorial DD going to Steven Reynolds.

The opening Superstox race saw Neil Hyndman head the way for much of the distance, before being challenged late on by Craig McConnell. Craig gave it his all on the final bend, but Hyndman held on by just 0.029secs on the run to the flag. A big crash early in heat two saw McConnell in trouble and requiring medical attention, and we wish Craig well in his recovery. Steven Haugh came through to win over Hyndman and Graham Meek, before Haugh also scooped the final honours with a great drive to victory lane ahead of Hyndman and Paddy Murphy.

The Lightning Rods served up some close, competitive action all evening, with Jamie Stephens taking the opening heat over Nigel Jackson by the smallest of margins. Stephens then again got the verdict in heat two to earn himself a rise to the yellow grade, ahead of Jackson once again with Ian Hobson in third.
With Stephens relegated to further back in the line up for the final, Dermot Tynan made a great start to lead early on. Hobson then took over out front, but he had no answer to the flying Jackson who took the honours ahead of Hobson and James McKinney.

Exciting Season Finale at Tullyroan Oval

The racing season at Tullyroan Oval comes to a thrilling climax this Saturday evening, October 28th. There is something for everyone amongst the packed programme, from the super fast National Hot Rods to the Unlimited National Bangers, plus the mouth-watering 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Championship!

The 2.0 Hot Rods Irish Championship is regarded by many as the Blue Riband event of the domestic season, and quite a race lies in store. Bleary’s Drew McKeown will be keen to hang on to his title, but will face a tough challenge from the likes of double World Champion Jordan Rochford, Conor Hughes, British Champion Wayne Woolsey and Adam Best to name a few.

The National Hot Rods, the fastest cars on the local ovals, are also in action as they contest Round 5 of Diemens.com World Series NI. Dungannon’s World Champion Derek Martin scooped the Ulster title at the last meeting and will be keen to continue his dream season, whilst John Christie was on top form in the previous World Series encounter with a round the outside charge to victory. Add in British Champion Adam Maxwell and former European and British Champ Shane Murray and a thrilling evening’s entertainment lies ahead.

The Unlimited National Bangers will also contest their Irish Championship, with Dublin’s Stevo McGrath defending his title. The 2022 World Champion could be tough to beat, but no doubt the likes of Donemana driver Leonard Dunn, Stevo’s nephew Deano McGrath and Coleraine’s Kieran McIvor will be keen to claim the crown. The evening will finish with the annual Stephen Bannon Memorial Destruction Derby, where the last car moving wins!

Completing the programme will be the all action Superstox formula and the Lightning Rods, with the first race due off the grid at 6.30pm.