Titles On The Line At Aghadowey Season Finale

Hot Rod and Stock Car racing fans are in for a thrilling night of high-octane action this Halloween as the regular season at Aghadowey Oval concludes under the floodlights on Saturday, 31st October, starting at 6.30 pm. The bumper programme at the Co Londonderry track features major championships, memorial silverware and crashing chaos, ensuring a spectacular finale to the year's racing calendar.

National Hot Rods
The pinnacle of the evening features the ultra-fast National Hot Rods, who grid up for Round 6 of the World Series NI and the prestigious Richard Turtle Memorial Cup. This special trophy honours the memory of the former racer from Cullybackey and always brings out the very best in the drivers. Portadown’s Glenn Bell, the World, British and Irish Open Champion, enters the event as the perennial favourite. However, he faces stiff competition from Galgorm’s Ulster Champion Shane Murray in his eye-catching Lotus, Bleary’s Drew McKeown and Crumlin’s John Christie, who commands a massive fan base. Derek Martin will look to upset the order in his quick Mazda MX5, while Scotland’s James Mooney brings his new Lotus which has shown fantastic pace since its recent debut.

1600 Rookie Bangers
For fans of high-impact drama, the 1600 Rookie Bangers line up for their biggest domestic race of the year, the Irish Championship. Known for its relentless bash-and-crash action, this race guarantees spins, hits, and unpredictable excitement. The grid is set in points order, putting Portadown’s Alan Haugh on pole position with local Ballymoney driver Steven Bolton starting alongside him on the front row. Garvagh's Stephen Boyd and Karl Smyth loom large on row two as major contenders, while Limavady brothers Josh and Lucas Goligher fill row three. Lucas, a former World Champion, is the defending Irish Champion and will be eager to retain his crown against a hungry field.

Thunder Rods
The Thunder Rods also contest the highlight of the season with their own Irish Championship showdown. Following an incredibly tight, year-long scrap for points, Limavady’s Liam Wilson has claimed the coveted pole position. Defending champion James Goldie of Ballymena starts right beside him on row one, setting up a titanic battle into the first corner. Should the leading duo slip up, a fierce pack including Lee McCloy, Mark McLaughlin, Adam McKinney and Norman Purdy will be ready to pounce for the victory. Adding to the drama, the Thunder Rods will also compete in the ‘Irish Revenge’ race, featuring a fully reversed grid from the championship event. Sponsored by former racer and dedicated fan Graham Young of Autoclean Limavady, this race offers a handsome cash prize and a trophy that every driver on the grid will want to take home.

Support Racing
Completing the massive night of racing are two highly competitive support formulas. The Stock Rods will be out in force, spearheaded by European Champion Sam McNeice in their final qualifying event towards next week’s Irish Championship grid. They will star alongside the spectacular BMW-based Lightning Rods formula, which consistently delivers some of the closest, most exciting racing on the local circuits. With engines roaring and the floodlights gleaming on a spooky Halloween night, fans are all set for the event which has a 6.30 pm start time.

Added 28/10/2026