Hot Rod Heaven Comes To Tullyroan Oval

Oval racing fans are in for an absolute blockbuster this weekend as Tullyroan Oval plays host to the ultimate showcase of non-contact racing - Hot Rod Heaven! All five of Northern Ireland’s premier adult non-contact formulas will share the same star-studded bill under the spectacular Saturday night Tullyroan floodlights.

National Hot Rods
The pinnacle of oval racing takes centre stage, and all eyes will be on the man of the moment, Glenn Bell. The defending Ulster Champion returns to the scene of his magnificent British Championship triumph just two weeks ago. Currently holding both the British and World titles, Bell is at the absolute top of his game, but the chasing pack is ruthless.
Expect lightning fast speeds under the floodlights as former World Champions John Christie and the ever-rapid Derek Martin mount serious challenges. Adding to the classy grid are Shane Murray, Drew McKeown, and the Cork-based brother duo of Jeff and Ian Riordan.

Lightning Rods
The BMW-dominated Lightning Rods battle it out for the coveted Irish Championship, with the grid decided entirely on points scored throughout the 2026 season. Tension is already high on the front row as Ballymena pair Mark McBurney and Conor Doherty finished the qualifying campaign tied on points, meaning a coin toss will dramatically decide who gets pole position!
Right behind them on row two sits Portadown ace Nigel Jackson. Jackson is the undisputed form driver, having captured the massive World Cup title two weeks ago before following it up with the NI Open. He remains the car to watch. Keep an eye on rising stars Duane Wheelan and Tom Hewitt from rows two and three, as well as defending Irish Champion Ross Houston who will be charging hard from further down the grid.

2.0 Hot Rods
The 2.0 Hot Rods always excel at the banked Tullyroan venue, and the usual big grid promises spectacular bumper-to-bumper racing. The entry list boasts an incredible array of champions, all hailing from Portadown. Current World Champion Adam Hylands, teenage sensation and British Champion Callum Doak, and the highly experienced Irish Champion Jordan Rochford are all set to lock horns in what is guaranteed to be a masterclass of close racing.

Stock Rods
The front-wheel-drive Vauxhall formula brings its signature close-quarters racing to the bill. Randalstown's European Champion Sam McNeice leads a stacked field. Jonny Cardwell and lady racer Siobhan Martin both showed blistering pace at the last meeting and will look to carry that momentum forward. They will face stiff competition from veteran aces Stevie McNiece and Victor McAfee, alongside Armagh’s Mark Foster and Scarva’s impressive teenager Harry Minish.

Thunder Rods
As the entry-level Vauxhall Astra class, the Thunder Rods always deliver massive grids where virtually nothing separates the field. The battle at the front of the NI Points Championship resumes as current leader Liam Wilson tries to fend off the defending points champion and reigning Irish Champion, James Goldie. With spoilers like Jordan Nicholl, Jason Darragh, and Adam McKinney in the mix, the race for the Tullyroan Challenge Cup is completely wide open.

With five top-tier formulas, multiple championships on the line, and the unique atmosphere of night racing under the floodlights, this meeting is an absolute must for any non-contact oval racing fan. The action fires up at 6.30pm this Saturday—make sure you are trackside!

Added 30/09/2026

Hughes Roars To Emotional Mervyn Emerson Memorial Victory

Delighted Antrim racer Conor Hughes was the big winner at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night, September 26th, as he took victory in The Mervyn Emerson Memorial Trophy for 2.0 Hot Rods. The race is held annually in memory of Conor’s great friend, and he took what was an emotional win in some style. An exciting evening of short oval racing saw the other feature race wins fall to Cullybackey’s Keegan Turtle (Junior Productions), Ahoghill’s Karl Smyth (1600 Rookie Bangers), Nutts Corner based Josh McKinstry (1400 Stock Cars) and local Aghadowey driver Joshua McCahon (Thunder Rods).

2.0 Hot Rods
An ill-disciplined opening heat for the 2.0 Hot Rods saw Irish Champion Jordan Rochford take the win ahead of Callum Doak, the latter having gambled perfectly at a mid race restart. Heat two saw a clear and welcome win for Rob Barnett ahead of Adam Best and Conor Hughes.
The final was for the coveted Mervyn Emerson Memorial Trophy, and it was Hughes and Rochford who shared the front row of the grid on aggregate points from the heats. Hughes stamped his authority all over the race, quickly pulling clear to take the win in emphatic fashion ahead of Doak, Rochford and Barnett. It was obvious just how much the win meant to Conor, and it was an emotional podium as he received the stunning trophy from the Emerson family.

Junior Productions
The teenage aces in the Junior Productions delivered some of the best racing of the night, with Charlie Johnston continuing his recent form streak with the heat one win over Ryan Berry. Heat two saw Cullybackey’s Keegan Turtle bounce right back to form with a well deserved victory ahead of Berry and Leyton Hughes.
Turtle hit the front in the final but soon had Berry right on his case. The pair circulated side by side for many laps in a stunning race, with the closing pack joining in as the race progressed. A delighted Keegan just kept his nose in front to claim the DMC Gold Cup win after a fantastic encounter, with Johnston and Coalan Fegan completing the podium ahead of Ryan Abernethy. 1600 Rookie Bangers
A very healthy field of 1600 Rookie Bangers entertained in style all evening. An eventful opening heat went to Karl Smyth ahead of the Haugh brothers Alan and Steven. Heat two saw Aaron McGraw in the lead before Alan Haugh bundled past on the last lap for a great win over McGraw and his brother Steven.
The action didn’t stop in the final, with usual Superstox star Steven Haugh going ahead early on before a mid race stoppage for an issue with a retired car on the infield. At the restart Smyth saw his chance, and launched an assault on Haugh as the green flag dropped. Steven got spun out and collected by the pack, as Smyth powered clear to win in style. Alan Haugh, Steven Bolton and McGraw filled out the places.

1400 Stock Cars
The 1400 Stock Cars were competing in their final shakedown before the British Championship is staged at Aghadowey in two weeks’ time. Ballymena’s Jordan McFetridge led an action packed opening heat until he retired within sight of the flag. That opened the door for Josh McKinstry to take the win over Matthew Weir and Irish Champion William Taggart. Another busy heat two with plenty of action went the way of McFetridge, who this time went the full distance to win from McKinstry and Alexander McCreadie.
The final was action packed throughout, with McKinstry storming home to his second win of the night from Matthew Milliken, Curtis Greer and Fionn Donnelly.

Thunder Rods
The Thunder Rods once again arrived in big numbers, leading to some excellent racing. Joshua McCahon led the opening heat until Coleraine ace Mark McLaughlin slipped past in the closing stages for a popular win. Tom Archibald held sway out front in heat two before Lee McCloy this time came through for victory.
The final saw a great early battle between Archibald and McCahon for the lead, with McCahon finally settling into the premier spot. The local Aghadowey-based novice grader drove a very controlled race from there all the way home, holding off the advances of McLaughlin to take his first ever feature race win. James Goldie and Adam McKinney completed the top four.

Added 27/09/2026

Spectacular Speedweekend At Tullyroan Oval

World Champion Glenn Bell from Portadown raced to an unprecedented sixth National Hot Rods British Championship at a packed Tullyroan Oval over the weekend. As race fans from across the British Isles enjoyed some fantastic action, Norfolk’s English Champion Perry Cooke won the coveted Ormond Christie Memorial Trophy on Sunday. Another Portadown driver, Jordan Robinson, was also on top form as he sealed a successful defence of his Superstox British title.
A keenly contested World Cup for the Lightning Rods formula saw Nigel Jackson take the victory, whilst young Ollie Williamson made it a clean sweep for Portadown in the major races as he won the Keir Millar Memorial Trophy in the Ninja Karts.

National Hot Rods
Thirty-two of the formula’s best drivers descended on Tullyroan Oval for the National Hot Rods Speedweekend, with the Cirrus Plastics British Championship contested on Saturday. The qualifying heats were shared by Waterford’s Dave Casey, Dungannon’s Derek Martin and Portadown’s defending champion Glenn Bell.
The final paired Bell and Suffolk ace Hayden Ballard on the front row, and despite Ballard’s best efforts both from the start and an early caution restart, Bell was able to edge clear and go on to seal a fantastic sixth British title victory. Scotland’s National Champion Robert McDonald came on strong late on to snatch second, with Ballard, Billy Wood and Martin next home.
Sunday saw the inaugural running of the Ormond Christie Memorial Trophy, which kicked off with the unveiling of the fully-restored 1981 World Championship winning Toyota Starlet. On track the graded order heats went the way of Aghadowey’s Richard Stewart, Hampshire’s Billy Wood and Norwich driver Perry Cooke. The final saw parade laps emotionally led by the Christie Starlet, before the action commenced with Scotland’s James Mooney ahead. English Champ Cooke was making great progress, and he swept ahead to win the magnificent cup and with it the cool and very fitting £962 prize money. Charlie Hardie, Bell and John Christie completed the top four.

Superstox
The contact action of the weekend came from the Superstox formula with the Mk2 Escort Shells and Spares British Championship being their major race. European Champion Steven Haugh swept to heat one glory over National Champion Ian Beaumont, before the second graded heat went the way of England’s Ryan Allgood after a fantastic drive to win ahead of Callum Kelman and Beaumont for an all-English top three.
The British Championship was electric to watch, with all sorts of drama throughout. Defending Champion Jordan Robinson led, only to be moved side mid race as Kelman hit the front. That was short lived, as Robinson worked his way to the front once again. Haugh came in with a last bend assault but he just couldn’t unseat Robinson, as Jordan took a superb win to successfully defend his British title. Haugh, Beaumont, Kelman and Allgood completed the major places.
The Irish Open Championship was up for grabs on Sunday, with the keenly contested reverse grid heats going to Haugh and Scottish driver Benjamin Erskine. The final was all about Haugh, as he raced home to a commanding win over Beaumont and Dean Catherwood. Lightning Rods
The biggest field of Lightning Rods since the BMW era began in the formula took to the Tullyroan track for the World Cup, with the incident packed heats falling to Nigel Jackson and Padraig Palmer.
The Cirrus Plastics-backed World Cup final was intense under the Tullyroan floodlights, with Jackson edging clear early on and holding sway out front to take a commanding victory. Ricky Shaw showed great pace and determination to fight through for a gallant runner up slot ahead of Palmer and defending champion Mark Corry.
Sunday’s action saw the Northern Ireland Open up for grabs, with heats shared between Ronan O’Connor and Shaw. Come the final though it was that man Jackson once again, as Nigel took his second title win in two days ahead of Mark McBurney and Stuart Agnew to end a superb weekend for the formula.

Ninja Karts
A huge entry of Ninja Karts contested the Keir Millar Memorial Trophy on Saturday, with the qualifying heats won by Portadown’s Jaxon Cairns, Scotland’s Rory Wilson and England’s Bobby Davis Jnr Jnr. A superb 41 karts came under starters orders for the big final and after a superb battle amongst the frontrunners it was local lad Ollie Williamson who grabbed the win over World Champion George Cooper and Cairns.
Sunday’s action continued apace with three more qualifying heats ahead of the Tullyroan Challenge Cup. Eddie Fowler, Jack Murphy and England’s Albert Mills shared the heat victories, before a fantastic final saw Murphy take the flag in style ahead of Cooper, Fowler, Davis Jnr Jnr and Cairns.

Stock Rods
Completing the line up were the Stock Rods on Saturday evening, racing for their Tullyroan Challenge Cup and bolstered by some welcome visitors from Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Heat one fell to Scarva’s Harry Minish before there was a maiden win for Ryan Carroll in heat two after a fine drive. The final was a cracker up front, and it was Glenavy’s Dan Shannon who burst clear to win from Jonny Cardwell and Minish.

Many thanks to our Speedweekend sponsors - Cirrus Plastics and Mk2 Escort Shells & Spares

Added 21/09/2026

Hotshot Hylands Wins Hoosier Challenge Series

An exciting evening at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday September 12th saw the drivers thrill the fans with some close, competitive oval racing at the McKinney Safety Centre of Strabane sponsored meeting. Portadown’s World champion Adam Hylands was successful in the 2.0 Hot Rods Hoosier Tyres Challenge Series, with Loughgall teenager Casey Cherry collecting the Junior Productions King of Aghadowey crown after a fine drive.
Limavady ace Josh Goligher took the 1600 Rookie Bangers DMC Gold Cup after a dramatic evening, with the other feature race wins falling to Kilrea’s Jordan Nicholl (Thunder Rods) and young Loanends star William Brown (Ninja Karts).

2.0 Hot Rods
Seasoned Campaigner Colin McFarland led the opening stages of the first 2.0 Hot Rods heat before losing out to a fast moving Thomas Dilly. Thomas just held on for the win despite the late attentions of World Champion Adam Hylands. Heat two followed a similar pattern with McFarland and Dilly having spells ahead, before this time Adam Best found a way past Dilly to claim the victory over Ally Neill and Callum Doak.
The final of the Hoosier Challenge Series was lined up in aggregate points order from across the series, which saw World Champ Hylands on pole position. Despite a false start at the first time of asking, Adam soon settled into the lead and pulled clear for a resounding victory. Doak, James McKinney and Jake Devlin chased him home, with the top three all sharing new race tyres courtesy of Hoosier UK.

Junior Productions
The Junior Productions were on top form all evening, with some fantastic racing from the teenagers. Luke Goligher showed great pace to win heat one ahead of Casey Cherry and Leyton Hughes, before it was Ryan Berry who took the honours in heat two with Cherry again in second.
With the heat points totted up Cherry was on pole for the King of Aghadowey final, and he stormed clear to race home to a commanding win. Berry, Hughes and Jack Morrison filled the places. 1600 Rookie Bangers
The 1600 Rookie Bangers were down in numbers from the norm, but with feuds simmering below the surface there was action aplenty. Alan Goligher led the opening heat before Karl Smyth stormed past to win ahead of Steven Bolton, and as the action continued apace in heat two Smyth again claimed the win over Alan Haugh and Gavin Gamble.
Josh Goligher hit the front early in the final, and despite repeated efforts to stop him by David Gurney, Josh showed his experience to take a creditable victory in the DMC Gold Cup. Bolton, Smyth and Gamble were next home.

Thunder Rods
Once again the Thunder Rods were top value, with a big field of 24 cars in action. There was never a dull moment between the closely matched field, with Ballymena’s Brandon Kernohan the long time leader in heat one. Jordan Nicholl was flying though, and he pulled off a great pass to take the win over Kernohan and Adam McMullan. Heat two saw Sam Dougherty ahead, but he was challenged by Jason McMullan in the closing stages. McMullan hit the outside line on the last lap, and just dragged himself past on the run to the line to win by an incredible 0.008 seconds!
Kernohan and Dougherty again showed out front in the final, but this time it was Nicholl again who was catching the eye. He quickly went to the front and never looked back, winning from Joshua McMullan and Jason Darragh.

Ninja Karts
The kids in the Ninja Karts completed the programme, with Irish Champion Jack Murphy going from the back of the grid to the front in heat one to take the win in some style ahead of Joey Henderson and Jaxon Cairns. Heat two saw Harry Hoy the victor ahead of Murphy, that after on the road winner Jordan Davis was demoted to third for jumping a mid-race restart.
The final was all about William Brown, as he broke free from the yellow grade to open out a big advantage. From there he raced home to a very popular win ahead of Davis and Murphy.

Many thanks to our meeting sponsors, McKinney Safety Centre

Added 13/09/2026

Top Tullyroan Wins For Rochford and Bell

The race fans were treated to an action packed evening of short oval entertainment at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday night, August 29th. In arguably the best meeting of the season so fay, Portadown’s Irish Champion Jordan Rochford successfully defended the Lee Cherry Memorial Trophy for 2.0 Hot Rods. Fellow Portadown star Glenn Bell took a decisive win in the National Hot Rods final, whilst the other feature race winners were Ballymena’s Conor Doherty (Lightning Rods), Larne’s Charlie Johnston (Junior productions) and Portadown’s Alan Haugh (1600 Rookie Bangers).

2.0 Hot Rods
With some welcome visitors on hand the 2.0 Hot Rods entry topped 25 cars, with World Champion Adam Hylands taking the win in heat one after a tough battle. James McKinney and Jordan Rochford took the places. Heat two saw Rochford come through for the win, just holding off a spirited challenge from Cork’s Brendan O’Connell and Michael Rodgers.
The final was for the coveted Lee Cherry Memorial Trophy, a quite stunning piece of silverware. Rochford quickly put daylight between himself and the rest, racing home to a successful defence of the trophy after a controlled drive. There was a huge battle for second, which went the way of McKinney ahead of Hylands, Wayne Woolsey and Callum Doak. The top three all received some well earned extra prize money from the Cherry family, with Shane McMillan and Dean McFarland also cashing in as the highest climbers in the final.

National Hot Rods
Nigel McCauley went ahead on the opening National Hot Rods heat with a great run around Davy Clarke, and he even withstood a mid race restart following a turn two crash to land the win ahead of Dean McCrory and Simon Kennedy. Kennedy could be well pleased with his third after a spirited effort for the lead on the outside line in the closing stages. Heat two saw McCauley again take the win, this time over the impressive McCrory, John Christie and Glenn Bell.
The World Series NI Round 3 Final saw McCauley out front once again Bell arrived on the scene. The World and British Champion, utilising his Joker Round and four new tyres, soon blasted past to the lead, before a caution was called for a heavy turn four crash for Allen Cherry. Thankfully Allen emerged ok, as Bell raced home to a fantastic win over John Christie and Ian Riordan. Lightning Rods
A stunning field of 25 Lightning Rods, including a very welcome bunch of visitors from Tipperary Raceway, blasted off for heat one, which went the way of Irish Champion Ross Houston – even after he and Andrew Woods had gone airborne over an errant wheel just as a caution was called! Ross led home Nigel Jackson and Dermot Tynan, before former World Champion Stuart Agnew claimed heat two with a great drive to win over Ian Hobson and Duane Wheelan.
Conor Doherty had sustained big damage in a heat one crash, but some sterling work in the pits saw him back in action and he utterly dominated the final. He relieved Aaron Rogers of the lead on lap six, and never looked back as he claimed the win on the formula’s biggest night in many years. Jackson retired from second late on with mechanical issues, leaving Wheelan to inherit the runner up slot ahead of Agnew and Michael Moloney.

1600 Rookie Bangers
There was also a loose wheel in the opening 1600 Rookie Bangers heat which brought about a stoppage. Steven Haugh, normally seen behind the wheel of his World Championship winning Superstox, took the lead but lost out late on to his brother Alan who took the win. Aaron McGraw set the pace in heat two, but once again it was Alan Haugh who claimed the win on the last lap.
The final was action packed with McGraw and Steven Haugh having spells out front. Reece McMaster took out Steven in no uncertain terms, and that opened the door for Alan Haugh to steam though and claim his third win of the night. McGraw and Stephen Boyd completed the places.

Junior Productions
The teenagers in the Junior Productions contested three tough fought and competitive races, and they hadn’t got far in heat one before Liza Kennedy-Gurney found herself upside down at the end of the home straight! Jake Barnett powered past leader Jack Murphy to take the win, with Casey Cherry in third. Heat two was a race littered with caution periods after crashes, and this time it was Ryan Berry who took the win after slipping past Caolan Fegan on the last lap.
The final saw a spirited drive from Limerick’s Meabh Shanahan, as she led until almost half distance. From there though the race belonged to Charlie Johnston, as he roared clear to take a well deserved win indeed. Meabh impressed on her way to a fine runner up slot, ahead of Charlie Hill, Cherry and Jack Morrison.

Added 31/08/2026

Back On Form Christie Nets Aghadowey Final Win

Former World Champion and crowd favourite John Christie from Crumlin bounced right back to form at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night, August 22nd, when he won the National Hot Rods Final. On a night of blistering action, Cullybackey’s Curtis Greer and Glenavy’s Jonny Cardwell were both crowned King of Aghadowey in the 1400 Stock Cars and Stock Rods respectively.
In the other formulas, Kilrea’s Joshua McMullan grabbed victory in the frantic Thunder Rods whilst Belfast’s Harry Hoy took the honours in the Ninja Karts.

National Hot Rods
Another pleasing entry of National Hot Rods were on hand for the second round of World Series NI, with the heats being all about Gilford driver Nigel McCauley. He took the opener from Simon Kennedy and Dean McCrory, before repeating the feat in heat two to just hold off Allen Cherry and the impressive John Christie.
McCauley again led the final for the first third of the race, but had the pack right on his case in this one. Kennedy and Cherry were in close attendance, but Christie soon arrived as the first star grader to show. John wasted little time in hitting the outside line, clearing the others with ease to race off into the distance. He won by almost half a lap in the end such was his dominance, with McCrory coming through for second ahead of World Champion Glenn Bell, Shane Murray and Derek Martin.

Stock Rods
The Stock Rods produced close and competitive racing all evening, with Randalstown’s European Champion Sam McNeice taking the opener with ease from pole position ahead of Stevie McNiece, who had got the better of a big places battle. Heat two saw a win for Darragh O’Shea after he successfully held Jonny Cardwell at bay for the duration.
The King of Aghadowey final saw Cardwell edge clear early on from pole. At half distance Sam McNeice squeezed past his near-namesake Stevie McNiece for second, but despite heaping loads of pressure on the leader it was Cardwell who held on to take a deserved victory. McNeice, Mark Foster and Harry Minish completed the places. 1400 Stock Cars
Curtis McConkey and Fionn Donnelly had a great battle out front in the opening 1400 Stock Cars heat, before a caution was called when Michael Logan rolled on the back straight. Thankfully Michael was fine, and after a big battle on the restart it was Graham Meek who won from Willie Taggart and Gary Freeburn. Geoff Hurst and Freeburn had spells ahead in heat two, before a repaired Logan sensationally went ahead. But they had no answer to Curtis Greer, as the Irish Champion punted Freeburn and Logan wide in one superb move to land the win.
The King of Aghadowey final was a stunning race from start to finish. Greer and Meek battled hard for the lead before Greer pulled clear to take the honours. But behind him a titanic battle between eight cars was in full flow. Bumpers and places were exchanged on each and every bend, with Logan coming out on top to take the runner up position behind runaway winner Greer. Freeburn, McConkey and Meek were next home.

Thunder Rods
Big grids and big action is the name of the game in the Thunder Rods formula, and they once again produced the goods all evening. Sam Dougherty took a clear heat one win over Brian Hutton, before heat two went to James Steele after a fantastic outside line run from fourth to first. Mark Dunlop and Brandon Kernohan completed the top three.
The final saw Kernohan and Dunlop have spells ahead, but this time in was Joshua McMullan who came on strong late on, taking the win ahead of his brother Jason McMullan with Dunlop and Liam Wilson next home.

Ninja Karts
The young aces in the Ninja Karts were on top form, with the opening heat falling to novice Joey Henderson after a very good drive. Harry Hoy and Jonathan Brown were next home. Irish Champion Jack Murphy made good use of a caution period in heat two to race to the win, having started right at the rear of the line up. He won ahead of Luke Grattan and Jaxon Cairns.
The final was another thrilling race, with Brown getting out front before getting caught up with others in the packed field. Hoy then raced clear, but despite Murphy coming on strong late on Harry had more than enough in hand to take his first ever feature race win. Murphy, Grattan and Brown completed the top four.

Added 24/08/2026

McMillan Top In 2.0 Hot Rods, Banger Wins for McKee and Goligher

Some excellent entertainment was served up at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday, August 15th, with an excellent crowd on hand too on a fine evening. The 2.0 Hot Rods excelled all night, with the Tullyroan Challenge Cup falling to Kells driver Shane McMillan. The Ulster Championship for 1600 Rookie Bangers was successfully defended by Limavady’s Josh Goligher, whilst Gordy Mckee claimed the King of Krash in the Unlimited National Bangers.
Crumlin’s Gerard Hartley took a great win in the Moffett Shield for Superstox whilst Armagh’s Mark Foster won the Stock Rods final at the meeting kindly sponsored by McKinney Safety Centre of Strabane.

2.0 Hot Rods
A big grid of twenty three 2.0 Hot Rods took to the track with British Champion Callum Doak taking a comfortable win in heat one ahead of Shane McMillan and Mick Rodgers. The reversed grid heat two saw two big crashes which eliminated a number of runners, the worst being for Adam Weir who seemed to have a suspension breakage before hitting the wall hard on the back straight. World Champion Adam Hylands took the win ahead of James McKinney and Jordan Rochford.
The Tullyroan Challenge Cup final saw McMillan and McKinney share the front row of the grid, and they commenced a huge side by side tussle for the opening segment of the race. McKinney was giving it his all on the outside, but McMillan was equal to him and held his nerve in top spot with Rochford keeping a watching brief in third. McMillan impressed as he took the flag to win ahead of McKinney, Rochford, Hylands and Jake Devlin.

1600 Rookie Bangers
Entertainment was the name of the game in the 1600 Rookie Bangers, with Karl Smyth ahead in heat one before Superstox World Champion Steven Haugh raced through to win. Heat two was another excellent race, with Josh Goligher this time coming home to win from Haugh and Smyth.
The final was for the Ulster Championship, and it was exciting right from the off! Goligher managed to edge clear of the drama and he took a creditable win to successfully defend his Ulster title. Haugh took second with Stephen Boyd grabbing third after a great late battle for the final podium position. Superstox
A pleasing grid of Superstox were on hand for the annual Moffett Shield, and the opening heat saw World, European and Best in Britain Champion Steven Haugh power through to win. It was a busy night for Steven as he also took a victory in the Rookie Bangers category. Heat two saw Gerard Hartley again out front but this time it was Dean Catherwood who stormed home to victory over Troy Crawford and Jamie McCann.
The Moffett Shield Final saw Hartley quickly hit the front and he was carrying some great pace. Despite the best efforts of the star men who were bursting through the field, they were never going to get on terms with Gerard. He raced home for a fantastic win and the magnificent shield, with McCann impressing in second over Catherwood and Jordan Robinson.

Unlimited National Bangers
Despite the lower than expected numbers, the Unlimited National Bangers still put on a show. The King of Krash race saw a few big hits dished out as Gordy McKee took the win over Stevo McGrath. McKee was victorious again in the Allcomers, before repeating the feat in the Showdown race as well to complete a hat-trick for the night. Irish Champion Deano McGrath was runner up in both, with Stevo McGrath claiming his fifth Points Championship in a row with a brace of third places.

Stock Rods
The Stock Rods were as close and competitive as always, with the opening heat seeing Mark Foster pass Jamie Cardwell on the outside for a great win. Heat two saw Jaydon Brunton take a well deserved victory on the debut of her new car, She raced home ahead of welcome visitor John Gray and Sam Wilson.
Brunton again led the way in the final, but she could offer little resistance when Foster arrived to challenge. Mark raced past to take his second win of the night, with Jaydon impressing many on her way to a gallant runner up slot. Cardwell, Mark Crawford and Stevie McNiece were next home.

Many thanks to our meeting sponsors, McKinney Safety Centre

Added 17/08/2026

Rochford Romps Home For Aghadowey Victory

Irish Champion Jordan Rochford from Portadown produced a superb drive on the outside line to take a well deserved final win in the 2.0 Hot Rods at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night, August 8th. On a night a competitive racing and close finishes, the annual Young Trophy for the Junior Productions went the way of Ryan Berry from Richhill, with the other feature races falling to another Richill driver in Ian Hobson (Lightning Rods), Kilrea’s Adam McMullan and Magherafelt’s Jordan Davis (Ninja Karts).

2.0 Hot Rods
Dean McFarland quickly hit the front in the opening 2.0 Hot Rods heat, racing home to win ahead of Rab Preston and Rob Barnett. Heat two saw Aaron Dilly taking the flag, just holding off Adam Weir and James McKinney.
The final was arguably the race of the night, with a first lap skirmish when Barnett spun delaying all of the star grade. Dilly held on out front, with McFarland trying the outside line for the lead but he just couldn’t make it stick. The others were now queuing up behind, with little between up to 10 cars at a time. Rochford clawed his way back into the lead pack late on, quickly working his car onto the outside line and past Dilly for a sensational win. Aaron held on for second ahead of Weir, with British Champion Callum Doak coming on late to snatch fourth having actually spun in the first lap melee.

Junior Productions
Novice grader Rowdy Grattan was the man to watch in the Junior Productions heats, taking a career first win in the opener ahead of Ryan Berry and Jack Morrison, before superbly repeating the feat in heat two to win again over Berry and Casey Cherry.
The Young Trophy, a superb cup presented annually by the Young and Hosie families, was up for grabs in the final with polesitter Grattan unfortunately going out early on with a broken driveshaft. Berry assumed the lead and fought an impressive rearguard battle as the placement were breathing down his neck lap after lap. Ryan held his nerve to take a morale boosting win ahead of Leyton Hughes and Noah Teggart, with grade awards going to Kori Curran and Charlie Hill. The Endeavour Award went the way of Liza Kennedy-Gurney who didn’t put a foot wrong all night in only her second outing Lightning Rods
Long distance traveller Dermot Tynan drove a great race to win the first Lightning Rods heat ahead of Conor Doherty, before Doherty went one better to win heat two ahead of Mark McBurney.
The final saw Ian Hobson hit the front and he managed to hold off the whole pack who were crawling all over him for much of the duration. As Ian took the win, the places fell to Irish Champion Ross Houston and Doherty.

Thunder Rods
A bulging grid of well over 20 Thunder Rods entertained as they always do, with Jordan Nicholl taking the opening heat after lead duo Sam Dougherty and Joshua McMullan tripped over each other on the last lap. Nicholl looked set to win again in heat two, only to slow late on handing victory to Dougherty.
The final kicked off with a big crash on the Brown Trout Bend in the opening laps which eliminated a number of cars. Once things settled down Adam McMullan hit the front, and he held on to take the silverware from Dougherty and James Steele.

Ninja Karts
There was also a big grid of Ninja Karts on hand, and young racer Paul Crooks took his first ever win in the opening heat and celebrated in style over the line! Harry Hoy and Joey Henderson filled the places. Heat two saw a huge rollover for Matthew McNeill, as Jack Murphy took the win over William Brown and Ollie Williamson.
Henderson led much of the distance in the final, only to tangle with Cahan Bradley and Hoy in the latter stages. That opened the way for Jordan Davis to power through for the victory over Luke Grattan and Denver Bevan.

Added 10/08/2026

Rochford & Jackson On Form At Tullyroan

Another session of competitive short oval racing entertained everyone present at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday, July 25th. Portadown’s Jordan Rochford had a great night on track, scooping victory in the second round of the Hoosier Tyres Challenge Series, whilst fellow Portadown man Nigel Jackson took an unprecedented eighth victory in the Lightning Rods Tullyroan Challenge Cup.
Gregg Hyndman from Londonderry marked his return to racing with a controlled Superstox final win in the slippery conditions, whilst Kilrea’s Joshua McMullan was victorious in the Thunder Rods and recently crowned Irish Open Champion, Jack Morrison from Portadown, took the Junior Productions honours.

Only a week after the British Championship, it was great to see a 19-car turnout take to the Tullyroan track for Round 2 of the Hoosier Challenge Series. Dean McFarland pulled out a substantial lead in the opening heat before a late race yellow flag, called when Ally Neill lost a wheel. That gave World Champion Adam Hylands the opportunity to power ahead at the restart to win over Jordan Rochford and McFarland. Londonderry’s McFarland made no mistake in heat two, winning at a canter over Andy Best and Ronan McNally.
The final saw McFarland and Rochford share the front row on what was now a damp, slippery track. Rochford wasted no time hitting the front, and from there he pulled clear to take a clear win and receive a new race tyre from the series sponsors. James McKinney got the better of a great scrap with Hylands to take second, with new British Champion Callum Doak in fourth.

An excellent field of Lightning Rods, including several Tipperary Raceway visitors, were on hand to contest the Tullyroan Challenge Cup. European Champion Jake Morgan took the honours in heat one ahead of a tight battle for second between Nigel Jackson and Mark McBurney. Heat two saw Irish Champion Ross Houston take the win from a hard charging Ronan O’Connor.
Jackson quickly assumed the lead in the Tullyroan Challenge Cup final, with McBurney in second until Houston found a way past. Jackson controlled things from the front to take an amazing eighth victory in the race, despite looking as though he had hit mechanical trouble on the final lap. Houston held off the advances of Michael Moloney to take second, with McBurney and O’Connor rounding out the top five. Brandon Litter and then Neil Hyndman had spells ahead in the opening Superstox heat, but it was Stephen Stewart who pounced on the last lap to snatch an excellent victory ahead of the newlywed Dean Catherwood and Jamie McCann. Litter again led heat two, but this time Stewart hit the front just past half way to record his second win of the night and earn an upgrade for the final.
With the track at it’s worst for the final, Gregg Hyndman came into his own and quickly stretched out quite an advantage that he wouldn’t lose all the way home. As he took a fantastic win, British and Irish Champion Jordan Robinson also impressed on his way to second ahead of Troy Crawford and Neil Hyndman.

The Thunder Rods made one of the their regular visits to Tullyroan, with Jason Darragh the winner of the opening heat before Sam Dougherty sped to a career first victory in heat two.
The racing was close and exciting all evening, and in the final it was Joshua McMullan who edged clear to record the victory over star men Liam Wilson and James Goldie.

The teenagers in the Junior Productions were as close and competitive as ever, with the race wins unfortunately being decided in the post race scrutineering checks. Luke Goligher had driven superbly to take the flag in all three races, only to fail a post final weight check. That saw him unfortunately excluded from all three races on the night, meaning the heat wins ultimately went to Ryan Abernethy and Casey Cherry, with Jack Morrison inheriting the final victory ahead of Charlie Hill and Leyton Hughes.

Added 27/07/2026

Young Guns To The Fore At Aghadowey Speedweekend

A full weekend of British Championship oval racing in the sunshine at the Aghadowey Oval Speedweekend saw big wins for some talented young drivers. Seventeen-year-old Portadown driver Callum Doak took a sensational victory in the 2.0 Hot Rods British Championship, whilst the youngest driver in the Stock Rods field, Scotland’s 16-year-old David Philp Jnr Jnr, also claimed British Championship glory.
In the junior formula’s there were another two British titles up for grabs, with Norfolk’s Ralph Payne winning in the Ninja Karts for 6-11 year olds and Antrim teenager Leyton Hughes successfully defending his British title in the Junior Productions.
Portadown’s Adam Heatrick took a perfect hat-trick in the National Hot Rods on Sunday, whilst Josh Goligher from Limavady took a heat and final double in Saturday night’s 1600 Rookie Bangers.

2.0 Hot Rods
There was some excellent racing in the 2.0 Hot Rods British Championship qualifying heats, with defending champion Conor Hughes taking the opening heat win, followed up by victories for World Champion Adam Hylands and local Aghadowey racer Aaron Stewart.
On aggregate points the polesitter for the British final on Sunday was Callum Doak, all the more creditable in that he had completed a 44-mile charity run between Tullyroan Oval and Aghadowey Oval on Saturday before racing commenced – an absolutely unbelievable achievement. Callum then went on to control the British Championship title race, briefly losing the lead the Hylands before snatching it back in the heavy backmarking traffic. As Portadown teenager Doak celebrated his first ever major title win on what was an absolute dream weekend for him, Scotland’s Jason Secker and Hylands completed the podium places.
Ethan Dilly drove the race of his life to win the British Revenge race, before Secker claimed the NI Open ahead of Jordan Rochford and Doak.

Stock Rods
A cosmopolitan field of Stock Rods competed in their British Championship, with the heats falling to Cork’s Darragh O’Shea, Meath’s Declan O’Connor and Tipperary’s Eogan Burke. Two excellent heats had annexed pole spot for O’Connor, but in an explosive start to the British Championship final he lost out as Scotland’s Davy Philp Jnr Jnr powered ahead. The sixteen-year-old showed experience way beyond his years to take the win in superb style, heading home Harry Minish and Sam McNeice at the chequered flag.
Sunday saw Irish Masters heats shared by O’Connor and McNeice, before O’Connor dominated the final to take the title ahead of Scotland’s Robbie Armit and Minish. Junior Productions
The teenage stars in the Junior Productions contested their British title on Saturday night, with heat wins shared between Antrim’s defending champion Leyton Hughes, Scotland’s Callum Ritchie and Portadown’s Jack Morrison. Hughes then held top spot in the British title race from flag to flag to successfully defend his crown, despite huge pressure for the majority of the distance from Morrison and third placed Casey Cherry.
Sunday saw heats wins going to Cherry, Noah Teggart and Hughes, before Cherry led the Irish Open Championship with Morrison right on his case. With just three laps to go Morrison saw his opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, surging home to win from Cherry and Charlie Johnston.

Ninja Karts
It was a real festival of Ninja Karts racing with a huge field on hand for their British Championship. Saturday’s heats fell to Scottish duo of Alfie Shevill and Rory Wilson, and England’s Ralph Payne. Sunday’s British Championship final was a nail-biting affair from start to finish, and after a late caution period it was Payne who raced home to the title win after a great drive ahead of World Champion George Cooper from East Anglia and Portadown’s Jaxon Cairns.
Irish Champion Jack Murphy then won the British Revenge race, before an exciting Irish Open Championship also fell to Murphy ahead of Wilson and Shevill.

National Hot Rods
The elite National Hot Rods raced in the opening round of their 2027 World Series, and it was Adam Heatrick who took both heat wins in his Mazda. Shane Murray chased him home in heat one before Allen Cherry claimed runner up slot in heat two.
The final turned into the race of the weekend, with leader Heatrick fighting a rearguard battle against Murray before much of the rest of the field joined the scrap late on. Murray was great value as he got his nose ahead by the slenderest of margins in the closing stages, but Heatrick just held on when it mattered to complete his hat-trick in a blanket finish. Murray, World Champion Glenn Bell and Derek Martin chased him across the line.

1600 Rookie Bangers
The exciting Rookie Bangers added an extra dimension to Saturday’s proceedings. Alan Haugh snatched the heat one win on the last bend from Karl Smyth, before Josh Goligher took a very lively heat two. Goligher then grabbed the King of Aghadowey final too to complete a double for the night, ahead of Haugh and Steven Boyd.

Many thanks to our Speedweekend sponsors, Cherry Pipes & Scrapco

Added 20/07/2026

Bomb Squad Race To Bangers Teams Title

A fine midsummer’s evening at Tullyroan Oval on Saturday, June 20th, produced healthy grids and exciting racing for the big crowd on hand. Local Birches man Alan Haugh stormed through to a heat and final win in the 1600 Rookie Bangers, which helped his family team, ‘The Bomb Squad’, to the Irish Teams Championship title.
Arguably the best finish of the night came from the Superstox, as Portadown’s Paddy Murphy just held on to win the Neil Davison Memorial Cup, whilst Banbridge teenager Noah Teggart won the Moffett Shield for Junior Productions. The other feature race winners were Nutts Corner’s Mark Crawford in the Stock Rods and Cullybackey’s World Champion Curtis Greer in the 1400 Stock Cars.

The opening 1600 Rookie Bangers heat saw an exciting finish, as Alan Haugh stormed past leader Steven Bolton on the last lap to take the win for The Bomb Squad, with important points up for grabs in the quest for the Irish Teams Championship. Heat two was again full of action, with Steven Boyd from Bad Company taking victory ahead of Josh Goligher from Team Golly.
There were a couple of stoppages in the final as the action continued apace, but it was Alan Haugh who raced to victory despite having to survive the restarts from the front. His brother Steven Haugh came through late on for second to seal the Teams Championship win for The Bomb Squad, with Bolton and Karl Smyth next home.

The opening Superstox heat saw a popular flag to flag win for teenager Brandon Litter, as he held off Paddy Murphy and Jamie McCann. Litter again led early in heat two until Murphy powered ahead to win from Stephen Stewart and Steven Haugh.
The final, for the Neil Davison Memorial Cup, was a superb race. Neil Hyndman was ahead until Murphy then hit the front, but as the laps dwindled down the star duo of Jordan Robinson and Haugh were bearing down on him fast. Going into the last lap it was anyone’s race, but as the bumpers were used hard into the final bend, Murphy was able to withstand the pressure from behind to take the win. Robinson had made a fantastic effort on the last bend but had to settle for second, ahead of Haugh in third. Murphy collected the superb cup and a new tyre from Neil’s family, with Litter getting the best white grade finisher award. A very healthy field of Junior Productions saw a packed raceway all evening, with Austin Grattan leading the opening heat until National, British and Irish Champion Leyton Hughes powered past late on to grab the win. Heat two went the way of another star grader, as Casey Cherry took the win over Noah Teggart and Jack Morrison.
The Moffett Shield final saw Grattan the early leader until Teggart went to the front at half distance. He was challenged late on by Hughes, but when Morrison got involved too it earned Teggart the break he needed to race home to a very deserved win indeed. Morrison snatched second ahead of Hughes and Cherry, with Grattan taking the award for the best White or Yellow grade finisher.

Another big field of Stock Rods were bolstered by three very welcome visitors from Tipperary Raceway. Ryan Carroll showed well out front early on, but it was Mark Crawford who came through for the win despite the best efforts of Mark Foster who took second. Foster went one better in heat two, taking the victory over Crawford and Neil Capper.
Capper led the final until well past half-distance, but he was unable to hold off the advances of Crawford. Mark swooped past to take it up, racing home to complete a morale boosting double for the night. Foster, Sam Wilson and Eogan Burke completed the top four.

The opening 1400 Stock Cars heat saw a clear win for Matthew McKinstry ahead of Matthew Weir and Curtis Greer. Heat two saw newcomers Ciaran Doris and Norman Purdy have spells in the top spot, before World Champion Curtis Greer sliced through the field to take a great win over Gary Freeburn and Josh McKinstry.
The final was a cracking race, with Alexander McCreadie, Curtis McConkey, Weir and Matthew McKinstry having a great battle for the lead. But Greer was soon there too, and he hit the front despite McKinstry’s best efforts to come back at him. Greer took a pleasing win, and in the process wrapped up the 2025/26 NI points Championship, with McConkey hanging on for second despite a last bend assault from Fionn Donnelly.

Added 12/07/2026

Hughes & Corry Crowned Kings of Aghadowey

A fine, dry evening at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday, June 13th, saw some tremendous racing served up on track by the five formulas in action. Antrim’s Conor Hughes claimed the 2.0 Hot Rods King of Aghadowey crown, whilst Portadown ace Mark Corry took the King of Aghadowey for the Lightning Rods. The other feature race winners at the meeting were Meath’s Declan O’Connor in the Stock Rods, Portadown’s Steven Haugh in the Superstox and Ballymoney driver Norman Purdy in the Thunder Rods.

The opening 2.0 Hot Rods heat saw Kells driver Shane McMillan take the win despite late pressure from Jordan Rochford and Callum Doak, before the reversed grid heat two went the way of Conor Hughes ahead of Thomas Dilly and James McKinney.
On aggregate points from the heats Hughes and Rochford shared the front row for the King of Aghadowey race, with Conor quickly pulling clear out front. A great battle for second ensued, with McKinney holding sway until a superb move into turn one from Doak saw him grab the runner up slot. Hughes was well down the road by now though, taking an emphatic win over Doak, Rochford and McKinney.

The Lightning Rods utilised graded heats, with both falling the way of Mark McBurney with ease. He claimed the opener ahead of a huge places battle that went the way of Conor Doherty ahead of Irish Champ Ross Houston. Heat two was once again a McBurney benefit, as he won at a canter to beat Houston and Mark Corry.
World Cup holder Corry quickly found a way past pole man McBurney in the King of Aghadowey final, but he soon had Houston and a number of others squabbling at his heels. Mark held resolute all the way home to take the chequered flag after an intense encounter, with Ian Hobson great value in second after a fine outside run. McBurney, Stuart Agnew and Andrew Woods were next home. Neil Capper and Jaydon Brunton both led a big field of Stock Rods early on in heat one, before star man Harry Minish powered through to win ahead of European Champion Dan Shannon and Darragh O’Shea. Recent Junior Productions graduate Ryan Jackson impressed out front in heat two, but he succumbed to a late charge from the evergreen Victor McAfee as he took the win. Jackson and Sam McNeice completed the top three.
Jackson again set the pace in the final, but come mid distance he was being chased hard by Minish. Just as Harry arrived to commence battle he hit mechanical issues and retired in a cloud of smoke. That left Declan O’Connor to chase the leader, and he pulled off a superb outside line pass with less than three laps remaining to take a very good win indeed. Jackson could be well pleased with second, ahead of Shannon, McAfee and Samuel Murphy.

A much improved field of Superstox impressed all evening with some excellent racing, and the opening heat fell to Sean Mark after early pacesetter Neil Hyndman and then Ethan Martin tripped over backmarking traffic. Behind Sean, Martin and Steven Haugh completed the placemen. Heat two saw plenty of action early on, with Mark going ahead before star grader Dean Catherwood sped through to win over Jamie McCann and Haugh.
Hyndman hit the front early in the final until he hit problems, handing the mantle to Martin. But Ethan had no answer to the flying World Champion Haugh, Steven slicing through to yet another win and in some style too. McCann, Martin, Jordan Robinson and Mark completed the top five.

The Thunder Rods fielded a very impressive 22 cars, with Toby Hutton leading the opening heat until the very last lap, when Jordan Nicholl pulled off an impressive outside line overtake to win, with Hutton and Lee McCloy next home. Heat two saw lady racer Stephanie Hawthorne lead the pack for almost the whole distance, until Norman Purdy went ahead late on. But Purdy has docked by the Steward for an incident earlier in the race, handing a first ever career win to a delighted Hawthorne.
The final was action packed on a very busy track indeed, with Hutton showing well out front until Purdy showed his hand in the closing stages. Norman powered past with five laps to go, and this time there was no penalty to worry about and he collected the silverware. McCloy and Hutton completed the top three ahead of Adam McKinney and James Steele.

Added 12/07/2026