Race Report: Round 2 of Club Grasstrack Championship

Wednesday 28th May saw Carrickfergus and District Motorcycle Club hold Round 2 of their Club Grasstrack Championship at Loughside Farm in Islandmagee.  After the success and close racing of round one everyone was looking forward to round two.  Once again the crowds came out in force and were entertained to another night of fantastic racing.

Mervyn Garrett

In the Pro Class guest rider Tommy Merton on his KTM was runaway winner in race two and three but Niall McCauley took advantage of a poor start from Merton to win race one.  Phil Harris was a close second in race one with Steven Arnott, William Saunderson and Frank Orr completing the Top five.  Newtownards rider Jordan Scott made the trip to Islandmagee to move into the lead of the Grade C section of the Pro class on his GSR/RDMX 250F Honda. Following results on the night Phil Harris from Comber has now edged his way past Niall McCauley in the championship. After two rounds of the club championship Phil Harris now leads local rider Niall McCauley by just six points! This battle could go right down to the wire with only two rounds remaining in the championship.

The Pro AM Class again served up some good racing with Mervyn Garrett and Michael Mooney both finishing the night in a strong position in the Championship.  Mervyn on the 450 Honda had a win in race three to his delight after a mechanical failure cost him a race win at the last round. Michael ended up with two second place finishes and a third on the Green Kawasaki Machine. Michael Mooney now leads the championship after two rounds from John Robb and Mervyn Garret. Michael remains the only rider in the top three in the Pro AM championship to finish every race in the championship.

Reece Boal

The Quad class saw Michael Taggart and Reece Boal each get a win over the three races. The pair both had some close races throughout with Michael remaining the more consistent rider on the night with a race win and two second place finishes. This gave Michael the overall win at the end of the night with Reece and Geoffrey Ingram Jnr completing the top three. Michael has now stretched his lead in the championship to fourteen points over Geoffrey Ingram Jnr. with Reece Boal still in third place.

The bumper crowd also enjoyed the younger members of the club making an appearance in the youth class with a few 1st time riders out on the track to gain vital experience.  The club is looking to hold open days in the coming months to encourage young riders into the sport.  There will be experienced riders on the day to pass on vital tips when competing in this exciting sport.

The Carrickfergus and District Motorcycle Club would again like to thank everyone who made the event an enjoyable evening, including the landowners, Trevor and Louise Marsden for their continued support. We hope to see as big a crowd again on 18th June 2008 for the first round of the Summer Grasstrack Series also to be held at Loughside Farm, Islandmagee

If you were at the previous event the club would like to hear your thoughts on the event, please log onto www.carrickfergusmcc.co.uk, and post your comments on our new club forums.

In due course there will also be a full set of results, championship standings and event photos from rounds 1 and 2 of the club championship. The next race is on Wednesday 18th June racing from 6.30pm, further details can be found on our website. The club meets on the 1st Tuesday of every month at The Knockagh Lodge in Greenisland from 8pm.  Anyone keen to get into the sport is welcome to come along.

Words – Iain Kelly & Ryan Denney, Images – Ryan Denney

 

 

Overall Results – Wednesday 28th May – Round 2

Pro Class
Grade A section
1. Tommy Merton – 80 Points
2. Phil Harris – 73 Points
3. Niall Macaulay – 57 points

Grade B Section
1. William Saunderson – 69 points
2. Stephen Megarry – 43 points
3. Frank Orr – 41 points

Grade C Section
1. Jordan Scott – 40 points
2. Steven Arnott – 39 points
3. John Reid – 28 points

Pro AM Class
1. Mervyn Garrett – 82 points
2. Michael Mooney – 79 points
3. Ian Mairs – 69 points
4. John Robb – 60 points
5. Darren Bradford – 53 points
6. Brian Rodgers – 49 points

Quad Class
1. Michael Taggart – 84 points
2. Reece Boal – 78 points
3. Geoffrey Ingram Jnr. – 75 points
4. Rider Number #11
5. Brian Kerr
6. Geoffrey Ingram Snr.

Championship standings available on club website