Litter cleans up at Raceway

The dry conditions produced some fast racing with Ed Litter the man on form, notching up a heat and final double. Nigel Doherty was another driver celebrating after the Garvagh man captured the Wm. McMaster Perpetual Shield with a fine win in the Group Two Lightning Rod final.

In the other classes there was a first final win of 2010 for Alastair Bolton in the Stock Rods and young Bradley McKinstry made it two final wins on the trot in the Junior Rod section.

TWO-LITRE HOT RODS

Gary O'Neill withstood a stern examination from Ed Litter to open the evening with a victory in heat one, but Litter would not be denied in the second heat and motored home well clear of Leigh Nicholl.

The heat races determined the grid positions for the final, which was round 2 of the Hoosier Tires / LJN DeSigns Series, and pitted the two race winners alongside each other on the front row. Litter blasted off the line into the lead, but O'Neill dropped down to fourth as Glen Hetherington and Gary Wilson bustled through to challenge the leader.

As the laps run down the pressure was piled onto the race leader, but Litter coolly kept his Ford Fiesta out front to secure the spoils. Wilson snatched second from Hetherington on the final lap, with the rest of the top six completed by Garry Campbell, O'Neill and round one winner Adam Heatrick.

Heat One: 1. Gary O'Neill (Limavady), 2. Ed Litter (Waringstown), 3. Glen Hetherington (Dungannon)

Heat Two: 1. Litter, 2. Leigh Nicholl (Limavady), 3. O'Neill

Final: 1s Litter, 2. Gary Wilson (Ballyclare), 3. Hetherington

STOCK RODS

Former Irish Champion Alastair Bolton bounced back to form with an impressive win in the opening heat race which featured seventeen entries.

Lee Johnston was the victor in heat two, with Bolton second on this occasion, but Bolton soon returned to winning ways with another splendid show in the final. William Laffin followed the race winner home after a steady drive in his Vauxhall Nova and it proved to be a good race for the Laffin team as Freddie Laffin finished third in his new car.

Not so good however for Frankie Lynn, the former British Champion disqualified in this one after a clash with UK Masters winner Raymond Harper. Victor McAfee, Harper and Jonathan Cardwell rounded out the top six.

Heat One: 1. Alastair Bolton (Ballymoney), 2. Carl Sloan (Kells), 3. William Laffin (Coleraine)

Heat Two: 1. Lee Johnston (Portadown), 2. Bolton, 3. Jonathan Cardwell (Upper Ballinderry)

Final: 1. Bolton, 2. W. Laffin, 3. Freddie Laffin (Coleraine)

GROUP TWO LIGHTNING RODS

Two reverse grid qualifying heats determined the grid positions for the Wm. McMaster Perpetual Shield race.

Twenty-three cars lined up for the first qualifier where Stephen Doherty got the better of a tight battle with David Wilson to record victory. James Goldie motored away from the field to secure a commanding victory in race two, but another solid finish from Doherty earned the Garvagh man pole position for the final.

It was the other Doherty brother, Nigel, who made all the right moves in the trophy race however, taking up the lead at the end of lap one and comfortably holding the rest at bay for the duration. A hectic scrap for second was eventually resolved in favour of Shane Gault, with Irish Champion Daniel Norris in third.

Heat One: 1. Stephen Doherty (Garvagh), 2. David Wilson (Cullybackey), 3. David Gillespie (Ballymena)

Heat Two: 1. James Goldie (Ballymena), 2. Graham Young (Limavady), 3. Gary Thompson (Cookstown)

Final: 1. Nigel Doherty (Garvagh), 2. Shane Gault (Glarryford), 3. Daniel Norris (Ballymena)

JUNIOR RODS

Sean McFerran was in dominant form in the Junior Rod heat races. In both events the Portglenone lad sped through the pack in his Vauxhall Corsa to claim dominant wins.

Newcomer Jamie McCurdy led the early stages of the final in his Nissan Micra before Bradley McKinstry nipped ahead in his Vauxhall Nova.

Heat winner McFerran lost some time as he battled his way past Dean McCrory and was forced to settle for second this time as McKinstry held on to claim his second final win in a row at Raceway.

Heat One: 1. Sean McFerran (Portglenone), 2. James Steele (Cullybackey), 3. Jamie McCurdy (Aughafatten)

Heat Two: 1. McFerran, 2. Bradley McKinstry (Nutts Corner), 3. Steele

Final: 1. McKinstry, 2. McFerran, 3. Steele

THIS WEEKEND

The action continues at Raceway this Friday (September 3) when the 2010 Ballymena Raceway Junior Rod champion will be crowned.

A real battle is expected between big rivals Sean McFerran and Dean McCrory in that one, with Cullybackey’s James Steele another contender.

The DmAc Coachworks sponsored meeting also features action from the F2 Stock Car, Saloon Stock Car, Stock Rod and Group Two Lightning Rod classes, with the first race getting underway in the Ballymena Showgrounds at 7:15pm.