Raceway season comes to thrilling finale

Top of the bill was the S. McAfee & Son Car Sales backed Stock Rod Irish Championship where a new name was added to the list of champions when Stevie McNiece claimed the title for the first time.

In the other classes Broughshane’s Freddie Fleck capped a fine season by clinching the Group Two Lightning Rod Golden Helmet Trophy, James Litter was crowned ProStock Stadium Champion and Jaye Nevin steered his Peugeot 206cc home to secure the HSS Hire Super League Series in the Open Hot Rod division.

The loudest cheer of the evening however was reserved for local lad Chris Gordon who was presented with the Gilmore Engineering Stock Rod World Championship trophy after recently being confirmed as 2012 World Champion.

STOCK RODS

Eighteen drivers took to the track for the Irish Championship race with defending Champion Raymond Harper way down the starting line-up on grid 14.

The race started in spectacular style when a massive pile-up on the opening lap wiped out almost half the field including World Champion Chris Gordon.

Only eleven cars were able to take the restart where Micky McFall set the initial pace out front from Stevie McNiece and Derek McMillan. The leader was under severe pressure however and was forced to yield his lead to McNiece who immediately began to ease out a cushion over McMillan and McFall.

As the race progressed McFall’s Vauxhall Nova picked up the pace again and elbowed past McMillan at Suffolk bend to run second, but could not make any impression on the leader as McNiece reeled off the remaining laps to claim the coveted title for the first time after a well judged drive.

Unfortunately McFall was disqualified from the official results when his car failed the post race scrutineering checks, which promoted McMillan to second with Harper in third. Jonny Cardwell finished fourth with Lee Johnston in fifth and Michael McKendry a fine sixth in his first championship race. The support race brought a win for outgoing champion Harper.

2012 Irish Championship: 1. Stevie McNiece (Newtownhamilton), 2. Raymond Harper (Dundrod), 3. Derek McMillan (Kells), 4. Jonny Cardwell (Ballinderry), 5. Lee Johnston (Portadown), 6. Michael McKendry (Ballymena)

Support Race: 1. Harper, 2. McMillan, 3. Mark Morrell (Ahoghill).

GROUP TWO LIGHTNING RODS

Two reverse grid qualifying heats determined the starting positions for the Golden Helmet Trophy and the first of these brought a win for Freddie Fleck with a fast finishing Curtis Greer in second.

The second qualifier went the way of Noel Hazlett, but a ninth place for Fleck, coupled with his first race win, earned the Broughshane man pole position for the final. Jason Clyde joined Fleck on the front row, with Hazlett and Samuel Montgomery on row two and it was these four who were the main protagonists for the splendid Golden Helmet Trophy.

Fleck grabbed the early lead, but could not shake off the close attentions of Clyde with Hazlett also well in contention. Clyde almost sneaked through on the exit of Fisherwick bend which tempted Hazlett to attempt a sweeping move around the outside of both leaders, but Fleck coolly withstood all their advances to take the chequered flag after a fine effort.

Disappointingly there were problems in the post race checks here as well which saw both Clyde and David Gillespie excluded. Hazlett was officially classified in second and Montgomery in third, with the top six completed by Mark Turtle, Rodney Fleck and Stewart Nicholl.

Heat One: 1. Freddie Fleck (Broughshane), 2. Curtis Greer (Cullybackey), 3. Rodney Fleck (Broughshane)

Heat Two: 1. Noel Hazlett (Ballymena), 2. Samuel Montgomery (Castlerock), 3. Paul Dunn (Castlerock)

Golden Helmet Trophy: 1. F. Fleck, 2. Hazlett, 3. Montgomery, 4. Mark Turtle (Ballymena), 5. R. Fleck, 6. Stewart Nicholl (Kilrea).

OPEN HOT RODS

This was the final round of the HSS Hire Super League Series and the results achieved in the two heat races were added to those already scored in the previous rounds to determine the grid for the series final.

Jaye Nevin stretched away from the pack to claim a flag to flag win in the opening heat before Bill McCurdy guided his Vauxhall Corsa to the flag in heat two. With the points tallied it was Jaye Nevin who earned pole position for the series final, with Gareth Nevin alongside on the front row.

The opening lap had not even been completed when Gareth Nevin and Davy Gurney touched which sent Gurney’s Peugeot 205 into the safety wall. With Gurney’s stricken car removed the action resumed with Jaye Nevin out front. McCurdy had worked his way through from fifth on the grid to second and the pair fought out a cat and mouse battle over the remaining laps. McCurdy just could not make up the tantalising gap to the leader however as Nevin held on for a well judged win.

Heat One: 1. Jaye Nevin (Coleraine), 2. Bill McCurdy (Aughafatten), 3. Davy Gurney (Londonderry)

Heat Two: 1. McCurdy, 2. Gurney, 3. Nevin

Final: 1. J. Nevin, 2. McCurdy, 3. Gareth Nevin (Coleraine), 4. Simon Kennedy (Dungannon), 5. Jonathan Nevin (Coleraine)

PRO-STOCKS

Fourteen competitors contested the Stadium Championship where British Champion Ryan Abernethy was in dominant form during the heats.

The Dungannon man steered his Vauxhall Astra to convincing victories in both qualifying races to secure pole position for the final. James Litter gave Abernethy a run for his money in the opening laps of the Championship race, but normal service was quickly resumed when Abernethy began to stretch his advantage over his pursuers.

With only 3 laps remaining however the leader’s car retired in a cloud of smoke with a blown engine which left the way clear for Litter to sneak through for an unlikely win. Stefan McClelland finished second, with Davy Morrison, Ricky Shaw, Garvin Houston and Thomas Agnew completing the top six finishers.

Heat One: 1. Ryan Abernethy (Dungannon), 2. Thomas Morrison (Portadown), 3. James Litter (Lurgan)

Heat Two: 1. Abernethy, 2. Litter, 3. Stefan McClelland (Portadown)

2012 Stadium Championship: 1. Litter, 2. McClelland, 3. Morrison, 4. Ricky Shaw (Antrim), 5. Garvin Houston, 6. Thomas Agnew (Magheralin)

NEXT MEETING

The next action at Ballymena Raceway will be the traditional holiday meeting on New Year’s Day 2013 (2pm start).

The Winter National Championship for National Hot Rods will be the top event on the programme, supported by 2-Litre Hot Rods, Stock Rods, Group Two Lightning Rods and Junior Rods.