Double-header for local driver Steven - in two different race formulae!

Stock Rod UK Masters winner Steven McKane (centre) with place men Wilfie McNiece (left) and Adam Sloan. Pic: Davy Park.

All in all twenty seven races were contested over the two days with a number of championship titles decided during the course of the weekend.

The stand out performer proved to be Steven McKane from Ballymena who went home with two of the big prizes on offer and in two different formulae to boot!

Stock Rod British Champion McKane returned to his Group Two Lightning Rod roots on Friday evening and proved his versatility with a convincing victory in their World Cup race, before reverting back to his normal Stock Rod on Saturday evening to lift the UK Masters title as well.

While McKane has been a regular visitor to victory lane during a success laden season, the weekend also provided a host of new winners, not least Adam Sloan from Kells. The 19 year old steered his Vauxhall Corsa home to a first ever final win in the Premier Cup race on Friday evening and backed that up with a solid run to third place in the UK Masters behind star names McKane and Wilfie McNiece.

Another racer celebrating a first ever final win on Friday evening was Gordy McKee from Templepatrick. The former Lightning Rod star switched to the ultra competitive F2 Stock Car division for 2015 and has been steadily getting to grips with his new car as the season progressed.

McKee continued his winning ways with a heat win on Saturday before Graham Fegan powered through to capture the Irish Masters Trophy ahead of McKee and Ryan McCrory.

Another first time victor was young Jaimie Hunter. The teenager secured the Junior Rod Irish Masters title in his Vauxhall Corsa ahead of Ballymena’s Joel McPeake and Jack Patchett after another entertaining display from the youngsters. The high speed National Hot Rods were in action on Saturday evening to contest Round 3 of the PC Paints & Components World Series. Andrew Stewart from Portadown qualified on pole position after a brace of heat wins in his Vauxhall Tigra and led the final for a long way too until a late race skirmish saw Gilford’s Nigel McCauley emerge victorious ahead of Gary Wilson from Ballyclare.

Other winners over the weekend included Jason Clyde, who successfully defended the GP2 Irish Open title on Saturday evening after a close battle with Andy McLeister and Karl Smyth who scorched to a hat-trick of wins in the Euro Stocks Irish Grand Prix event.

RESULTS

National Hot Rods PC Paints & Components World Series NI Round 3: 1st. Nigel McCauley, 2nd. Gary Wilson, 3rd.Stewart Doak, 4th. Carl Sloan, 5th. Keith Martin, 6th. Mark Heatrick

F2 Stock Cars Supreme Trophy: 1st. Gordon McKee, 2nd. William Murray, 3rd. Christopher Kincaid, 4th. Billy Finnegan, 5th. Craig McConnell, 6th. Sam McKay

F2 Stock Cars Irish Masters Trophy: 1st. Graham Fegan, 2nd. McKee, 3rd. Ryan McCrory, 4th. Christopher Kincaid, 5th. Craig McConnell, 6th. Sam McKay

GP2 World Cup: 1st. Steven McKane, 2nd. Jason Clyde, 3rd. Mark Turtle, 4th. Rodney Stewart, 5th. David Gillespie, 6th. Jaimie McCurdy

GP2 Irish Open: 1st. Clyde, 2nd. Andy McLeister, 3rd. Freddie Fleck, 4th. Johny Gillespie, 5th. David Reynolds, 6th. Stewart

Euro Stocks Irish Grand Prix: 1st. Karl Smyth, 2nd. Alistair Christie, 3rd. Mark Frew, 4th. Johnny McCloy, 5th. Michael McMinn, 6th. Richard McFall

Stock Rods Premier Cup: 1st. Adam Sloan, 2nd. Steven McKane, 3rd. Wilfie McNiece, 4th. Matthew McKinstry, 5th. Stephen Doherty, 6th. Fergus Bevan

Stock Rods UK Masters: 1st. McKane, 2nd. McNiece, 3rd. Sloan, 4th. McKinstry, 5th. Doherty, 6th. Gault

Junior Rods Irish Masters: 1st. Jaimie Hunter, 2nd. Joel McPeake, 3rd. Jack Patchett, 4th. Antony Kincaid, 5th. Jack Kearney, 6th. Joshua McKinstry

MEETING SPONSORS

The Raceway action over the weekend was kindly sponsored by William Moody & Son Car Sales Ballymena, NI Oval TV, CP Dynes Drainage Contractor, Anderson Racing Engines, REDZ Piano Bar & Grill Antrim and DNA Tuning Coleraine.

RYAN IN WORLD FINAL

Saloon Stock Car Irish Champion Ryan Wright heads the local challenge in the World Championship event at Mildenhall Stadium in Suffolk on Saturday evening. Ryan (28) has been the King of the Saloon Scene in recent years, winning the Irish Championship three seasons in a row! Ryan has thanked all his sponsors for their continued support: Hill Contracts, Tullymore Road Motors, Mark 2 Escort Shells and Spares, Wash’n’Dash, PC Paints & Components, Autofit Express, S. McAfee & Son Car Sales, Gilmore Engineering, Fit-a-screen, 2Ke Engineering and tyre supplier Uncle Bob.