Drivers turn up heat in chilly start to new Raceway year

However, the difficult conditions did not prevent the racers from providing some hot track action to warm up the hardy race fans.

Main event of the afternoon was the 2014 Winter National Championship for the National Hot Rods which was successfully retained by former World Champion Keith Martin.

Also celebrating was Ballymena’s Noel Hazlett, the current Points Champion in the GP2 class, who added the Winter Cup to his collection of honours. Other local drivers amongst the awards at the Gilmore Engineering sponsored meeting included Ballymena’s Kenny Wilson, who took the honours in the Classic Hot Rod division and Stock Rod final winner Carl Sloan from Kells.

NATIONAL HOT RODS

Two reverse grid qualifying heats determined the grid for the Winter National Championship and the first of these brought a victory for Davy Gurney, the Londonderry based racer making his return to the class in a sparkling Vauxhall Tigra.

2005 World Champion Keith Martin followed Gurney across the line with Adam Maxwell in third. Defending Champion Martin took the honours in heat two, with Gurney second and Dublin visitor Les Compelli third on this occasion.

The qualifying results placed Gurney on pole position for the 25 lap final with Martin alongside on the front row. Martin eased ahead at the green flag and controlled the race from the front to secure the title after a strong showing in his Vauxhall Tigra. Maxwell enjoyed his best run of the day to finish as runner-up, with debutant Derek Martin an impressive third.

Broughshane racer Bill McCurdy made his first appearance in the National class at the wheel of a striking Vauxhall Tigra and brought the car home in seventh place overall after a solid performance.

2014 Winter National Championship: 1st. Keith Martin, 2nd. Adam Maxwell, 3rd. Derek Martin, 4th. Davy Gurney, 5th. Simon Kennedy, 6th. Les Compelli

CLASSIC HOT RODS/STOCK RODS

The Classics returned to Raceway after a three year absence with Kenny Wilson from Ballymena, Jackie Harris from Portavogie and Moneymore’s Caleb Howard on the grid in splendid Mk. 2 Ford Escorts.

Harris made the long trip from County Down worthwhile with a brace of victories in the heat races before local man Wilson secured a flag to flag victory in the final.

The Stock Rods ran alongside the Classics and 2013 Points Champion Carl Sloan proved to be the class of the field, rattling of a hat-trick of wins in his Vauxhall Corsa.

Classic Hot Rods Final: 1st. Kenny Wilson, 2nd. Caleb Howard, 3rd. Jackie Harris

Stock Rod Final: 1st. Carl Sloan, 2nd. Freddie Laffin

GROUP TWO LIGHTNING RODS

Two reverse grid qualifying heats determined the grid positions for the Winter Cup and the first of these went the way of Ricky Shaw in his rapid Peugeot 306.

Noel Hazlett recorded a flag to flag victory in heat two which, coupled with his third place finish in the first heat, earned the Ballymena man pole position for the final.

There was very little to choose between Hazlett and Shaw as they battled hard throughout the entire 18 laps, but it was Hazlett who kept his nose in front for the duration to capture the Winter Cup ahead of the valiant Shaw with Broughshane’s Jason Clyde in third.

Winter Supreme Cup: 1st. Noel Hazlett, 2nd. Ricky Shaw, 3rd. Jason Clyde, 4th. Samuel Montgomery, 5th. David Wilson, 6th. Freddie Fleck

EURO STOCKS

Eight competitors took to the track for the Ice Breaker Trophy where the two qualifying heats were split between Philip Doherty in his Toyota and Irish Champion Stephen Doherty, who christened his new Ford Focus with a debut win.

The results from the qualifiers pitted the heat winners together on the front row for the final where P. Doherty produced a strong performance to romp home a clear winner. S. Doherty had to be content with second on this occasion, with William McFaul Jnr. in third.

Ice Breaker Trophy: 1st. Philip Doherty, 2nd. Stephen Doherty, 3rd. William McFaul Jnr, 4th. Stephen Boyd, 5th. Joe Fleming, 6th. Johnny McCloy

JUNIOR RODS

A fine grid of 13 cars lined up for the Champions Challenge Cup which included local girl Katie McConnell making her first ever appearance at Raceway.

Peter Stewart started the afternoon with a great win in the opening heat before Niall McFerran steered his Vauxhall Corsa to victory in heat two. Heat one winner Stewart followed McFerran home in this one and those two results were enough to earn the Moneydig lad pole position for the final.

After one false start the action got underway and it was McFerran who grabbed the initiative to build up a slight advantage over a battle royal for second between Stewart and Irish Champion Aaron Moody.

Their scrap lasted for the whole duration and the pair almost reeled in the leader too after McFerran got delayed though the back markers in the closing laps. McFerran just had enough in reserve to maintain his lead to the flag after a strong performance, with Moody gaining the upper hand on Stewart to snatch second.

Champions Challenge Cup: 1st. Niall McFerran, 2nd. Aaron Moody, 3rd. Peter Stewart, 4th. David McKinnon, 5th. Jack Kennedy, 6th. Stewart

NEXT MEETING

The new season of oval racing will commence at Ballymena Raceway on Friday April 4.