Lightning times at Aghadowey

1600 Lightning Rods

Heat 1 and 18 cars took to the track. Rodney Newton and Kyle Tannahill were the early pace setters.

However Robert McIlroy made his way through the white roofs and took his first win of the season ahead of Kyle Tannahill in second and Mark Frew in third.

Heat 2 and Kyle Tannahill got out in front and opened up a good lead. Sammy Stewart made good progress through the field and got up to second spot behind the leader but Tannahill held off the late challenge from Stewart and took his first win this season.

Stewart finished a respectable second and Dermot Donnelly third.

In the final KyleTannahill took the early lead yet again with Mark Frew following in close pursuit.

Jerome Doherty made his way up through the field and past the leader but as he had made contact with Robert McIlroy this resulted in him being docked a place.

So Kyle Tannahill rightfully took the win with Jerome Doherty in second and Mark

Frew third.

Bangers

Heat 1 and it was a maiden victory for Brian McMullan. On the first lap John Joe McAfee spun Samuel Purdy and McMullan took the lead. In the final stages Lee McCloy was closing in on McMullan but ran out of laps.

McMullan took the win ahead of McCloy and JJ McAfee recovering well for third place.

In heat 2 John Joe McAfee and Samuel Purdy led the field away.

McAfee took the lead and opened up a gap ahead of heat one winner Brian McMullan and Karl Smyth. McAfee took an easy win with McMullan finishing second and Smyth in third.

In the final John Joe McAfee took an early lead with Karl Smyth, Lee McCloy and Mark McLaughlin in close pursuit. However the two red Graders could do nothing to stop JJ McAfee who is certainly flying at the minute. JJ McAfee took a good win with Karl Smyth in second and Lee McCloy in third.

Junior Stocks

Heat 1 saw a new face out on track Darryl McAleese number 38. Stephen Kerry and Darryl McAleese led the field away. Glen White caught the top two racers, got round the outside of the pair and took up the lead.

White stretched out a good lead from himself and Curtis Greer. Glen White took the win ahead of Curtis Greer and Lauren McIlroy who was out in her new Corsa.

In Heat two Glen White got ahead of the pack took early on and opened up a very good lead ahead of new comer Darryl McAleese who was going very well for his first night out.

The two red roof stars Curtis Greer and Andrew Gamble made their way up through the field and in to second and third spot. Glen White took the chequered flag, his second win of the night with Cullybackey driver Curtis Greer in second and Andrew Gamble in third.

In the Final Darryl McAleese led the field away but Glen White caught McAleese and made his move up the inside to take up the lead.

Lauren McIlroy also made her move on newcomer McAleese and moved up to second spot. In the closing stages White slowed with engine problems and Lauren McIlroy took up the lead in her new Cors.

She held off the late challenge from Greer, Gamble and McAleese to take her second Final win of this season. She certainly showed that the girls can beat the boys!

Cullybackey driver Curtis Greer finished second, his third podium of the night, and Andrew Gamble from Rasharkin finished in third.

Open Hotrods

Another new face was on track for heat 1 was Coleraine man Geoffrey Nevin. Dungannon man Lindsay Ferry led the field away with Paul Nevin following closely behind however he ran out of time to make his move and Ferry took the chequered flag. Paul Nevin finished second ahead of his brother Geoffrey Nevin in third.

Heat 2 and again Ferry led the field away with Paul Nevin in close pursuit.

Ferry gradually pulled away and took his second win of the evening. Paul Nevin finished second with Ballymena man Robin Morrow in third place.

In the final Paul Nevin got the break he needed and took an early lead, however Lindsay Ferry caught the Sierra man, made his move up the inside and took over the lead. Lindsay Ferry never looked back and took his third win of the night with Geoffrey Nevin finishing second, and Paul Nevin in third.

2L Sierras

Ronnie White was back out in action after his big crash in practice last meeting and he proved his car is still fit to win races as he took the win in heat 1. Andrew Percy finished a close second with Peter Henderson in third.

Heat 2 and the grid was reversed. Peter Henderson made his way past early leader Ronnie White and opened up a good lead. Andrew Percy also got past White at the Brown Trout corner.

Peter Henderson took the flag ahead of Andrew Percy which left Ronnie White in third place.

In the Final Andrew Percy took the early lead and opened up a good lead over White & Henderson.

White closed the gap but could find no way past Percy.

So Randalstown man Andrew Percy took the win ahead of Ronnie White, who finished on Percy’s back bumper, and Peter Henderson in third.

A Speed Weekend is planned for Friday 25 June and Saturday 26 June with Aghadowey Championship for all classes and a Destruction Derby to top it all off on the Saturday afternoon. Racing starts on Friday night at 7.15pm as usual and on Saturday at 1.00pm. Come and see the thrills and spills – Fun for all the family.

Photographs courtesy of AlexScottPhotographyNI

WEBSITE: www.aghadowey-stockcar-stadium.co.uk