Mid-Antrim officials vow to bounce back from ‘150’ blow

The event - one of the Ballymena borough’s flagship sporting occasions - was called off on Saturday morning after what is believed to have been a deliberate oil spill on the Clough circuit.

Despite hours of clean-up operations, involving scores of volunteers, Clerk of the Course Jack Agnew eventually abandoned the racing at 12.30pm, following a stewards’ meeting.

With feelings understandably running high, the Mid-Antrim club has moved quickly to quell anger among racegoers and the motorcycling fraternity in general.

Club Public Relations officer Brian Smith said: “On behalf of the club I would like to confirm that we do not suspect any person living on or near the circuit of any wrongdoing.

“The Mid-Antrim club are now looking to a bigger and better 150 in 2012,” added Brian.

Times Sport understands that the club has been inundated with requests for programmes and offers of help as it seeks to address the financial cost of the non-running of the event.

Offers of the provision of all-night security have been made for next year’s event, while the formation of a Mid-Antrim 150 supporters’ club is also a distinct possibility.

Riders backed the Clerk of the Course’s reluctant decision to call a halt to proceedings, with multiple road race winner Ryan Farquhar saying: “Accidents and weather can disrupt things and we accept that, but this is something completely different.

“It’s not fair to all the riders, race organisers and fans who make the racing happen.”

Cloughmills rider Jeff Shaw added: “It’s OK for boys to say ‘I want to race’ but at the end of the day, if a rider gets hurt or worse, it’s Jack’s head on the block. In my opinion it was the only proper call he could have made.”

Ballymena Times motorcycling correspondent Roy Adams said the call-off had been a bitter blow for the hard-working organising committee.

“After a well run practice evening, we were all set for a great day’s racing before the cowardly actions of whoever spilt the oil.

“It’s really sad that months of planning, preparation and work by dozens of club members, Ballymena Borough Council and all the sponsors was destroyed in a few seconds.

“It’s scary to think that this oil was lying on the road at a time when the road was still open and course residents and the general public would have been going about their everyday business.

“One thing about this is that it has brought the bike racing community together and if that can help the Mid-Antrim club in the future then something good may come out of the whole nasty episode,” added Roy.

Former Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor Maurice Mills, a keen bike racing fan, said: “I only hope that justice will take its course and police will find the appropriate evidence to mount a prosecution on those who committed an act of criminal damage and ruined a constructive community event.

“It put lives in needless danger and brought a year’s work to a fruitless end,” added Councillor Mills.

Tracey Gregg, of Clough Community Association, who had worked closely with the race organisers as part of the village’s Civic Week said: “After such a great week, it was soul-destroying what happened on Saturday and we hope the races return next year even bigger and better.”