Netball girls back in trainingSEVEN Towers Netball Club is now back in training for the new season at its St Patrick's College base. Training is on Tuesday evenings, wth Junior club from 6.30pm - 7.30pm and £1 per child per night, it is suitable for

Training is on Tuesday evenings, wth Junior club from 6.30pm - 7.30pm and 1 per child per night, it is suitable for ages 11 - 16

Senior club is from 7.30pm - 9.30pm and 3 per person per night, over 16 only and all levels of skill welcome.

The club is looing to build on an impressive season last year in which the senior team finished second in their league and clinched promotion for the second year in a rwo to the Ulster C League.

On top of that, Seven Towes also won the Mona Baird shield and had a very successful opening rally.

n impressive drive to claim the final podium position from a starting position on grid nine and the novice would later go on to secure his first ever Raceway victory in one of the support races.

In the other classes at the DmAc Coachworks sponsored meeting there was another final win for Kells whizz-kid Carl Sloan in the Stock Rods and Antrim’s Darwin Wright took the Saloon Stock Car spoils for the second Raceway meeting in a row. Track Champion Graham Fegan collected the silverware in the F2 Stock Car final and former Junior Rod Irish Champion Jason Harkness from Cullybackey claimed the Group Two Lightning Rod award.

Junior Rods

Twelve entrants lined up for the Stadium Championship with big-guns Sean McFerran and Dean McCrory side by side on the front row. The pair touched along the home straight at the start however and McCrory’ Peugeot 106 slammed into the wall and instant retirement. McFerran’s car was destined not to finish either and the Portglenone lad was another retirement as Daniel Shannon and James Steele burst through to the head of the pack. Shannon started to ease out a gap over Steele and the Glenavy lad never put a wheel out of place up front to capture the title with a composed drive. Steele was a good second with Jaimie McCurdy an impressive third in only his fourth ever race meeting. Indeed the Aughafatten lad would go on to clinch his maiden victory in one of the support races with Steele taking victory in the other.

2010 Stadium Championship: 1st. Daniel Shannon (Glenavy), 2nd. James Steele (Cullybackey), 3rd. Jaimie McCurdy (Aughafatten), 4th. Aiden McFerran (Portglenone), 5th. Aaron Moody (Ballymena), 6th. Shannon Morrow (Glenarm)

Support Race One: 1st. Steele, 2nd. Declan McFerran (Portglenone), 3rd. Shannon

Support Race Two: 1st. McCurdy, 2nd. Dean McCrory (Antrim), 3rd. Marc Morrell (Ahoghill)

Stock Rods

A grid of seventeen cars lined up for the opening heat where victory went to Colin Greer at the wheel of the Vauxhall Corsa usually driven by 2009 British Champion Frankie Lynn. The second heat brought a first win of the season for William Laffin, but it was Carl Sloan who quickly took command of the twenty lap final. The Kells teenager motored through to the front around mid-distance then powered away from his challengers, setting the fastest lap of the race on his way to a clear win in his rapid Vauxhall Corsa. Heat two winner Laffin was the runner-up with Alastair Bolton in third.

Heat One: 1st. Colin Greer (Gracehill), 2nd. Raymond Harper (Nutts Corner), 3rd. Micky McFall (Craigywarren)

Heat Two: 1st. William Laffin (Coleraine), 2nd. Carl Sloan (Kells), 3rd. Chris Gordon (Ballymena)

Final: 1st. Sloan, 2nd. Laffin, 3rd. Alastair Bolton (Ballymoney)

F2 Stock Cars

Antrim’s Gary Blair opened the evening with a victory in the opening heat before Christopher Kincaid took the honours in race two. It was Dean McCrory who set the pace in the early stages of the final, but an on-form Graham Fegan was steadily reducing the leader’s advantage with every passing lap. Fegan made his move on lap twelve and the Track Champion stamped his authority on the remainder of the final to win handsomely at the end of the twenty lap showdown. Kincaid slipped ahead of McCrory in the closing stages to sneak second, with McCrory, Gavin Fegan, Adam Maxwell and Paul Nesbitt completing the top six.

Heat One: 1st. Gary Blair (Antrim), 2nd. Christopher Kincaid (Antrim), 3rd. Graham Fegan (Hannahstown)

Heat Two: 1st. Kincaid, 2nd. Blair, 3rd. Fegan

Final: 1st. Fegan, 2nd. Kincaid, 3rd. Ryan McCrory (Antrim)

Saloon Stock Cars

Darwin Wright continued his winning ways at Raceway with a heat and final double. The Antrim driver took the silverware at the previous Raceway outing in his Two-Litre powered Ford and went home with the trophy again on Friday evening. Irish Champion Andrew Stewart followed Wright home in the final with Tommy McCrory Jnr. in third. The only driver to beat Wright on the evening was Stuart McCammon, who claimed the honours in the opening heat race.

Heat One: 1st. Stuart McCammon (Armagh), 2nd. Andrew Stewart (Portadown), 3rd. Tommy McCrory Jnr. (Antrim)

Heat Two: 1st. Darwin Wright (Antrim), 2nd. Stewart, 3rd. McCammon

Final: 1st. Wright, 2nd. Stewart, 3rd. McCrory

Group Two Lightning Rods

Twenty cars took to the track for heat one, but the only one that counted was Brian Alexander’s. The Ballymena man led this one from start to finish in his immaculate Vauxhall Astra and repeated the feat with another flag to flag win in the second heat. That brace of victories earned Alexander an automatic upgrade for the meeting final and it was Jason Harkness who proved the man to beat in this one. Harkness, Junior Rod Irish Champion back in 2008, made a rocket start to build up a commanding cushion in the early stages and successfully completed the distance comfortably ahead of Shane Gault, with David Wilson in third and Alexander fourth on this occasion.

Heat One: 1st. Brian Alexander (Ballymena), 2nd. Jason Harkness (Cullybackey), 3rd. David Wilson (Cullybackey)

Heat Two: 1st. Alexander, 2nd. Harkness, 3rd. Lyle Watson (Ballymena)

Final: 1st. Harkness, 2nd. Shane Gault (Glarryford), 3rd. Wilson

Next Meeting

Action resumes at Ballymena Raceway on Saturday September 18 when the track hosts the prestigious National Hot Rod British Championship. Heading the entry list is the current Hot Rod World Champion Chris Haird from Cambridgeshire and a real treat is in store for Hot Rod fans as the best in the UK battle it out for this coveted crown. A packed programme of support races includes the Group Two Lightning Rod Irish Championship with the first race getting underway at 7:15pm.