Raceway gears up for National Hot Rod qualifying

THE opening round of the 2010/11 National Hot Rod World qualifying campaign starts the second half of the Ballymena Raceway season at full throttle on Friday July 23.

The fastest cars on the local racing scene form part of a five-formula meeting that also includes the ever popular Formula Two Stock Cars. The rapid single-seaters will compete for the coveted Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy, which is currently held by Track Champion Graham Fegan.

A Stadium Shield for the Classic Hot Rods, plus the always entertaining Stock Rod and Junior Rod divisions complete the action packed programme of races at the B.R.S Cars sponsored fixture.

The National Hot Rod races on Friday evening count towards qualification for the 2011 World final and once again a tough series is in prospect, especially with only five qualifying slots on offer this season instead of the usual six. Gary Woolsey from Portadown finished sixth in the 2010 World Championship which was staged at Foxhall Raceway in Ipswich on July 4.

The new World Champion is Chris Haird from Cambridgeshire. Local racer Chris Foster from Cullybackey is expected to make his debut in the National Hot Rod class behind the wheel of the immaculate Turtles of Rathkenny Peugeot 206cc.

Track Champion Graham Fegan defends the Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy at Raceway in the F2 class. There’s sure to be plenty of challengers for the trophy however, not least from Irish Champion Craig McConnell. Gary and Denver Grattan can never be discounted while former winner Gavin Fegan would like nothing more than to get his hands on the trophy once more. Adam Maxwell, Chris Kincaid and Gary Blair are also expected to challenge strongly.

In the Stock Rod division it was Michael Reid who won the final last time out at Raceway. Irish Open Champion Raymond Harper recently finished third in the European Challenge Cup at the Ipswich track and should be in the thick of the action once again on Friday evening, along with Micky McFall and Ballymoney’s Thomas Morrison who has been going well in his Vauxhall Nova. With the likes of Victor McAfee, Bobbie Johnston, Alastair Bolton and Chris Gordon added to the mix it makes for another evening of top class Stock Rod action.

A Stadium Shield will be presented to the winner of the Classic Hot Rod final on July 23. So far this season Stephen Nevin and Caleb Howard have been the two most regular winners, but Kenny Wilson, Desie Howard and Paraic McCormack have also tasted victory and an interesting scrap is in prospect this weekend.

Sean McFerran was the driver to beat last time out in the Junior category and collected a brace of victories in his Vauxhall Corsa. Dean McCrory is never far from the front in his Peugeot 106, along with Marc Morrell and James Steele.

The green flag drops at 7:15pm to get proceedings underway at Ballymena Raceway.