Raceway returns with a bang!

The National Hot Rod division commenced their World Qualifying campaign for 2011 at the B R S Cars sponsored fixture and it was Portadown's Gary Woolsey who made the perfect start with a faultless hat-trick of victories in his Mercedes SLK.

Denver Grattan clinched the coveted Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy in the F2 Stock Car division, while Michael Reid from Cullybackey took the Stock Rod spoils in his Vauxhall Corsa. The final winners were completed by Dean McCrory in the Junior Rods and Stephen Nevin in the Classic Hot Rods.

NATIONAL HOT RODS

Gary Woolsey collected a maximum haul of points in the opening round of the World Qualifying series.

The Portadown driver was in dominant form and rocketed to clear victories in both heat races and the meeting final. Mark Heatrick followed Woolsey home in both the second heat and the final, with Stewart Doak his closest challenger in the opening heat.

The improved entry of twelve cars included Cullybackey's Chris Foster, who was making his debut in his Peugeot 206cc, and Robert Forsythe from Ballymena who raced his immaculate new Vauxhall Tigra for the first time.

Heat One: 1. Gary Woolsey (Portadown), 2. Stewart Doak (Portadown), 3. John Christie (Crumlin)

Heat Two: 1. Woolsey, 2. Mark Heatrick (Portadown), 3. Keith Martin (Dungannon)

Final: 1. Woolsey, 2. Heatrick, 3. Glenn Bell (Portadown)

F2 STOCK CARS

Brothers Gary and Denver Grattan from Banbridge split the two heat victories before Denver came out on top of a hard fought final to claim the Norman Cromie Memorial Trophy for the first time.

Defending champion Graham Fegan followed Denver home in the trophy race, with Gary Grattan promoted to third in the final standings when Adam Maxwell was penalised two positions for passing under yellow flag conditions.

Heat One: 1. Gary Grattan (Banbridge), 2. Graham Fegan (Belfast), 3. Adam Maxwell (Crumlin)

Heat Two: 1. Denver Grattan (Banbridge), 2. Craig McConnell (Bangor), 3. Fegan

Final: 1. D. Grattan, 2. Fegan, 3. G. Grattan.

STOCK RODS

Michael Reid took the final silverware for the second meeting in a row.

Reid worked his way in front of early leader Carl Sloan to take up the running mid-race and calmly held off the close attentions of Victor McAfee over the closing laps to make it two finals on the trot at Raceway.

McAfee had earlier steered his Peugeot 106 to victory in the opening heat, while the honours in heat two went the way of Geoff Milligan from Portadown.

Heat One: 1. Victor McAfee (Ballymena), 2. Micky McFall (Ballymena), 3. Raymond Harper (Nutts Corner)

Heat Two: 1. Geoff Milligan (Portadown), 2. McAfee, 3. Carl Sloan (Kells)

Final: 1. Reid, 2. McAfee, 3. Harper.

CLASSIC HOT RODS

Robin Morrow from Glenarm made his first Raceway appearance of the season in his attractive Ford Anglia, but it was form man Stephen Nevin who continued his winning ways.

Nevin's rapid Ford Escort Mk. 2 roared to victory in both the opening heat and the final, with Ballymena’s Kenny Wilson dashing Nevin’s hat-trick bid by snatching the honours in heat two.

Heat One: 1. Stephen Nevin (Coleraine), 2. Kenny Wilson (Ballymena), 3. Paraic McCormack (Fethard, Co. Tipperary)

Heat Two: 1.. Wilson, 2. Nevin

Final: 1. Nevin.

JUNIOR RODS

Daniel Shannon from Glenavy was awarded victory in the opening heat after on the road winner Dean McCrory was penalised by the steward for an incident with another competitor.

James Steele from Cullybackey romped home in the second heat in his Vauxhall Nova, before Jamie McCurdy set an impressive pace in the opening stages of the final.

The debutant was eventually chased down by McCrory, who made up for this earlier disappointment by winning the final in fine style in his flying Peugeot 106. Steele was well placed again in second, with Sean McFerran in third.

Heat One: 1. Daniel Shannon (Glenavy), 2. Sean McFerran (Portglenone), 3. Dean McCrory (Antrim)

Heat Two: 1. James Steele (Cullybackey), 2. McCrory, 3. Aidan McFerran (Portglenone)

Final: 1. McCrory, 2. Steele, 3. S. McFerran.

NEXT MEETING

The next action at Ballymena Raceway takes place on Friday August 6 and features the Group 2 Lightning Rod Challenge Cup.

Stock Rods, Saloon Stock Cars, Classic Hot Rods and Junior Rods are also on the programme with the first race getting underway at 7:15pm.