PRESS RELEASE – CARRICK SUPERCROSS, 2/3 JUNE 2011
CARRICK RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB, TAYLOR’S AVENUE, CARRICKFERGUS, COUNTY ANTRIM
Ask any local motorcycling fan to name a supercross venue and the answer is likely to involve Anaheim Stadium in California, the Palais Omnisports de Bercy in Paris or the Odyssey Arena in Belfast. Carrick Rangers Football Club’s ground at Taylor’s Avenue, Carrickfergus would certainly not feature but it is nevertheless about to host one such event!
The idea of bringing motocross to the masses gained popularity in the 1970s and has since been taken to its extreme in America, where racers compete for multi-million dollar prizes on technical man-made tracks in huge multi-seat stadiums. The result is a spectacular blend of motorsport and show business, watched by tens of thousands at each event and millions more via television and internet, in which the artistry of the competitors throwing their 100kg machines into the air has to be seen to be believed.
On 2/3 June 2011, Carrickfergus & District Motorcycle Club are bringing a small piece of this exciting brand of racing into the heart of the Borough of Carrickfergus with the help of event partners Monster Energy and Carrick Rangers Football Club.
The opportunities to watch – let alone compete – in supercross events in Northern Ireland are extremely limited, so how did this event come about?
Following a very successful 2010/2011 season in which the team was victorious in both the Ladbrokes.com Championship and the WKD Core Intermediate Cup, Carrick Rangers decided that the time had come to upgrade their pitch at Taylor’s Avenue. CDMCC Chairman Peter Denney, a life-long Carrick Rangers fan, was aware of plans to install a new 4G playing surface at the end of the season and, following discussions with Carrick Rangers and Carrickfergus Borough Council, an unorthodox and ambitious plan was agreed to rip up the old turf and contribute financially towards the new – supercross!
Track Construction
However, with only a few weeks from being given the “green light” to the event (which also coincided with a very busy period for the CDMCC Grasstrack Championship) a Herculean effort was required from CDMCC to transform Taylor’s Avenue for supercross racing. Eighty truckloads of dirt have been brought in to create table tops, ski jumps, doubles, wave sections and berms, all of which have been skilfully sculpted by Gareth Gault under the supervision of Davey Mulligan and tested by KTM UK Motocross Team rider and Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship contender, Graeme Irwin.
All of this would not have been possible without the support of CDMCC’s event partners, the individual race sponsors detailed below and the army of CDMCC members who have worked tirelessly on site over recent weeks.
Spectators will have their first opportunity to witness supercross racing at Taylor’s Avenue when the turnstiles open at 6.00pm on Thursday 2 June for the youth races, but a lack of years does not equate to any lack of skill or will to win where the competitors are concerned – these are the stars of the future.
The feature event on Friday 3 June commences slightly earlier, with turnstiles opening for practice at 4.00pm, but if ever an excuse was needed to get out of work early on a Friday afternoon this is it!
In true supercross style, competitors will progress through heat races to “Super Finals” on each night and spectators can expect some fierce competition – the winner may have the supercross “bragging rights” for quite some time!
Among the adult competitors riding will be past and present British Supercross Champions, Gordon Crockard and Jack Brunell, as well as the Crockstar’s up-and-coming teammate under the Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing awning, Mel Pocock. A host of top local riders will also be in attendance.
Catering and bar facilities will be provided at Taylor’s Avenue for what promise to be two fantastic evenings’ racing, so please bring your friends and family along, enjoy this unique spectacle in North East Antrim and at the same time contribute towards a very exciting and worthwhile sporting endeavour.
___________________ EVENT PARTNERS Monster Energy & Carrick Rangers Football Club RACE SPONSORS CLASS SPONSOR YOUTHS: 50cc N/A 65cc LJ’s Catering Small Wheel 85cc Dobbins Inn Hotel Big Wheel 85cc N/A 125cc / 250cc Carrickfergus Borough Council CLASS SPONSOR ADULTS: Clubman SX1 Cool FM Clubman SX2 Cannon Motors, Carrickfergus Expert (Under 21) Belfast Honda Motorcycles Expert (Open) Charles Hurst Yamaha Clubman Super Final Nu Look Wheels, Carrickfergus Expert Super Final Carrickfergus Borough Council TICKET PRICES (per person) Thursday 2 June: Adults £5; Secondary School Children £2; Primary School Children £1 Friday 3 June: Adults £10; Secondary School Children £5; Primary School Children £1 ** N.B. – family deals will also be available on each night **