Wayne Garrett
The annual July holiday motocross takes place on Wednesday 13th July at Seaforde Motocross Park. This year’s event incorporates the 4th round of the Ulster Motocross Championships & the 62nd Tommy Stewart Memorial Motocross.
There are five different championship classes catering for different machines and abilities from the Blue ribbon Premier Class to the equally exciting Clubman races. This meeting starts off the second half of the season action, action starts with practice from 9.30am and racing from 11am.
In the Premier Championship Wayne Garrett is the man in charge of this class, winning six of the seven races so far this season and has a 44 point lead over Richard Bird from Lisburn 128 points. Current Irish Champion Tommy Merton Comber leads the chasing group of David Gorman Banbridge and Gary Gibson Ballygowan who are all within 10 points of second placeman Bird. The Tommy Stewart will be awarded to the overall winner of the Premier Class.
The Tommy Stewart has a long history with the Co. Down area first awarded in 1949 moving to Bell’s Hill Crossgar in 1952 and then to Seaforde Motocross Park in 2006.
Wayne Garrett won the cup in 2007 & 2008 narrowly missing out in both 2009 & 2010. Wayne is on a high after scoring his best ever result at the British Championship meeting at Desertmartin last month. Wayne may not have things all his own way if Tommy Merton can make some good starts, Tommy has also won the Tommy Stewart in 2000 when the event was at Bell’s Hill. Currently going to press we are expecting an entry from Gordon Crockard who has held the Tommy Stewart 3 times (1999, 2005 & 2009)and rides for the Relentless Suzuki by TAS motocross team.
Robert Hamilton reaches for a tear-off mid roost
Moving to the Ulster Mx2 class Tommy Merton 151 points has a slender four point lead over Wayne Garrett with Larne’s Michael McCammond on 130 points in third. Michael is backed by World Superbike rider Jonathan Rea and is determined to break the domination of Tommy & Wayne in this Class. In this class the club has received a confirmed entry from the for Relentless Suzuki by TAS Team for Mel Pocock their Top British Mx2 contender.
Ulster Semi Expert class provides the hottest contested racing with young Scott Hamilton Moira leading the way on his Relentless Suzuki by TAS on 139 points. Saintfield man Andrew Gill is 19 points adrift on 120 followed by Comber’s David Russell on 114 points. David is the son of former World Motocross contender Stephen Russell and has inherited his father’s ability to consistently finish high in the results.
The Clubman classes are spilt into two groups Mx1 & Mx2
The Mx1 Clubman class is headed by Comber man Chris Lappin on 144 points followed by Ricky Portis from Lisburn on 126 and third is Ray Brownlie from Warringstown on 118.
The Mx2 Clubman Class has Kilkeel man Christopher Cully at the head of the pack on 146 points from Jordon Wade Downpatrick on 130. Karl Thompson Carrick lies third on 127 with Irish Championship Class leader Andrew McKee in 4th on 119 points.
The track is sign posted from the Butterfly Farm near Seaforde on the A26 Ballynahinch to Newcastle Rd.