This week sees the beginning of the month of May, but more importantly it sees the beginning of the Carrickfergus Club’s Adult and Youth Grasstrack Series’ run in association with Norman Watt Motorcycles.
More precisely, Tuesday 1st May sees the opening round of the 2012 Youth Grasstrack Championship kick off, followed a few days later by Round 1 of the Adult Championship on Saturday 5th May. Both rounds will be held on the hillside Dalway’s Bawn circuit, situated a stone’s throw from Carrickfergus on the Dalway’s Bawn Road / Killyglass Road.
The grasstrack series’ which are promoted by the Carrickfergus Club are now into their fifth season and continue to grow in popularity among riders and spectators year on year.
Suitor Brothers/Watt Racing Team Manager, Rowly Suitor has been competiting at the events over the years and now has the full team entered for the adult championship. “The whole team enjoy the Carrick Club grasstracks because they are quite simply, pure fun.” Rowly commented. “From my perspective, they are excellent events for the team to bond while at the same time they are a great way for the guys to build up their race speed. I’m looking forward to getting underway again at the first round.”
The Dalway’s Bawn circuit itself has had a number of alterations since previous years track layout so there will be no advantage to those who have raced the venue before. Although sections of the old layout still exist the track map has changed significantly to provide a fresh circuit which will allow for close, fast and exciting racing.
Tuesday evening will see the Youth stars of the future christen the new track with practice at 6pm and racing at 6.30pm. Youth from six years old on 50cc automatics right up to the seniors (Age 14-18) on 125cc and 250 four stroke machines will all get their turn to take the spotlight on track alongside the two junior quad classes that complete the line-up for the evening. Entries for the youth will be taken on the night of the event or you can pre enter by printing a form off the club website.
After the Youth will have nicely bedded the circuit in on Tuesday, attention will turn to the main event everyone has been waiting for, the Adult Championship commencing on Saturday. The action is to get underway with practice sessions at 9.30am before the gate drops for racing at 10.30am.An explosive schedule of racing is on the cards with two, three and four wheeled machines all set to do battle in their respective classes.
Taking centre stage of the two wheeled action is the Expert Championship Class. Reigning Expert Champion, Richard Bird will have only one objective on his mind when he goes to the line on his Suitor Brothers/Watt KTM, to begin his title defence with maximum points as he did at the same venue this time last year. Unfortunately a broken collarbone suffered at Desertmartin on Easter Monday has put Bird’s closest 2011 challenger Drew Goudy, out until the end of June but local men Niall McAuley and William Logan will no doubt be hoping to put a dent in Bird championship aspirations right from the off.
The clubman classes are always tightly contested affairs and this season should be no different. Mixing it at the top end of the Clubman MX1 class should be Paul Atkinson and Scott Leaney who currently sit side by side, third and fourth in the Ulster Motocross Championship so these young men will be ones to watch out for come Saturday.
Chris Kennedy will look to improve on fifth overall last season in the Clubman MX2 class starting with a good set of results on Saturday, though he could have his work cut out looking at the entry list. Dollingstown rider, Darren Beattie could also be a fair shout to push for the points after he took his KTM onto the podium at Dalway’s Bawn in 2011.
One point separated Gary Dickinson and Michael McBride after twelve races last year but with Dickinson not yet entered for Saturday; Michael McBride has been labelled heavy favourite to take the Veterans crown in 2012. Incidentally Michael failed to win a race at Dalway’s last year; it was John Guy, Stephen McBride and Michael Gibson all taking a race win a piece, so maybe this year things will be different Either way it will be a furious sprint to the line for the sports more seasoned competitors.
Coleraine’s Richard Toye was the four wheeled King of Dalway’s in 2011, winning three races from three starts, which makes it hard to look past Toye to do the same again this year, though anything is possible in racing. Stephen Toye and Geoff Ingram Jnr. are no strangers to grasstracks and if they get away with Richard they won’t be giving in too easily I can assure you.
Unfortunately current holders of the Robert Blair Memorial Sidecar Trophy, Neil Campbell and Ross Graham are unable to defend their crown due to other racing commitments in England at the weekend therefore the trophy will definitely be changing hands on Saturday. The team of Gary Moulds & Shane Taylor are the highest placed of the teams entered if you look at the Ulster Sidecarcross Championship, but they only sit two points ahead of Lisburn men Richard Portis & Roy Beattie. It will be interesting to see whose form transfers over to a grasstrack from motocross; you’d be a brave man to pick a winner in this class!
If all those classes aren’t enough for the keen spectator then to top it off there is a new ‘EVO’ class included in the programme for Dalway’s. For those who don’t have a clue what that is, the ‘EVO’ class is somewhere in limbo between modern and classic machinery. One thing is for sure with this new class, the bikes will definitely be a show in itself, well worth a watch.
A full race programme of a minimum of twenty one thrilling races is in store starting at 10.30am on Saturday, so make sure you don’t miss out on the action and make the trip to Dalway’s Bawn for the opening round of the 2012 championship. Admission is priced at just £5.00 for Adults which includes a free official programme (while stocks last) and free parking within the venue. Families are encouraged to come along as children under 16 years of age can gain free admission when accompanied by an adult.
For more information on the upcoming events you can visit the Carrickfergus Club website at www.carrickfergusmcc.co.uk, or alternatively you can find them at facebook.com/carrickfergusmcc or on Twitter, @carrickmcc.
Entry List: GT_5th_May_Provisional_30_April_EntryList.xlsx