ROUND 2 MRA ULSTER MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP, SEAFORDE, CO. DOWN, MAY DAY 7TH MAY 2012
May Day produced some typical wet and cold weather, but the hosting Mourne Club pressed ahead with the second round of the Ulster Motocross Championships in unpleasant conditions, truncating the meeting to two races per class.
In the Premier Class, Carrickfergus rider Graeme Irwin produced two impressive wins on his MX2 Samsung Yamaha, this the day after finishing third overall at the Maxxis British Championship in Lyng, Norfolk.
Graeme passed the early leaders early on in both races and simply rode away, in the MX2 class, Larne’s Michael McCammond on his JAR Honda produced a second and a third in the tricky conditions, with Dromara’s Ryan Adair finishing a fine second in race 2 on his Adair Electrics Suzuki, and Moira teenager Scott Hamilton finsihing third in race 1, and impressive result in his debut Premier Class season.
Also impressive on the day with a fourth after a fall was Greyabbey lad, Craig Browne on his Dennis Browne/Stove Factory Kawasaki, the change to KTM obviously suiting the lanky hard working kid.
In the MX1 Premier Class, Ballygowans Gary Gibson on his Tyco TAS Suzki claimed the honours in race 1, with Robert Hamilton, from Portavogive on his G&G Ross Suzuki taking the other race win.
Runner up in both races was Dromore charger, and crowd favourite, Davy Gorman on his AJ Plumbing/Elite Bathrooms KTM 350, with ex Champions Comber Men Wayne Garrett on his JAR Honda, and Tommy Merton, returning after injury on his Watt/No Fear Kawasaki sharing third places.
Irwin leads the way in Seaforde ©Colin Mcilhagger
In the Semi Expert Class, Irwins teammate, Jordan McClelland had two equally impressive wins aboard his Sansung Yamaha, the Dunadry teenagers first wins in adult racing.
Jordan was followed home in the MX2 class by Dromora’s Stuart Fee on his Fee engineering 125cc KTM in one race, and by Ballyclare teenager, Ben Mottram on his Agnew Recovery Yamaha, a fine ride from the diminutive youngster in very wet conditions.
Fee also had a third, with the other third being claimed by Mark Dynes from Lurgan on his Dynes Motorcycles Honda. Mark is also recovering from a broken collarbone, so he was glad to finish so well in the tricky conditions.
In the MX1 Semi Experts, Chris Lappin from Comber on his TM, and Kawasaki mounted Donal Teague from Stewrtsown shared the honours, with Lougbrickland Veteran Cliffy Bailey claimed a pair of second places, showing impressive throttle control on his two stroke 250cc Yamaha, Teague claimed one third place, with Lurgan man Gareth Knox claiming the other.
In Clubmans MX1Col McMullan from Ballymoney ran away with race 1, while young Scott Leaney from Saintfield, newly Honda mounted won race 2. Paul Atkinson claimed two second places, with Leaney and McMullan the two thirds. Championship leader Gareth Mulligan had a bad day at the office, complaining of no grip, with a 6th and a twelfth.
Clubmans MX2 produced two winners, with Omaghs Ian Moore and Waringstowns Stephen White sharing the honours, Scott Bailey and Paul Henderson runners up, and Chris Simms and Henderson sharing the thirds.
The Mourne Club coped well with the conditions, the cold being worse than the wet according to the riders and spectators, but with few injuries, and the riders being happy enough with two races in the atrocious conditions, the day was a relative success, the next round is in three weeks, where the Temple Club will host at Tinker Hill near Newry on 26th May.
Results:
Premier MX1: Race 1: 1:Gary Gibson, 2: David Gorman, 3: Tommy Merton, 4: Jordan Scott, 5: Jason Garrett, 6: Richard Bird
Race 2: 1:Robert Hamilton, 2: Gorman, 3: Wayne Garrett, 4: Gibson, 5: Bird, 6:Jason Garrett
Premier MX2: Race 1: 1:Graeme Irwin, 2: Michael McCammond, 3: Scott Hamilton, 4: Craig Browne, 5: Ryan Adair, 6: John Meara
Race 2: 1: Irwin, 2: Adair, 3: McCammond, 4: GlennMcCormick, 5: Meara, 6: William Donnelly
Semi Expert MX1: Race 1: 1: Chris Lappin, 2:Cliffy Bailey, 3: Donal Teague, 4: Steven Beattie, 5: Matthew Sinton, 6: Gareth Knox
Race 2: 1:Teague, 2: Bailey, 3:Knox, 4:Gary Addis, 5: Trevor McMullan, 6:Ray Brownlie
Semi Expert MX2 Race 1: 1:Jordan McClelland, 2: Stuart Fee, 3: Mark Dynes, 4: Aaron Ashton, 5: Darren Grills. 6: Jason Meara
Race 2: 1: McClelland, 2: Ben Mottram, 3:Fee, 4: Jason Meara, 5: Karl Thompson, 6: Mark Dynes
Clubman MX1: Race 1: 1:Colm McMullan, 2: Paul Atkinson, 3: Scott Leaney, 4: Andrew McKibben, 5: John Guy, 6: Greth Mulligan
Race 2: 1: Leaney. 2: Atkinson, 3: McMullan, 4: Guy, 5: Graeme Jellie, 6: McKibben
Clubmans MX2: Race 1: Ian Moore, 2: Scott Baliey, 3: Paul Henderson, 4: Steven White, 5: Keith Redmond, 6:Andre Blakeley
Race 2: 1:Steven White, 2: Henderson, 3: Chris Simms, 4: Blakeley, 5: Kristofer Rea, 6: Bob Smyth
Malcolm Beattie
MRA Press Officer
Photos: Colin Mcilhagger
Link to Photos: http://www.photoboxgallery.com/colinsphotos