Local riders flying at start of season

Local riders flying at start of season

10 April 2013

THE motocross season has begun and there are already County Down riders fighting for the honours in two competitions after the first round of the Irish and Ulster Championships.

The latest race was the first round of the Ulster Championship, held at Desertmartin on Easter Monday, after the Irish Championship opener was held at Cork’s Vernon Mount on March 10.

In the Grade A MX1 class Ballygowan’s Gary Gibson is leading both championships after two firsts and a second place finish at the Ulster opener.

Comber man Wayne Garrett came home in first, second and fifth at Desertmartin and is lying in second in both competitions, while Loughbrickland’s John Meara lies in third in the Ulster championship after a fourth and two third placed finishes.

In the Grade A MX2 class Loughbrickland’s Jason Meara had started well in Cork with a third and two second placed finishes leaving him in second in the Irish Championship.

Then at Desertmartin a fourth and two fifth placed finishes earned him 50 points and fifth position in the championship, 25 points behind the leader Ed Allingham, who won all three races on the day. Dromara rider Stuart Fee is in seventh position in the standings, with 42 points, after sixth, seventh and eighth position finishes.

In the Semi Expert MX1 class Christopher Cully from Kilkeel is in fifth position in the Ulster Championship on 48 points, 21 points behind the leader Jordan McCaw. Downpatrick’s Christopher Orr is in eighth position on 36 points.

Orr was following up his quick start in Cork where a third, fourth and fifth place finish earned him 54 points and third place in the Irish championship, as Seaforde man Roy Kennedy has 20 points and lies in 13th position overall.

Downpatrick rider Jordan Wade is in sixth position in the Semi Expert MX2 class of the Ulster Championship, with 44 points, after a day of mixed fortune, coming home in fifth, 12th and then third in the last race.

In the Clubman’s MX1 class Jordan Blakely is leading the way in the Ulster championship after an almost perfect day which brought him two wins and a second. He was followed home by Bangor man Kyle Darley, who is in ninth on 35 points after a third, sixth and a non finish in the last race.

In the first round Irish championship Clubman’s MX1 class Ballynahinch rider Terry McCann took 32 points and he lies in tenth position overall.

In the Clubman’s MX2 class Downpatrick-based 212 Motorsports team-mates Chris Eccles and Alexander Ellison are fighting for the honours and now both riders are leading a championship.

Boardmills man Eccles is leading the way in the Ulster after two wins and a third, with Ellison in fifth on 44 points after a day of mixed luck coming home in 17th, 11th and first in the last race.

Ellison had taken the lead in the Irish Championship with first, second and fourth placed finishes at Desertmartin. Eccles lies five points behind in second position, after second, third and fourth placed finishes.

The season arrives in Down on Monday, May 6, when the Mourne Motorcycle Club hosts the second round of the Ulster Open Championship at Seaforde Moto Park.