Local riders in winning form

Local riders in winning form

11 September 2013

THE Irish Motocross Championship has ended with four County Down men winning titles.

The Mourne Motorcycle Club held the final round of the 2013 Irish Championship at Seaforde Moto Park on Saturday.

The first race on the line was the combined MX1 and MX2 Clubman’s class. Moira’s Jordan Blakely had already lifted the Clubman’s MX1 title before the final round, but Boardmills’ Chris Eccles was hoping to take the honours in the MX2 class.

Dromore’s Stephen Poots holeshot the first race as Eccles moved into sixth place, behind his title challenger Scott Bailey, from Markethill.

Eccles knew he needed two consistent finishes to lift the title, as Bailey won race one, followed home by Killinchy’s Stephen Gabbey, MX1 riders Poots and Blakely, as Eccles was fifth over the line, but the third MX2 rider.

Temple’s Andrew McKibben holeshot race two, but was quickly passed by Poots who held a tight lead to take the chequered flag, followed home by McKibben, Bailey and the new Irish Grade C MX2 Champion, Chris Eccles.

Bailey ran away with race three to take his third MX2 race win on the day and he was followed home by Poots, McKibben, who was runner-up in the Clubman MX1 Irish Championship, and Eccles.

In the Semi Experts MX1 and MX2 class the racing carried on the flag in race three as Saintfield’s Phil Harris was aiming for the MX1 title and Millisle rider Luke Smith was hoping to add the Irish MX2 Championship to the Ulster Championship he has already won this year.

Ballymoney rider Jordan McCaw won the first race, followed home by Harris and third placed Smith, who was the first MX2 rider.

In the second race Smith and McCaw set the pace as they left the rest of the pack behind Smith held on take the chequered flag and the Semi Expert MX2 Irish Championship, as he was followed home by McCaw and Harris in fourth position.

As the gate ped for their third race Harris and McCaw were the only riders still competing for a title.

McCaw holeshot the title decider, but he was closely followed by Harris and the two men fought for the lead until they were passed by Smith and Harris settled into second position.

Smith won the race as Harris came home in second to take the Semi Expert MX1 Irish Championship, with McCaw finishing the race in third position.

The Experts MX1 and MX2 class was last to the line with Ballygowan man Gary Gibson (inset) and Lisburn’s Richard Bird fighting for the title.

Gibson led race one from the start to the chequered flag with Bird in second and despite him catching the leader at the halfway stage, engine problems with two laps to go caused Bird to drop back from Gibson and settle for a second place finish.

The leaders were followed home by Comber’s Wayne Garrett in third and MX2 Championship leader Glenn McCormick, from Glenoe, in fourth.

In the second race Bird took the holeshot, but Gibson was quick to take the lead and he led the way until the last lap, when he was passed by Loughbrickland’s John Meara who won the race.

Gibson came home in second position and won the Experts MX1 Irish Championship, as Bird finished in third and fourth placed McCormick won the Experts MX2 Irish Championship.

In the final race of the day Gibson led from the start to take the chequered flag, as the chain came off Bird’s bike on lap one and his race ended after four laps.

Bird was followed home by John Meara in second, Garrett and McCormick in fourth position.

The same weekend was supposed to see a two-day motocross racing event in Shrigley, but the first day of the event was cancelled due to poor weather.

On Sunday the Knock Motorcycle and Car Club Ltd. hosted a day of six lap races adult and schoolboy motocross racing.

The day’s results, before racing ended when paramedics were dealing with an injured rider and unable to watch the racers:

• Donegal rider Rossi Dobson had two wins in the Autos class, Newtownards’ Gordon Crockard won both Evo races, and Comber’s William Burgess finished second in race one and failed to finish in race two and Ballynahinch man Stephen Kelly finished third in both races.

• Reece Irwin, from Donegal, won both Junior 65 races as Kilmore’s Conor Mullan had two second placed finishes.

• William Burgess won two Classic races.

• Eunan McGlinchy, from Aghadowey, won both races in the Youth 85 class, with Downpatrick’s Darren McMullan taking two third placed finishes.

• Clubman class race one: 1 Stephen Gabbey, Killinchy; 2 Michael Galloway, Downpatrick; 3 David Patterson, Crossgar, and 4 David Morrison, Killyleagh.

• Grade and B race one: 1 Gordon Crockard; 2 Jordan Scott, Newtownards; 3 Richard Watt, Temple, and 4 Darren Coulter, Ballycoulter.