Mud bath at Seaforde

Mud bath at Seaforde

6 May 2015

LOCAL motocross fans were treated to a day of fast paced action on Monday, when the Mourne Motorcycle Club held the second round of the Ulster Open Championship at Seaforde Motocross Park.

Rain before the event led to riders finding a wet and slippery racing surface, but after practice and the first set of races the track was drying out and conditions had changed from a soaked track to perfect racing conditions.

The first class on the line was the Clubman’s MX2 class, with races won by Adam McFaull, Josh Quinn and Darren Haugh. The most consistent rider on the track was the championship leader Stephen White, from Warringstown, who had three second placed finishes, with three local riders having mixed fortunes. 

Killinchy’s Stephen Gabbey finished fourth in race one before calling it a day and Annacloy rider Matthew King finished in 17th and 20th positions before mechanical problems ended his day. Meanwhile, Ballynahinch’s Terry McCann ended the day with a 14th and two 24th placed finishes.

In the first Clubman’s MX1 race Temple’s Andrew McKibben led the pack off the line and for the first three laps, until David Martin won the race and McKibben finished in third place. 

Ballykeel’s Stephen Maitland rode a strong race coming from the back of the pack on the first lap, to finish in 14th position, as Aaron Jordan, from Temple, took a ninth place finish. Martin won race two and Tipperary man Martins Makitans won race three, as McKibben had a second and a third placed finish, Maitland had 13th and ninth finishes and Jordon came home in 15th and seventh positions.

In the combined Semi-Experts MX1/MX2 class there was the added incentive of a family battle for three men, as Downpatrick brothers Christopher and Richard Orr lined up against their cousin, Chris Eccles, from Boardmills.

The first race was won by Scott Leaney as Christopher finished in fourth, Richard was sixth and Chris came home in 16th position overall.

In race two Richard Orr came off in the first corner and he was left to fight back from almost a lap down. Leaney won his second race, as Richard settled for 37th position, Christopher took third and Chris came home in 21st position overall.

In the final race Chris Eccles left the line at the front of the pack and battled to finish in second position, as the top MX2 rider, taking his first win in the class and third in the MX2 class on the day. Overall, the race was won by Kevin Traynor, while Richard Orr’s race ended after four laps and Christopher came home in ninth position.

The Experts MX1/MX2 class was last to the line and Comber’s Wayne Garrett led the pack home in all three races as Lisburn’s Richard Bird tried to put up a challenge, before taking three second place finishes. 

Following the front men home Loughbrickland’s John Meara earned third, fifth and  third place finishes and Portavogie’s Robert Hamilton came home in sixth, third and fourth. The top MX2 finisher on the day was Glenoe’s Glenn McCormick who took three wins, as Dromara’s William Donnelly came home in fifth, third and second positions.