Welcome to NIF2.com, providing insight into stock car racing in Northern Ireland from behind the lens. We aim to feature as much as we can from Tullyroan Oval, Ballymena Raceway and as well as bits and pieces from our travels and a look back at days gone.

Added: 09 Mar 2014 Category: 2014 Oval Racing NIF2 - 2014.... The Plan Refreshed with a week of lying by a pool and gradually progressing from pasty white to a quite nasty looking dark red, I’ve had some head space to think through what way I’ll approach 2014. Throughout 2013 I found it a bit of a push to do the 101 things that I try to do, the actually racing I enjoy, the photography I enjoy, the travelling is draining but you won’t arrive at a track by magic, but it’s the writing reports, sorting and uploading photos to website after website after the racing which is becoming the biggest drain and it was probably getting to the stage where I was avoiding some meetings at Ballymena that I’d liked to have gone to, simply because I didn’t want to lose another day of my week sorting photos and writing reports etc. I find that fundamentally flawed, a hobby or pastime should be something enjoyable, when it gets to the point it becomes a strain to want to do it then there is something seriously wrong with it. Additionally in 2013 I was trying to play indoor football on a Friday night before heading to the racing, so I missed the opening races, and that too made racing on a Friday night a bit of a chore. So for 2014 I’ve had a bit of a think and decided what needs to go, I’d considered scraping NIF2, the domain doesn’t really fit the content, the site isn’t the hub of local oval racing it once was, the facebook page has less likes than any other local oval racing page and I don’t think to tweet stuff as often as I should. When I think about it though it’s almost an extension of my identity these days, and I still enjoying penning the odd blog piece when I get time. Here therefore is the plan, rather than sitting down and writing report after report after every meeting, I will instead aim to write once piece for the site a week during racing season, so one piece may cover 3 meetings in a weekend instead of writing 3 pieces and instead of missing a meeting because I don’t really want to be sat at home writing reports the next day. This I hope will continue to keep me motivated throughout the season, and I hope if I get out of the habit of just writing meeting reports then I’ll be able to get better and more interesting content written. If off course I still feel that I’m missing meetings because I don’t want to be bothered writing them up, then it may well just be the time to pull the plug. [see the full article] Added: 27 Jan 2014 Category: 2014 Oval Racing McMillan Night at The Races This Saturday night (1st Feb) see's the McMillan night at the races taking place at Hoggs Bar Loughgall, 8 o'clock. Everyone as welcome, I'm sure the guys will appreciate your support. [see the full article] Added: 21 Jan 2014 Category: 2014 Oval Racing Aghadowey set to re-open (again) Talk of Aghadowey and many people within the sport can reminisce about the “good aul days”, they’ll tell you tales of Ulster’s finest Hot Rod and stockcar drivers from days gone, how great the saloons used to be around it and how big a crowd it would pull on a bank holiday. [see the full article] Added: 06 Jan 2014 Category: Older Oval Racing My Favorite Rods As with the F2’s I sat down to pick out my favourite “Rods” of all time and it wasn’t just as easy as you’d think. By restricting it to cars I’ve actually seen race it eliminated a considerable amount of what other people would have considered their favourite rods. [see the full article] Added: 29 Dec 2013 Category: 2013 Oval Racing 2013 - #54 - Tullyroan Oval - 29/12/13 The last meeting of 2013, and my 54th meeting of the year. For most of the year it's seemed a little too much like work and not enough like a pastime or hobby should be, so I need to sit down and have a hard think about how I change that for 2014. I've certainly plenty of ideas for material for NIF2, but perhaps facebook is the better place for a weekly collection of shots from each meeting, who knows, there is still quite a bit of head scratching to be done for next year. [see the full article] Added: 16 Dec 2013 Category: Older Oval Racing My Favorite F2s In upsurge in older photos being uploaded in recent months has made me have a think about what cars and car/ driver combinations I'd love to see back on track, and just what my favorite cars down the lines have been. I thought I'd start the journey with the F2's. [see the full article] Added: 03 Dec 2013 Category: 2013 Oval Racing 10 Things I’m looking Forward to in 2013 - Revisited Back at the start of the season I wrote a piece on the 10 Things I was looking forward to in 2013, this is simply a look back in reflection of how they went. [see the full article] Added: 26 Nov 2013 Category: 2013 Oval Racing 2013 - #53 - Tullyroan Oval - 24/11/13 The first of the out of season meetings at Tullyroan Oval and after a few weeks to recharge the batteries it was nice to be back at the racing, equally so it’ll be nice to recharge the batteries again over the coming weeks. You never really know what to expect from out of season meetings, one can be great and the next can be poor. The RWD bangers last year from memory was nothing to write home about and a meeting which will be more memorable for the fog and the lack of visibility, so if you go on form it didn’t have the makings of a classic. Form fortunately counts for nothing and despite being cold, there wasn’t much else you could criticize the meeting for. [see the full article] Added: 05 Nov 2013 Category: 2013 Oval Racing 2013 - #52 - Tullyroan Oval - 2/11/13 The final night of the domestic season, and what a season it has been. Throughout the day it looked as though it could turn into a really miserable night, but thankfully the rain cleared up and we got away fairly dry after the first set of heats, probably just as well because I was experiencing a n umbrella malfunction after the wind turned it inside out, some bits broke off and other bits became broken after I jumped up and down on it. [see the full article] Added: 30 Oct 2013 Category: 2013 Oval Racing 2014 Calendars Now Available As has been the case in previous Years I'm once again creating a few different designs of calendar which will be sold in aid of Charity. Between 2009 and 2012 I have managed to raise over £2,600 for charities which are close to my heart, and I hope this year we will continue to get a good response on calendar sales. This year, as with last year I have opted to go with 2 designs, a Tullyroan Oval calendar and a General NI Oval Racing Calendar. Unlike previous years which had a "home made" feel about them, this year's have been produced by a commercial printers and now come with a much needed hanging tag, it does however mean that I have a set number of each design available and when they are gone, they are gone, so please order early to avoid any disappointment. To Order Calendars please click on the image below or the "Read More Link" and follow the link at the bottom of the page to the payment page. Thank you for your support [see the full article]

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