NIF2.com - 2012 - #17 - Ballymena Raceway

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Added: 03 Jun 2012	Category: 2012 Oval Racing
2012 - #17 - Ballymena Raceway - 1/6/12
First meeting in June and the first back at Ballymena after a few weeks break. The National Hot Rods topped the bill with their final World Qualifying round and with the points title and the qualifying spots still to play for. Two seasons ago there was quite a bit of mumbling and groaning in NHR ranks that we'd lost a spot on the world grid, and the news came as we'd just completed a World qualifying series which had been done and dusted with several rounds left. What the one less spot has given us is better racing at home, and while from a drivers perspective it makes it tougher to qualify, it gives local fans a more entertaining qualifying series down to the wire instead of cars just going through the motions, I'd hope in turn that means more bums on seats for the promotions. Having seen a Scottish qualifying round at Lochgelly earlier in the season I've still no doubt in my mind we've none qualifiers that are much better than some of their qualifiers. Anyway, the politics aside, the Nationals went down to the last round to see who was going to make it to the world, Adam Maxwell could just sneak it at the expense of Keith Martin, and in heat one Maxwell finished second with Martin well down the field and it looked as though the following two races could see the tables turned and Maxwell might just sneak in. The battle for the final spot came to an end on the opening lap of heat two as Maxwell pulled off right away with a blown diff, and Martin was then home and dry with a place at Ipswich secured. The battle for the points went to the last race with John Christie and Stewart Doak going into the race on even points. Doak got ahead early on but Christie came through and got passed and by mid race the pair where in second and third giving chase to Ian McReynolds, McReynolds took the win and Christie took second and the points ahead of Doak as the cars crossed the line noise to tail, in what must be as close a points title finish as we've seen. In the other classes their was a win in the Juniors for Aiden McFerran, a hotly contested Stock Rod final went to Derek McMillan and it was Noel Hazlett that took the honours in the Gp 2 Lightning Rods. Approx Turnout: 62 cars (10 Nationals Hot Rods, 24 Gp 2's, 16 Stock Rods, 12 Junior Rods)















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