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| Added: 10 Jun 2012 |
Category: 2012 Oval Racing |
| 2012 - #19 - Ballymena Raceway - 8/6/12 |
One of the biggest nights on the local racing calendar, the F2 Irish Open Championship and this year the Saloon Irish Open was on the same bill. In honour of the occasion I skipped my normal weekly exercise session of an hour of indoor football on a Friday night in order to miss none of it.
There was a time that this was my outright highlight of the season, but with not seeing as much of F2’s these days, and I think the ever increasing car numbers at Nuttscorner Oval and now Tullyroan Oval it has closed the gap if you like between what used to be an outstanding meeting as we got nearly 30 cars on track and what has become the norm in some of the other classes these days. Ten years ago for example, the 2.0 Hot Rods would have struggled to get a 15 car turnout, the Lightning Rods likewise, the ProStocks didn’t exist and the only time you’d have got near 30 cars was the likes of the F2 Irish or the Stock Rods Yokohama Tyres championship, go to Ballymena now and the Group 2’s are in mid 20 car turnouts and the 2.0 Hot Rods, Lightning Rods and ProStocks are all there about at Tullyroan. It’s not that the F2 Irish has become less of a meeting, or less of an attraction we’ve, or I at least, have become more accustomed to seeing what you could refer to as “mainland” numbers of cars on track, and I think in times of recession it is extremely encouraging for the future of the sport in Northern Ireland.
Anyway, back to the racing, I’d the odd opportunity to walk around the pits before racing started and got a few photos, something I haven’t bothered with for a while. Having arrived at Ballymena early also meant I wasn’t running out the pit gate complete with a burger trying to figure out which races I’d missed and who had won them, so I’ve a more complete report than usual.
Starting with the F2’s, although there was a few local cars missing there was still a good turnout of 28 cars in action in heat one, including by my count 11 visiting drivers, headed up by former World champions Daz Kitson and Chris Burgoyne, with other star men including 2011 National Champion and Novice of the Year Jack Aldridge, Scottish stars Denis Middler, George MacMillan Jr and Andy Bertram.
The twenty eight car field was quickly reduced in numbers as an opening lap pile up seen Chris Hamill ending up upside down and brought the race under caution and he was joined on the infield by a few others very quickly, Andy Bentram, Denis Middler, Conor Hughes and Craig McConnell to name just a few of the cars who where on the infield by mid race. The race itself went to English visitor Ben Lockwood followed home by Graham Fegan with Daz Kitson in third. The second heat seen another win for Lockwood and this time it was Mark Pinkerton in second and Graham Fegan third.
The results from the heats dictated the grid positions for a closed grid final, putting Lockwood on pole with Graham Fegan alongside and Chris Burgoyne was joined by Pinkerton on row two with Kitson and Denver Grattan on row three. Lockwood’s title challenge came to an early end when he was put into the wall in turn one and a collision with Blair Anderson on the start finish straight left Anderson stranded and brought the race under caution. Graham Fegan led away Chris Burgoyne on the restart, but Burgoyne got through into the lead within a few laps and within a few laps and that was how it stayed, Fegan closed the gap in the closing laps and attempted a long hit on Burgoyne in the last bend but was too far back. Burgoyne retained the Irish Open title, Fegan was second and George MacMillan was home in third.
The Saloon Stock Cars, also contesting their Irish Open Championship, had a smaller field of cars and running both classes in the same weekend it seemed to leave them a bit overshadowed by the F2’s. Sixteen cars took to the grid for the opening heat which was won by Stevie Honeyman, Andy Stewart took the heat two win before Stuart Shevill Jnr led home Stewart and Honeyman in the final.
In the stock rods there was heat wins for Michael McKendry and Thomas Morrison before Victor McAfee took the honours in the final.
Despite a low turnout of only fourteen cars, the 2.0 Hot Rods had quite a lively night. Bobbie Johnston took both heat wins putting him on pole for the final with Philip Beatty alongside. Beatty got the better start and disappeared off into the lead, going on to take the win and was followed home by Adam Best and Johnston.
Approx Car Turnout - 76 Cars (28 BriSCA F2s, 18 Stock Rods, 14 2.0 Hot Rods, 16 Saloon Stock Cars)
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