NIF2.com - 2012 - #33 - Ballymena Raceway

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Added: 03 Sep 2012	Category: 2012 Oval Racing
2012 - #33 - Ballymena Raceway - 1/9/12
Ballymena hosted it`s second major event in as many weeks as the track celebrated it`s 35th Anniversary along with the National Hot Rods 2012 British Championship. Another afternoon of rare events as for the 3rd meeting in a row at Ballymena, I was actually there before the racing started, which gave me an opportunity to look around the fantastic display of photos which Colin Adair had put together in the Des Allen suite, it was great to look back over the past eras and a honour to have some of my own more recent stuff displayed alongside key images of the past 35 years. The meeting featured quite an ambitious programme, of 24 races in two sessions, including a Masters of Motorsport race. I`m not going to dwell too much on the racing itself, partly because it`ll take a long time for me to type it all out and partly because it`ll all be on record on others sites, so I`ll leave them to the reporting. A risky decision, I know, but I decided that I`d dig out my ultra wide lens and have a play about with it, a 10mm lens wouldn`t exactly be the choice of many motorsport photographers, but it was something a bit different and provided some different results, some of which I`m quite pleased with. As well as a full programme of racing there was a static car display, a few laps with a single seater, which I missed, a trolley race and also a Masters of Motorsport run in both F2s and National Hot Rods, featuring Kris Meeke, Eugene Laverty, Gordon Crockard, Josh Brookes and Jeremy McWilliams, who all seemed to enjoy themselves. On the track the final wins went to Wayne Woolsey who won the 2 Litre Hot Rod UK Masters, Craig McConnell in F2, Dean McCrory in the Juniors, Ross Houston in the Saloons, Lucinda Smyth in the Group 2`s and Tom Casey won the National Hot Rod British Championship. Rather fittingly the last final of the 35th Anniversary went to #35 Victor McAfee in the Stock Rods. I can`t finish my report without mentioning the return of Ronnie Wright, who raced in the saloons in his older style Sunbeam Saloon. Norman Woolsey also raced in the 2 Litres in a Corsa C car. Approx Car Turn out 121 cars (21 2 Litre Hot Rods, 15 Junior Rods, 14 BriSCA F2`s, 28 Gp 2 Lightning Rods, 9 Saloon Stock Cars, 16 Stock Rods, 18 National Hot Rods)















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