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Added: 08 Jun 2015	Category: 2015 Oval Racing
McNeice Takes Irish Open
Just a week after winning the British title in Aldershot Sam McNeice added the Irish Open title to his honours list at Aghadowey on the first day of the Ninja Karts speedweekend. With a few visiting karts and a few returnee local racers including former Irish champion Niall Cregan, the Ninja Karts provided some of their biggest grids of the season so far and put some great racing throughout the weekend starting off at Aghadowey Oval on Saturday night. I thought a weekend of racing at Lochgelly worked well for them back in 2013 when HRP had just moved in, Ninja Karts had just come to NI and they accompanied the NHR European, so I’m glad we have a weekend for them and I hope it continues and becomes more popular. A decent field of the youngsters took to the track on Saturday night for 3 mass start races which seen Sam McNeice victorious on each occasion. Same was followed home in the Irish Open by Aaron Ward and Shea Fegan who had a great dice for second but were later excluded over a weight issue which I’m told is due to weight tyres being lighter than slicks and I’m sure it’ll be something that leads to many a parent wondering where their kart is weight wise on a set of weights or even with worn slicks. Support for the Ninjas came in the form of the Superstox and the second round of the NIOvalTV series. Visiting superstar Jason Cooper walked away with the first race winning it by around the length of the straight. Ask anyone to name their hot contenders for the Superstox World later in the year and I’m sure Jason Cooper’s name will come up quite a bit. Heat two went the way of Gary Chambers. Chambers also went on to take the final while most eyes were on a scrap between Cooper and the Grattans. Scott Cochrane and Gary Beggs shared the heat wins and the front row in the Lightning Rods North West Supercup. Cochrane took the final win with Richard Stewart runner up and Beggs third. I can’t really sum up my disappointment with the bangers. It was possibly the most decorated field of cars that has ever come over in any class (excluding Speak or Moodie who each are probably more decorated on their own), and yet in the entertainment stakes they were upstaged by the handful of our guys that raced, just a pity ours didn’t last. They were no substitute for the Thunder Rods. There was little of significance to talk of in them, there was a decent train in the heat. To end on a positive note it was a nice gesture that some of the trophy winners then gave their trophies to the youngsters in the crowd.















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