Author: callum
Charity Grasstrack now in it’s 10th year!
A good insight into this years event and a recap of the nine years past by Stuart Campbell…
In 2015 the club continued its successful charity work, raising £6,500 at its ninth annual charity grasstrack event.
Each year the club picks two charities that have touched the lives of club members, their families, or the community and this has led to it presenting more than £60,000 to seventeen different charities and charitable causes since 2007.
Now in our tenth year, the club has decided to raise monies for Camphill Grange House, to which a club member’s family has close ties, and RNLI Lifeboats Newcastle Station, which is an invaluable asset to our local community that we are pleased to be supporting.
Speaking after the event in 2015 Mourne club Chairman Billy McLarnin said, “Once again this is an amazing amount of money for any sports club to raise, especially for what might be considered a smaller sport like motocross.”
Each year we try to choose local charities or causes that are close to the club. We were delighted to help Macmillan Nurses who do so much to help people at their time of need and Emma Hamilton, whose father Nigel is a well-known club member.
“I know that everyone in the club is proud of what we have achieved in the last nine years and we hope to continue fundraising and giving something back to the community every year,” he said.
History…
The idea for a charity event started when Mourne club member Andrew Shields, from Kilkeel, suggested raising funds for the ambulance services that help at the club’s races.
Plans for a fundraising event had begun, but tragic circumstances changed who the club raised money for the first year.
Following the passing of Andrew and Alison Shields youngest son, Kyle, from Sanfilippo Syndrome on October 13, 2006, (five days before his 14th birthday on October 18) the club decided to raise money for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice in Belfast, which had provided so much care for Kyle during his short life.
Away from the Mourne club, Alison Shields wrote ‘Kyle – A mother’s love in action’, from a diary she had kept during the years of Kyle’s illness, with the proceeds going to Horizon House, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.
The Mourne club’s first charity event was held on May 22, 2007, and they have been helped every year by Ballynahinch Lions and Keith Cullen of Country Fried Chicken, Ballynahinch, who has supplied trophies for the race winners.
The charities and causes that have benefitted from the Mourne club’s charity events so far have been:
* 2007 – Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, Belfast.
* 2008 – Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund and Marie Curie Cancer Care.
* 2009 – Tiny Life and Autism Northern Ireland.
* 2010 – Montalto Medical Centre and Friends of Cancer Centre.
* 2011 – The British Red Cross and St. Johns Ambulance.
* 2012 – Cash for kids and The Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund.
* 2013 – The Lucy Parke Appeal and Grove House, Ballynahinch.
* 2014 – The Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research and the Mitre Trust Spinal Injuries Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital.
* 2015 – Macmillan Nurses and Help for Emma. Twin sisters Emma and Katie Hamilton, from Kilmore, were born on March 4, 2014, at the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospital. Emma was not discharged for nine months as she was born with Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS). CCHS is a rare genetic condition where the brain does not tell the lungs to breathe during sleep, although it can also occur with some individuals when they are awake. Now Emma depends on a ventilator for her breathing and she is continuously monitored to ensure her oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are maintained at a safe level.
Entries for this event are now available, online and via download form for posting… Get them in quick to avoid disappointment as this event is always mega popular and attracts from near and far.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER
Grasstrack Racing season is here – 28th May
The club is holding the first Grasstrack of 2016 in just under two weeks time at Seaforde Moto Parc. This will be a good old fashioned grasstrack with three laps of practice followed by short sharp races for each class. Open to Grade A, Grade B and Grade C solos, Evos and Sidecars. There will be a minimum of three races per class for everyone with the possibility of a fourth block of races if time permits. This is a non-transponder event, therefore everyone is welcome.
This event will be incorporating a Sidecar ‘try-out’ day for anyone who wishes to give sidecar racing a go. We will be setting up a separate track for this bit to allow this to run alongside the grasstrack racing.
Prize money will be paid for the top three riders overall on the days racing.
Online entry is now active; and preferred where possible. Paper download form is also available if required. We have kept the entry fee at £20 for solos or £30 for sidecars, this is for pre-entry only. An additional £5 will be charged for entries on the day.
Get your entries in online today for a great days racing!
Due to an oversight on the clubs behalf, we will be unable to offer a class for Quads on Saturday. We apologise for this issue and will refund anyone who has entered over the coming days. Please spread the word around!
Mayday 2016 Roundup
MOTOCROSS returned to County Down on May Day when the Mourne Motorcycle Club held the second round of the Ulster Open Championship.
The Clubman MX2 class was first on the line and Crossgar man Steven Gill won their first race, with Ballygowan’s Johnny Presho taking third and Crossgar’s Nathan Hamilton coming home in seventh position. Gill led the pack off the line in race two, but by the end of lap one Hamilton had moved to the front, which he held to take the chequered flag, as Gill came home in fourth and Presho finished in fifth position. In their final race Gill was fastest off the line again, before Hamilton moved to the front once again at the start of the second lap to take another win ahead of Gill in second and Presho in eighth position.
In the combined Expert and Semi Expert MX2 class Loughbrickland brothers Jason and John Meara challenged at the front with Banbridge man Ryan Adair. In the first race Adair led off the line, but after one lap Lisburn man Richard Bird had taken the lead ahead of John Meara, Adair and Jason Meara. The four men fought throughout the eleven lap race, before Bird and Jason Meara moved the front to challenge for the flag and on the final lap the two men came together as they went up the hill, leaving John Meara to take the victory ahead of Adair in second, Bird in third and Jason Meara came home in fifth position. Jason Meara led the pack off the line in race two, with Bird hot on his heels and the two men swapping positions during the final two laps. Eventually Jason Meara took the win ahead of Bird, John Meara in third and Adair in fifth position. In the final race Jason Meara led off the line again, taking his second victory of the day, ahead of Bird, John Meara in third and Adair in sixth position. Moira man Mark Dynes and Loughbrickland’s Caolan Devlin were amongst the top Semi Expert finishers in the race, with Dynes taking a third and two fourth position finishes, as Devlin won one race, along with fifth and sixth position finishes.
The clubman MX1 class was next on the line and Killinchy man Stephen Gabbey moving to the front of the pack at the halfway point of race one and never looking back. Gabbey went on to win race one and then lead his next two races from the start to take three victories on the day.
The racing ended with the combined Expert and Semi Expert MX1 class, as Portavogie man Robert Hamilton led their first race from the start to take the chequered flag ahead of Comber man Wayne Garrett in second and John Meara, who had also raced in the MX2 class, coming home in third position. In the second race Hamilton and Garrett went into the first corner side-by-side, but as Garrett came out in the lead, a fall led to Hamilton pulling out of the race. On the second lap John Meara took the lead, which he held to take the chequered flag ahead of Garrett in second and Adair in fourth position. In the final race Hamilton led Garrett off the line, but John Meara was quick to catch the front two men, taking the lead towards the end of the hard fought eleven lap race and the win ahead of Hamilton in second and Garret in third position. Saintfield’s David Martin took a fifth and two second placed finishes amongst the Semi Expert riders, as Downpatrick man Christopher Orr came home in fourth, third and fourth positions.
By Stuart Campbell ©
Again a big thank you to all the competitors, spectators, personnel and anyone else who helped mark the day a huge success.
Official Press Release… Mayday 2016
The Ulster Motocross Championship will return to County Down on Monday, May 2, when the Mourne Motorcycle Club will host their annual May Day motocross event.
The May Day event, held at clubman Norman Green’s Seaforde MotoPark, will be the second round of the 2016 Ulster Motocross Championship.
The first round of the Ulster Championship was held at Desertmartin on Easter Monday, with County Down men leading the way in the Premier MX1 class. Portavogie man Robert Hamilton started his title defence with two wins and second place finish, with Ballygowan’s Gary Gibson taking second and Comber man Wayne Garrett taking third overall. In the Premier MX2 class Loughbrickland man Jason Meara had a second and two third placed finishes, taking second overall behind Scottish rider Brad Todd, who won all three races on the day.
Saintfield man David Martin, who won the Clubman’s class in 2015, comes into the second round in third place in the Semi Expert MX1 class. In the Semi Expert MX2 class 15 year-old Loughbrickland rider Cailum Meara finished third overall at Desertmartin after two second placed finishes and a 13th, when mechanical failure left him to push his bike over the finishing line.
This year the Mourne club is holding the event with support from Brennan’s Service Station and Stick Restaurant, Watson Flowers in Ballynahinch, Chips A’hoy, Ballynahinch, and Noel Cochrane Car Sales and Spares, along with help from the Ballynahinch Lions on the day.
Bikes will be out on the track from 9.30am, with the first race to start at 11am. Entry to the event will cost £5 for adults, while children go free and car parking is also free.
Picture caption: L to R – Stephen Watson of Watson Flowers, Ballynahinch, Billy McLarnin, Mourne Motorcycle Club Chairman, Seaforde Moto Park track owner Norman Green, Loughbrickland Premier MX1 class rider John Meara (sitting in fifth in the Ulster Championship and third in the Irish Championship after the first rounds) and Ballynahinch Lions Club President Colin McCordick.
Entries are available by clicking here
Mayday Round 2 Ulster MX Champ at Seaforde approaching fast…
With Mayday Monday 2nd May approaching fast, we are getting geared towards this popular bank holiday event.
We are aware most people event online these days and have our online system up and running. We are keeping the entry fee at £30 for both online and postal entries and would encourage everyone possible to enter online. Paper entry forms are now available in all motocross shops and also to download from our club website.
Please click here for a link to online and paper download entry forms
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Riders wishing to enter two classes, will be required to pay an additional £10.
- Entries for inclusion in the programme close on Wednesday 27th April 2016 at 6.00pm.
- If entries are accepted after this date, they will be subject to a late entry fee of an additional £10.
- Entries online close Saturday 30th April 2016 at 6.00pm.
- NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED ON THE DAY!
- No overnight parking will be permitted
Prize Giving 2016… Motocross season rewarded
CELEBRATING the 2015 motocross season, the Mourne Motorcycle Club held their annual prize giving night at Temple Golf and Country Club, on Saturday 20th February.
On the night, which was compered by Roy Neil, eight trophies were presented recognising the top finishers at four of the Mourne club’s races in 2015, along with recognising the work of one club official.
Two prize winners, unable to make it on the night, were Newtownard’s man Jordan Scott who received the Harry Palmer Perpetual Trophy for winning the Mourne club’s 2015 cross-country race and 2015 Irish Grade A champion Richard Bird won the Seaforde Cup for being the top finisher at the Mourne club’s May Day race at Seaforde Moto Park.
The next two prize winners both received their awards after finishing top of the Grade C classes at the Mourne club’s race at Leitrim in 2015. Saintfield man David Martin, who went on to win the 2015 Grade C Ulster MX1 Championship, received the Bertie Campbell Cup and Crossgar’s Stephen Gill was presented with the President’s Cup.
Dromara man Colin McGregor, who won the 2015 Ulster Semi Expert Championship, received the Harry Palmer Cup, as the top Grade B finisher at Leitrim and the John Herron Cup was awarded to top Grade A finisher at Leitrim, Ryan Adair from Banbridge.
The Boyd Cup was awarded to Saintfield’s Dean Colhoun who competed in three classes at the Mourne club’s 2015 charity race, where he won his races in the motocross and quad classes, alongside competing in the sidecar class on the night.
The awards ended with the Norman Campbell Memorial Trophy, for the most active club member, being presented to Ballynahinch man Jim Boyd, who officiates at the Mourne club’s events and car events.
by Stuart Campbell
Group prize winners L to R: Jim Boyd, Colin McGregor, Melvyn Adair (on behalf of Ryan Adair) and Dean Colhoun
Prize Giving & Dinner for 2015 Season… New Venue
The club is holding are now annual club prize giving and dinner at the Temple Golf & Country Club, on Saturday 20th February 2016… 7.30pm ’til late. This event is always a great nights craic and an opportunity to catch up with everyone before the start of another season of racing.
Cups will be presented to the prize winners from events run in the 2015 season. (All prize winners will be notified by post)
There will be a full 3 course dinner and an evenings entertainment. There will also be a raffle on the night and all at a very reasonable £17.50 per adult.
Anyone is made more than welcome old and new faces alike.
In order to facilitate the Golf Club we need to send in a pre-order, therefore we would be grateful if you could complete our menu choices sheet (available to download here) and return to address with full money, or by contacting Billy McLarnin on 07860 608 418 or Matthew King on 07834 071 524.
Merry MX-mas from Mourne MCC
The officers and members of the Mourne Motorcycle Club Ltd would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members and everyone associated with the club, a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and safe New Year.
Best Wishes for 2016!
Our first event of 2016 will be a Cross Country at Slieve Croob on Saturday 9th January 2016. Online entries are now open for this event… Please click here
To view our 2016 dates click here
First event of 2016… Cross Country at Slieve Croob – 9th January [CANCELLED]
EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO SEVERE WET WEATHER AND VENUE BEING UNRIDEABLE
The club is promoting our first event of 2016, again a Cross Country on Saturday 9th January 2016 at the same venue as last year… Slieve Croob Mountain near Dromara, County Down.
Use of this land has been again kindly granted by Des Herron of Dree Hill, and it is with our best thanks to him for letting us use this excellent venue for another year.
The course will be approximately 30-45 minutes per lap on this County Down mountain terrain. Entry forms are now available to download from our club website, but as previously we are using an online entry and payment system and would encourage as many as possible to use this method, especially as there may be delays to postal services due to the Christmas rush. For both online and paper entries, please click here. 2015 competition licences are valid until end of January 2016.
Closest Address for sat nav’s is: Slieve Croob Mountain, Dree Hill, Finnis, Dromara, County Down, BT25 2EF.
There will be one 2 hour race on the day for both expert and clubmen riders, with results being scored individually for both classes. Catering facilities will also be available on the day.
Get your entries in now to secure your place for this first class Cross Country!
