Author: MMCC_Admin

By Stuart Campbell

THE Mourne Motorcycle club hosted the third round of the 2019 Adult Ulster Motocross Championship at Seaforde Motocross Parc on May day.
The Clubman MX1 class was first to the line with Dromore man Richard Greer and Saintfield’s Jamie Freil. In the first race Greer took the holeshot and Freil started close to the front before a fall on lap one left him in 41st position. Greer held the lead for two laps before he was passed by the race winner Lee McGrath, finally finishing in fourth, as Freil came home in 18th position. McGrath won again in race two, as Freil battled for a top three position before dropping back to finish in eighth position and Greer came from seventh on lap one to finish in third place. McGrath took a hattrick of wins in race three, with Greer taking fourth and Freil coming home in seventh position.
In the Clubman MX2 class Ardglass man Eoin Duffy had a day of mixed fortunes. In race one Duffy was in third position before a fall on lap two ended his race, as Robert McCauley won the race. In the second race Duffy moved into first position on lap one and took the chequered flag after seven laps. In the final race Duffy came from seventh to second position on lap one and then moved into first position on the final corner of lap two, which he held to take the chequered flag.
Next out was the combined Semi Expert MX1 and MX2 class with Seaforde’s Nathan Green and Bells Hill rider Connor Mullan in the MX2 class, while Downpatrick’s Jordon Wade was challenging Australian brothers Aaron and Jordon Ashton in the MX1 class. In the first race Mullan came from seventh position on lap one to take the chequered flag, ahead of Green in second, Aaron Ashton in third and Wade in fifth position, as Jordon Ashton’s race ended on lap one. In the race two Mullan took his second victory of the day, with Green coming from eight on lap one to finish second, with Aaron and Jordon Ashton finishing in third and fourth places, as Wade came 22nd to finish in 12th position. In the final race Green led from lap two to take the honours ahead of Jordon Ashton in second, Mullan fought back from 16th position to take third and Aaron Ashton came home in seventh, as Wade didn’t start the race.
In the Veterans class Temple rider Richard Watt and Comber man Jonathan McBride led the way all day. In the first race McBride led until the final lap when Watt passed to take the chequered flag. Watt led race two from start to finish, taking his second victory ahead of McBride. In race three Watt led off the line, before falling back to seventh position. McBride fought at the front of the pack, taking the lead on lap six, before taking the win, as Watt finished in second position.
The final racing came from the combined Expert MX1 and MX2 class. The first race was won by Loughbrickland rider John Meara, with his brother Jason in third and championship leader James Mackrell, from Dundonald, sixth in the MX1 class after a first lap fall left him in 28th position. Ballyclare man Martin Barr was the top MX2 finisher ahead of Glenn McCormick, from Glenoe, in second. In race two John Meara took the chequered flag ahead of Mackrell and Jason Meara in third, as McCormick won the honours in the MX2 class ahead of Barr. In the final race Mackrell won the race, less than one second ahead of Jason Meara and John Meara taking third in the class. The first MX2 rider home was Jake Sheridan, ahead of Barr and McCormick in third place.

By Stuart Campell

THE Mourne Motorcycle Club will host the third round of the 2019 Ulster Adult Motocross Championship at Seaforde MotoParc on May Day.

The first round of the Championship was held at Claudy in March, followed by round two at Desertmartin on Easter Monday.

Although it is early in the season, Belfast man James Mackeral is currently leading the Premier MX1 class ahead of Loughbrickland brothers Jason and John Meara, along with 2018 champion Richard Bird from Lisburn, challenging for the championship lead.

In the Premier MX2 class Ballyclare man Martin Barr is leading ahead of Glenoe rider Glenn McCormick.

The Semi-Expert/MX1 class is wide open at the minute, while in the MX2 class two Seaforde men are aiming for the top with Conor Mullan leading the class and Nathan Green in a top five overall position.

Competition for top places is close in the Clubman MX1 and MX2 classes, while four County Down men are fighting for the lead in the Veteran’s class. Ballynahinch man Jonathan McBride is leading the Veteran’s class, with Moneyreagh man Laurance Spence, Temple rider Richard Watt and Stephen Kelly from Spa all close behind.

Speaking at the launch, Mourne Motorcycle Club Chairman Billy McLarnin said: “This year the Premier riders are riding really hard and they were putting up a good show for spectators at Desertmartin.

“It’s also great to see two young men, Nathan Green and Conor Mullan, at the front in the Semi-Experts class. We should never forget the Clubmen either as there is always great competition in that class.

“I would also like to thank the Ballynahinch Lions and all of our sponsors for their continued support for the Mourne club,” he said.

This year the Mourne club is holding the event with support from Brennan’s Ice Cream & Service Station, The Stick Restaurant @ Brennan’s, Watson’s Flowers (Ballynahinch), Cochranes Car Dismantlers and Rowly Suitor. The Mourne club will also be helped on the day by the Ballynahinch Lions Club, who are always on hand to help at the Mourne club’s events.

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.

By Stuart Campbell

THE Mourne Motorcycle Club held their first off-road racing event of the year at Dunmore Mountain on Saturday, February 2.

Cross country racing has grown in popularity in the last decade and the Mourne club was hosting the second round of the HTM Off-Road Cross Country Championship, on behalf of the Foyle District Motorcycle Club.

This was the third year in a row that the Mourne club has been offered the chance to hold an early championship round and while the 2018 race was cancelled due to a waterlogged track, this year the event was held in near freezing weather.

The 87 competitors were all out together in a single two hour race with the 20 Experts and Seniors riders setting off 30 seconds before the 67 Clubmen.

Moneyreagh man Harold Crawford and Belfast rider John Robb, from the Experts class, were the pace setters from the start and after ten laps Crawford took the win ahead of Robb and Kevin Donnelly, who was the only other rider to complete ten laps.

The Seniors class was won by BJ Toal, from Seskimore County Tyrone, ahead of Ryan McGoldrick, Nathan Devlin and Donegal man Chris Blain, with all four riders completing nine laps.

Larne man Gary Binnie won the Clubmen class ahead of Sligo man Andrew Lohan, Donegal’s Stephen Gilfillan, Lisburn rider Neil Campbell, Pearse McKenna, from Magherafelt, and Jude Crawford, with all six riders completing eight laps.

Following the leaders home Dunmore man Sam Simpson completed six laps to finish in 19^th position, ahead of his son Luke, who finished four laps to come home in 29^thth position and Hillsborough man Andrew Boyd, who completed three laps to come home in 31^st position.

Full results from the event can be found by clicking here