Ulster Championship: Easter Monday Preview!
Words: Malcolm Beattie
The 2018 Nutt Travel MRA Ulster Motocross Championships have their by now traditional Easter Monday Start at the GP Track at Desertmartin on the 2nd April, Easter Monday hosted by the Cookstown Club.
The Sport Insure Premier MX1 Class Champion Lisburn man Richard Bird the reigning Ulster Champion had to settle for three second places behind Stuart Edmonds at the Irish Championship opener at the same track a few weeks ago, with newcomer to the class Ballymoney man Jordan McCaw a surprise third, with Banbridge man Sean Devlin fourth, Portavogies ex Champion Robert Hamilton fifth, and 2017 bronze medal winner Craig Browne sixth, although with John Meara having a huge crash, he will be expecting better results this time out.
The Thompson Leisure MX2 Premier produced another surprise last time out in Jake Sheridan winning the overall from Ryan Hammond with Jason Meara only managing third, this will probably spur the Loughbrickland man to improve his results on Easter Monday, although this class is packed with talent with names like Glenn McCormick, James Mackrel, David Galvin, Jordan Keogh, Luke Smith, Dylan Stynes, this is one competitive class.
The Precise Protect Semi Expert MX1 Class was won by returnee Matthew McIlroy at the opening Irish Round with Clubman MX2 Champ from 2017 Johnny Presho second, and another returnee after an injury hit 2017 Chris Cully from Kilkeel third, with riders like Clifford Wilson, Ashley Allerton and others, this is no sure thing n 2018 for any one rider.
The Gortnacarrow Tyre Services in association with Bridgestone Semi Expert MX2 had new face on the winners step with teenager Lee Coffy on the podium with fellow Youth graduates Ben Kennedy and Jack Galvin either side of him, this is excellent for the future of the sport with these teenagers graduating to the adult ranks along with other youngsters like David Robson Ruari McKeown and others providing exciting racing.
The Robinson Concrete Clubman MX1 has a mixture of experience and youth with Calvin McCorkel winning and Downpatrick Youngster Jordan Wade finishing second at the opening Irish round, although here are some familiar names in the hunt too with Josh Rea, Darren Wilkinson and rugby league player John James Baird back home again, the class is not short on talent.
Clubmans MX2 is sponsored this year by Laverty Motocross, and was won at the Irish opener by Scott Fisher on a tie break with Robert McCauley and Lurgan man Ruari Grimes third after an injury ruined 2017, with young Markethill man Scott Bailey also back after a nasty arm injury two years ago, I suspect these four will dominate the season in this class.
Racing starts at 1100, entry is £5.00 with under 14’s free, and the circuit is between Desertmartin Village and Draperstown.
