When the Arenacross Tour opens at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday the 18th of January 2019, it will
welcome an unprecedented number of ultra-competitive Irish riders from both Southern and
Northern Ireland.
The Belfast crowd will be ready to erupt when the Pro Lites take to the Arenacross dirt-filled racing
battleground as they’ll have not one, but three homegrown heroes to get behind. Headlining the Irish
racing onslaught in the Pro Lites class is Martin Barr, arguably one of the fastest racers to come out of Northern
Ireland. 2018 has been something of a rollercoaster ride for the 31-year-old; beset by injury, and then unexpectedly
finding himself without a ride towards the end of the season. As always, the ever-tenacious Ballyclare rider dusted
himself off and was soon rewarded with the support of Crescent Yamaha to not only contest the British outdoor
championships, but debut the all-new Yamaha YZ250f in the full six-round Arenacross Pro Lites series – kicking off
at Belfast.
Barr will line up alongside a couple of young guns in the form of 23-year-old Glenn McCormick from Larne, on
his Unique Fit Out Husqvarna, and 21 year-old James Mackrel from Dundonald on his Yamaha 250f. McCormick, the
current Ulster MX2 champ, is no stranger to AX. He was a previous winner of the 65cc and big-wheel 85cc class and
last contested the Rookie class in 2014, but hasn’t ridden any Arenacross-style championships since then. Mackrel,
on the other hand, will face a steep learning curve when he takes to the Arenacross start-line next January, but says
he’s looking forward to the experience and close racing.
Youth racers set for the limelight
Irish racers will feature heavily in the Youth ranks too, with 14-year-old Drew McCreanor from County Armagh
having recently been selected as one of 12 lucky riders – from almost one hundred applicants – to contest the
inaugural Team Green Supermini Cup. This exciting initiative will see 12 youngsters between the ages of 11-to-14 line
up on identical Kawasaki KX85 machinery, complete with Pro Circuit exhaust pipes. They will be kitted out in the
best matching race kit imaginable – Bell, Thor, Oakley and Alpinestars – and given the ‘factory-rider’ experience.
Their bikes will be professionally prepped by Kawasaki, taken to the arenas, and housed in a professional paddock
set-up. This is an amazing opportunity for these young racers, and Drew says he’s determined to give it his all when
he gets out on the Arena circuit in Belfast.
Another first for Arenacross, is the inclusion of twin racers in the Youth 65cc class. Ten-year-old Robbie and
Cole McCullough from Ballymena will be following in the footsteps of their famous dad – Philip McCullough and
uncle – Adam Lyons – when they place the wheels of their HTM Husqvarnas on Arenacross soil. McCullough senior
has also enjoyed a successful three years running the Team Ireland Motocross of Nations team – of which the
aforementioned Barr has been a member of for an unbroken 14-years. The boys have won various Irish and Ulster
races but according to dad; “to say they’re excited about competing in Arenacross is an understatement.”
Arenacross All-Ireland Cup
And, there’s more … Arenacross continues to break new ground for 2019 with the introduction of the All-Ireland Cup.
Exclusive to the double-header at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Friday and Saturday the 18th and 19th of January, the
All-Irish class will celebrate the Irish motocross racing scene. Twenty-four riders will take part in this first-of-its-kind
Arenacross initiative. They’ll engage in a series of timed qualifications and heat races during the day to determine
the top six MX1 and MX2. Those 12 local heroes will then go out into the All-Irish Arenacross Main Event on both
evenings, pitting wheel-against-wheel in what is anticipated to be a no-holds-barred fight to the chequered flag.
An overall champion will be crowned on Saturday night.
To keep up to date with Arenacross news, check out www.arenacrossuk.com
For further information, please call Jenni Foulkes on 07771 767 712 or email jenni@redcat.co.uk
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