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The 2018 Irish Championships come back North of the border again for round three at Tandragee Motocross Park and on a beautiful Spring day, with the track perfect for racing, the riders laid on some feats of entertainment.
Premier MX1 kicked off the day’s excitement with Richard Bird from Lisburn on his FivefiveMotorsport KTM fending off Loughbricklands Kawasaki mounted John Meara in all three races, with Meara keeping Bird honest, although from the side-lines it looked like the Lisburn man’s fitness won out, he was in imperious form and never looked like being beaten, behind these two, Portavogie based multi Irish & Ulster Champion Robert Hamilton showed flashes of his form, but he is struggling with set up on the big Risk racing Yamaha, and he was pipped in a tie break for third overall with young Ballymoney man Jordan McCaw, one of the most likeable riders on the circuit, the youngster has taken to the 450 HTM Husqvarna as if he was born to it, and it’s great to see another youngster emerging. Fifth was Greyabbey man Craig Browne, on his Smoke Vent KTM with Dubliner Stephen Mullaly sixth, Sean Devlin from Banbridge had a frustrating day with his Risk Racing Yamaha stopping mysteriously twice while in front running positions.
MX2 Premier class produced two races of the season so far Loughbrickland man Jason Meara and Glenn McCormick from Glenoe both KTM mounted produced a display of close, clean racing which was an example to all, and in fact, the large crowd of spectators applauded the two on the last lap the whole way around in race three.
Their first race was shaping up to be a cracker when McCormick slipped off with three laps to go, he remounted to finish second, but this was just the curtain raiser, race 2 and Meara crashed at the first corner but from dead last the Loughbrickland man charge through the field to pass McCormick just after half distance, Glenn then woke up and the rest of the race was a nip and tuck affair with Jason holding off the determined Glenoe rider to win by less
than a second, race 3 however, was a classic, the two KTM heroes were never more than a second apart for the whole 20 minutes, with McCormick trying everything he could to best his rival, Jason’s Arenacross experience showed through with some clever race craft and the only way Glenn was getting past was to resort to aggressive tactics, speaking after the race Glenn admitted as much but wisely decided that it’s a long season and that this sort of racing is helping both riders develop, a mature approach.
Behind this battle, Jason’s younger brother Cailum survived a nasty first race crash off his Kawasaki to scoop third overall, although he could barely walk after the race, followed by Dublin KTM rider Dylan Stynes with compatriot Steven Kelly fifth and Comber man David Russell an excellent sixth on his move to M2 from MX1 last year. 
Semi Expert MX1 was almost lost in the fight at the front of the concurrently run Premier MX1 race where three riders tussled for the overall in all three races, Johnny Presho from Comber took the overall from Newtownards man Ashley Allerton and comeback rider local Lurgan man Gareth Knox surprised himself by taking third overall on his Yamaha, Dubliner Gary Marmion was fourth with Clifford Wilson from Ballymena was fifth, hard pack is not Wilsons favourite surface, and Nathan Hamilton surviving a nasty fall from his borrowed two stroke Yamaha to round out the top six.
Semi Expert MX1 saw the closest finish of all classes on the day, perhaps unfairly overshadowed by the Meara and McCormick show, local Dollingstown teenager William McBride took the overall by one point from Cork man Lee Coffey who in turn was only one point ahead of Rhys Graham in third, while Ruari McKeown was only a point behind him in fourth, demonstrating the competitiveness of this class, fifth was 16 year old Crossgar lad Conor Mullan, wisely chasing his own National Championship for experience on his two stroke KTM with Nathan Green sixth.
Clubman MX1 bucked the close racing trend with Downpatrick KTM man Jordan securing a treble with Terence McGlone second and Calvin McCorkell third, Thomas Murdoch Josh Rea and Gary McKee rounded out the top six.
Clubman MX2 is where lots of local interest was focussed before the event and so it proved with Markethill man Scott Bailey running out the overall winner with three wins after four years of surgery and treatment for a mangled wrist, with Daniel McFerran wild riding to second overall and Lurgan personal fitness trainer Ruari Grimes filling the podium in third, fourth was Robert McCauley, fifth Donegal teenager Ivan Kerr and sixth was Paddy McCann.
The Veterans and Over 35 Classes run concurrently, and the Veterans was won by former Grand Prix star Laurence Spence on his 450 TM with fellow County Down riders Stephen Gabbey second and Brian Presho third, the Over 35 Premier Class was won by Richard Watt from Ravarnet, the Semi Expert Class was won by Joel Brown on his KTM, while the Clubman Class was won by local Portadown Oil company owner Rick Gilpin.
A great days racing at the spectacular Tandragee Motocross Park rounded off a week that started with the Tandragee 100 Road Race for the Club, and it was great to see Tarmac & Off-Road members helping each section out with all the marshals being provided by Road Racing marshals, and even Davey Todd, BE Engineering Road Race star taking a run out and finishing 7th overall in the Semi Expert MX2 Class on his Yamaha.
A great advert for motocross and the Irish Championships overall.
Article by: Malcolm Beattie
Images by: Ian Cairns
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