MOTOCROSS: Riders are raring to go IN Claudy!

It's all to play for as the The 2018 Nutt Travel MRA Ulster Motocross Championships reaches the halfway stage of the season.
Richard Bird leads MX1 Championship  heading to Claudy this weekend.Richard Bird leads MX1 Championship  heading to Claudy this weekend.
Richard Bird leads MX1 Championship heading to Claudy this weekend.

The series moves away from the hard pack of County Down to the sand of the North West at the new to the Championship track at Claudy for the NIMC promoted event.

Lisburn man Richard Bird on the Five5 Sport KTM, the reigning Ulster Champion, leads the Sport Insure Premier MX1 Championship by an impressive 37 points from Banbridge Risk Racing Yamaha rider Sean Devlin. After a poor opener, Loughbrickland man John Meara will be keen to make up lost ground in the series and with Risk Racing Yamaha’s Robert Hamilton equal points with Meara the race for the podium should be close on Saturday. Fifth and sixth placed riders Greyabbey’s Craig Brown and Jordanstown’s Jay McCrum are also on equal points so it’s all to play for at Claudy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Thompson Leisure MX2 Premier class has produced some brilliant action this year between championship leader Jason Meara and second place Glenn McCormick. Meara has a 13 point advantage over Glenoe’s McCormick, but the 22 year-old is slowly getting back into the form that saw him claim the British Experts Championship in 2017, so again it could be tight at the front in the MX2 class on Saturday.

Meara’s younger brother Cailum is third, 38 points adrift of McCormick who in turn is ten points ahead of Dubliner Stephen Mullaly and Donegal youngster Aaron Gardiner on his Risk Racing Yamaha with Comber man David Russell in sixth. The Precise Protect Semi Expert MX1 Class is led by Ashley Allerton with Ballymena man Clifford ‘Badger’ Wilson ten points behind.

Johnny Presho from Comber is only three points behind Wilson, but 8 ahead of Tony Conlon with Joel Brown and Chris Cully well adrift in fifth and sixth.

Rhys Graham leads the Gortnacarrow Tyre Services in association with Bridgestone Semi Expert MX2 while six points separate Calvin McCorkell from Jordan Wade in the Robinson Concrete Clubman MX1. The same margin separates Markethill youngster Scott Bailey from Lurgan’s Ruari Grimes in the Laverty Motocross Clubmans MX2 championship.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Johnny Presho from Comber is only three points behind Wilson, but eight ahead of Tony Conlon with Joel Brown and Chris Cully well adrift in fifth and sixth.

Racing starts at 11.00am with admission entry £5.00 with under 14’s free, and the circuit is signposted from Claudy Village.