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| Added: 13 Jun 2011 |
Category: 2011 Oval Racing |
| 2011 - #17 - Ballymena Raceway 10/6/11 |
Into the second of two hectic weekends, the first event of which was the small matter of the F2 Challenge Trophy at Ballymena Raceway.
Not that long ago the F2 Irish Open and Challenge Trophy would have been my most anticipated meetings of the season, it still is the top contact meeting of the season, I just don’t get as excited as I used to about it.
The challenge trophy brought a decent field of cars to Ballymena, and a few more of our local guys found it as well.
Sadly the unfinished debate on whether Gordon Moodie should or shouldn’t be allowed to race at Nutts Corner Raceway, it felt that something had been taken away from the spectacle of the whole thing as all eyes fell on the actions on one man.
I do take my hat off to Gordon Moodie, to travel here is expensive, to only be getting one meeting, which became three races at that makes it an even more remarkable feat, and I was pleased to see him take a good points haul for the effort he put in.
There was 22 F2’s on track for the opening heat, which looked as though Chris Burgoyne was going to continue on where he left off the previous night, moving through the field to the lead before pulling out with mechanical gremlins. Daz Kitson had never been too far behind Burgoyne and took the lead, and then the victory in heat one, closely followed home by Moodie, then Goldin and Bradbury.
The second heat was something of a rare occurrence with a grid of twenty cars, the race went from start to finish with no stoppages. Gary Grattan was the first of the star graders to get through the field, but it was Moodie who took the win, Gratten had to settle for second with Kitson third.
The Challenge Trophy itself was a closed grid final based on the points scored throughout the evening, this put Moodie on pole with Kitson alongside, Gary Grattan and Barry Goldin shared the second row with Bradbury and Jack Aldridge on row three.
As the flag dropped Moodie was away, while the big action came from the second group as Craig McConnell put Denver Grattan round the wall, taking both drivers out of the race, leaving Grattan in the middle of the track and bringing the first stoppage of the race. On the restart Moodie once again got a clean start and up the road, again there wasn’t a lot of laps before a pile up in turn 2 brought out the yellows flags. For the third time Moodie got a clean start and led them away with Kitson in second and Bradbury third. Mark Pinkerton and William Murray came together on turn four bringing out the final stoppage of the race. Bradbury was no in second and after every restart Burgoyne was moving up the order. The green flagged dropped for the restart earlier than most drivers seemed to be expecting which caught a lot of drivers out, Gavin Fegan made up several places moving up to third. Moodie didn’t get away as quickly this time, but still got enough of a lead away not to have to defend a hit. Moodie went on to take the win with Bradbury second and Barry Goldin third.
In the Group 2 lightning rods, Lyle Murray took a lights to flag victory in their Grand Prix Series final before, yes before, Brian Alexander took both heat wins.
The slick cars made their second appearance at Ballymena with Stephen Nevin taking all three race wins.
In the Stock Rods there was heat wins for Steven Wilson and Victor McAfee before Alastair Bolton took the final.
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