Christie on super form at Ballymena

Alistair Christie underlined just why he is the current Irish Champion by producing one of the drives of the night to capture a superb win in the Super Saloon final at Ballymena Raceway on Friday evening.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd May 2016, 18:43 BST
Ballymoney's Alistair Christie receives the Cirrus Plastics Trophy from Jessica Doak. Alistair won the Super Saloon final at Ballymena Raceway on Friday evening. INBM22-16Ballymoney's Alistair Christie receives the Cirrus Plastics Trophy from Jessica Doak. Alistair won the Super Saloon final at Ballymena Raceway on Friday evening. INBM22-16
Ballymoney's Alistair Christie receives the Cirrus Plastics Trophy from Jessica Doak. Alistair won the Super Saloon final at Ballymena Raceway on Friday evening. INBM22-16

Ballymoney’s Steven Elder motored home to a clear win in the opening heat, but a blown engine put pay to his chances of a repeat performance in heat two where Christie slithered his way to victory ahead of Aaron McGraw and Ashley Graham. Mark Frew held sway at the start of the final with Liam Irwin his closest challenger and the lead pair were joined by McGraw and Christie to set up a four way battle at the front over the closing stages. Christie was still at the back of this queue with 3 laps remaining, but the Irish Champion sat it out on the wide outside to blast his Vauxhall Astra past them all for an inspired win.

The damp conditions on Friday evening proved a real test for the drivers of the high speed National Hot Rods where a record entry of 20 cars took to the track for the penultimate round of the PC Paints and Components World Qualifying Series. Mark Heatrick romped to a brace of victories in the heat races and led the early stages of the final too, but it was Crumlin Charger Adam Maxwell who eventually emerged victorious to secure his first win of the current campaign.

Results

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National Hot Rods World Series NI Rd 13: 1st. Adam Maxwell, 2nd. Derek Martin, 3rd. Keith Martin, 4th. Adam Hylands, 5th. Mark Heatrick, 6th. Gary Wilson

Stock Rods Grand Prix Series Rd 4: 1st. Tim Hazlett, 2nd. Wilfie McNiece, 3rd. Jason Clyde, 4th. Adam Sloan, 5th. Aaron Moody, 6th. Jack Kennedy

GP2 Terraclean Series Rd 2: 1st. Daniel Norris, 2nd. Rodney Stewart, 3rd. Andy McLeister, 4th. Freddie Fleck, 5th. Colin Mark, 6th. Kenny Carson

Super Saloons: 1st. Alistair Christie, 2nd. Mark Frew, 3rd. Aaron McGraw, 4th. Liam Irwin, 5th. Ashley Graham

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The next action at Ballymena Raceway takes place on Friday, June 10 where the F2 Stock Cars will contest the coveted Irish Open Championship, with a host of visiting drivers from England and Scotland on the grid.

* In the other classes on the Cirrus Plastics sponsored race card the Stock Rods contested Round 4 of their UK wide Grand Prix Series.

Dorset’s Levi Robinson was a welcome addition to the grid for this one, but the Englishman endured a torrid night of misfortune and only completed a handful of laps over all 3 races.

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Each one produced a different winner, with Garvagh’s Johnny McCloy and Shane Gault from Glarryford accounting for the heat races before Tim Hazlett staved off the combined advances of Wilfie McNiece and Jason Clyde in a humdinger of a final. The Group Two Lightning Rods completed the classes on display and it was Daniel Norris who took the silverware home for the second meeting in a row.