Tommy Wilson has won the Ballymena Road Club – Northstone – road racing league series for the 2011 season.
Tommy, scored in all eight rounds and had to drop his lowest score, one point, amassed a winning total of 50 points while Alan Blair was second overall with 45. Simon Taggart finished third with 43.
(4) Mark McCullough 41 (5) Clifford Grant 35 (6) Brian Geddis 24 (7) Ryan Currie 22. Equal (8) and (9) Matthew Brennan and Connor Young 20 points each (10) Peter Smyth 19 (11) Nigel Kernohan 16 (12) Bobby Currie 14 points. Twenty four riders registered a point’s score during the series.
Round by round trophy winners
The club road racing season commenced on 11th May with the H&M Wilson cup event on the Caddy circuit. This event formed part of the inter club series and attracted a field of 74 riders. Alan Blair was third across the line, won the Wilson cup and collected a maximum score of ten points as first Ballymena rider.
Round two was the Rex Bonar cup 25 miles event which was held over five laps of the Lisnamurrican circuit on 25th May.
Tommy Wilson took the honours on this occasion but Alan Blair held the league lead with 16 points, with David Kennedy second on 12.
Simon Taggart won the Sammy Connor cup scratch road race on the Broughshane, Buckna, Braid Sheddings circuit on 15th June. Matthew Brennan was second and Tommy Wilson third. Wilson’s third place moved him into top position in the league with 19 points, but it was very close as Simon Taggart and Matthew Brennan were equal second just one point behind with 18 points.
Round four was the Star Trophy GP of the Glens road race on 29th June.
Bann Valley rider Michael Carroll was first home but it was Tommy Wilson who won the trophy and took the ten points as first BRC rider. Simon Taggart kept up the pressure by finishing second to Wilson. Matthew Brennan was a non- finisher on this occasion.
A new event was introduced when Randalstown hosted round five, on a wet and windy night, on 27th July. Mark McCullough was first home from Simon Taggart and Clifford Grant.
Simon Taggart’s second place took him to the top of the road racing league with 36 points. Tommy Wilson dropped to second overall on 34 points. Alan Blair was back up to third with 29.
First year club member Connor Young scored maximum points in the Clough road race, during the Mid Antrim 150 bike week celebrations, on 2nd August. Mark McCullough scored nine points and kept his challenge for league honours alive.
Two days later the Sammy Gaston cup event at Glarryford concluded the club’s three day race, which, incidentally, was won overall by Connor Young. This time Tommy Wilson took the honours with McCullough again runner up.
Tommy went back to the top of the league with 49 points while Simon Taggart dropped to second place after missing the Sammy Gaston cup event, he had 42 points. Mark McCullough was up to third on 41.
The anticipated "final round showdown” between league leader Tommy Wilson and challengers, Simon Taggart and Mark McCullough, never really materialised at Glarryford on 24th August when, first of all, Mark McCullough didn’t take part and then the handicap stifled the efforts of scratch men Wilson and Taggart.
Clifford Grant won the race with Alan Blair collecting nine points for second. Wilson and Taggart were ninth and tenth BRC riders.
Wilson had done enough to win overall while Alan Blair’s second place on the night had moved him up to finish second in the league with Taggart third.