Club Racing.
The club membership has reached a total of 112 so far this season and 55 of these members have either full race or club racing membership licences.
This large pool of riders will also be added to by visiting riders from the local Michelin and Bann Valley clubs and this should hopefully ensure entries of over thirty riders for the road racing events, which are usually the most popular of all the club races.
Hugh McCullough also appeals to the non- racing club members to support the racing events by turning up and assisting with the marshalling and time trial observers duties.
The first time trial of the "Northstone” series will be the Stan Finlay memorial 10 miles event at Woodgreen on 18th April, the club will have three 10 miles time trials during the season.
One week later, on 25th April, the 18 miles Australian pursuit event starts at Slaght corner and completes two laps of the Caddy circuit.
The first of three 25 miles time trials will be held at Woodgreen on 2nd May. This takes place over the Woodgreen to Dunsilly to Ballee course.
Ballymena Road Club will also participate in the Inter-club road race series this season with their round taking place on 9th May on the Caddy circuit. This event is completely separate from the club race series this season and I understand that each of the five participating clubs will have a maximum quota of riders for each event. I think the figure is a maximum of fifteen riders each but that will be confirmed nearer to the start date.
The club’s road racing league series is made up of eight rounds with a riders best results from seven events to count overall. The first round takes place on 23rd May when the Rex Bonar cup 25 miles handicapped event will be held on the Lisnamurrican circuit at Broughshane.
Its back to Slaght and the Caddy circuit on 30th May for the H&M Wilson cup 26 miles road race.
Road race events follow on Tuesday 12th June with the Clough Rangers trophy event on the Mid-Antrim 150 motor cycle circuit. The Star trophy glens road race from Broughshane to Carnlough, Waterfoot, Glenariff and back to Broughshane will be held on a Saturday morning for the first time this season when the race takes place on 7th July.
The Sammy Connor cup "scratch” (non handicap) event is scheduled for the Broughshane – Sheddings circuit on 18th July. This year’s event is the official club road race championship and will cover three laps of the circuit instead of just two laps. The Sammy Connor cup event is the only non- handicapped event on the club calendar and for many seasons was regarded as the club’s unofficial "club championship” event. A notice of motion at last year’s AGM has now officially established the event’s status.
A new trophy – "The Mark McCullough cup” will be presented for the Randalstown road race this year. This event, which takes place on 6th August, was held for the first time last season on a night which saw heavy rain fall throughout the duration of the race.
The final two club road races of the season take place at Glarryford. The Sammy Gaston cup 25 miles road race on 8th August will be held over five laps of the Glarryford, Millar’s corner, Dunminning circuit.
The Gaston cup along with the Randalstown RR and the Sherdan Caldwell memorial Crebilly hillclimb on 7th August form the club’s three day race which has the Ballymena Borough Council trophy for the overall winner.
The final club race of the season is the Will Henry cup 20 miles event on 22nd August. This event will see the riders assemble at the usual area just past Killymurris church at Glarryford. However Hugh McCullough has a new course for this year’s event. The assembled riders will ride to Dunminning cross roads and turn right up the Killycowan road. At the top of the hill they will turn left on to Carclinty road and race downhill to the junction of Duneoin road where it is another left turn and back out on to Dunminning road. The final lap will take the riders through Dunminning cross roads and on to the finish at the usual Glarryford finishing line
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