Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction cycles – held their annual road race on the Mid Antrim 150 motor cycle course last Tuesday evening. At one stage it looked as though another event would fall foul of the torrential rain but thankfully it dried up just in time for the start and racing was completed in relatively good conditions.
The entrants were set off in three groups at the start and it was great to see Emma Smyth, who had crashed at the Slaght road race two weeks earlier, back in action. Emma, along with newcomer Richard Reid, led during the first half of the eight lap (3.6 miles per lap) race.
However in was Aaron Swan who was making the biggest impression. Aaron started with the middle group and promptly left them all behind as he went in pursuit of the leaders. He was successful and not only caught all those ahead of him but also held off all the chasers.
Aaron registered a popular "home win” and will have his name engraved on the Clough Rangers shield for the first time. All the scratch riders who came through the field caught everyone except Aaron with Connor Young powering his lightweight frame into second place in the tough uphill approach to the finish in Clough village. Ryan Bankhead finished third.
(1) Aaron Swan (TSC Racing) (2) Connor Young (3) Ryan Bankhead (4) Chris Beattie (5) Nigel Kernohan (6) S. Laverty (Ballymoney) (7) Clifford Grant (8) Uel Cunningham (Michelin) (9) Adrian Kerr (10) Mark Wright (11) Ryan Orr (Ballymoney) (12) Ryan Shaw (13) Tommy Wilson (14) Alan Blair (15) Quinton McFall (16) Emma Smyth (17) Richard Reid
Youth race. (1) Adam McCullough (2) George Graham (3) Emma Gordon.
Many thanks once again to all who turned up to marshall, judge and timekeep, hopefully the midges didn’t bite too deeply! Thanks too goes to the ladies who provided the post race refreshments back at the Rangers club.