Polesitter Chris Hamill got shunted wide in a dramatic opening lap of the 1300 Stock Cars Irish Championship, with Jon McQuillan and then Robbie Wright having spells out front. Hamill was coming back strong though, and he bided his time before making the perfect move on the final bend to dislodge Wright from the lead and take a great win. Joining the duo on the Irish title podium was Gareth Halliday who took a creditable third. The Irish Revenge support race then also fell the way of Hamill after a great battle amongst the pack.

The Thunder Rods Irish Championship was an eagerly awaited event, with so many possible contenders. Samuel Murphy led early on ahead of Dean Catherwood and defending champion James Goldie. The slightest slip from Murphy in the treacherous conditions saw Catherwood and Goldie move through, and despite Goldie’s best efforts to retain his title it was Catherwood who stormed home to take the Irish crown and the right to wear the green roof for the next twelve months. Goldie and Murphy completed the podium, before Simon McLaughlin took the Irish Revenge race ahead of Catherwood and Andrew McLean.

The Stock Rods were a late addition to the programme and it was Ballymena stalwart Victor McAfee who took the opening heat win, before Ballymoney’s Thomas Morrison took heat two in what was a blanket finish after a great race amongst the frontrunners. The final saw a lot of oil go down on the already slippery surface after a huge engine blow up for Michael Rodgers, with Kells star Shane McMillan coping best to take the victory over Jonny Cardwell and Morrison.

Round five of Simpson Race Exhausts World Series NI saw local star Thomas Dilly take both heat victories as the National Hot Rods looked sensational at full speed under the lights. Barry Stephen and Simon Kennedy followed him home in heat one, before Kennedy and Andrew Stewart filled the places in heat two. The extended distance in the feature race final was always going to bring the star men into play, and early leader Dilly had no answer to the flying Derek Martin and Glenn Bell who had scythed through the pack together. Martin held on for an impressive win over Bell, John Christie and Shane Murray.
The final race of the night for the National Hot Rods was the 2021 Ulster Championship, lined up on lap time order from during the night and featuring the ‘choose-cone’ rule at 5 laps to go. Bell set the pace from the off with Martin in second ahead of Christie and Murray. At the choose cone caution period Martin dramatically decided to go outside and come up alongside Bell for the 5 lap dash to the flag. A sensational few laps followed, but Bell hung on to add the Ulster to his British title won at the same track earlier in the month. Martin kept him honest in second ahead of Christie, Murray and Jaimie McCurdy.

The Lightning Rods saw Ally Neill take the opening heat win after an early battle with Mark Corry, with Nigel Jackson taking second in the end over Ronan McNally. Heat two fell to newly crowned British Champion Ricky Shaw, with Jackson again impressing on his way to second over Mark McCambridge.
The Tullyroan Challenge Cup Final saw Jackson on pole, and he would never be challenged all the way to yet another win for the World Champ. Neill impressed too in second, ahead of McNally, Ethan Dilly and Dylan McCann.

Some fantastic Stock Rod racing completed the programme, with former World Champion Stevie McNiece taking the opening heat win over Ryan Andersen and Marc Morrell, after Hannah Mongahan had led for much of the distance. Rapid young star Mark Crawford took the heat two spoils ahead of Mark Overend and McNiece.
The final was another superb race, with Overend setting the pace for much of the distance before McNiece powered past on the outside line in a super move. As Stevie took the chequered flag, Overend had a morale boosting second over Dan Shannon and Jonny Cardwell.