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.

The Tullyroan Challenge Cup was the main event for the 2.0 Hot Rods, with Scottish Champion Jason Secker making the trip to join the action. Gary Butler and Jordan Rochford contested the lead in the opening heat, with Jordan getting the verdict at the flag ahead of Butler and Michael Woods. Heat two saw a great flag to flag win for Feargal McNally in his new car, with Adam Hylands and Drew McKeown next home.

Rochford and Adam Heatrick shared the front row for the final, but Jordan had all under control and he slowly edged clear to take a dominant win. Heatrick was a gallant runner up ahead of Hylands and Butler.

Sixteen 1300 Stock Cars came to grid for their opening heat, including debutants Davy Wilson and Simon Lamont and welcome English visitor Jacob Roff. The opening heat was action packed with the bumpers put to great use. The finish was superb, with Roff taking first blood for the English over Chris Hamill and Robbie Wright. Gary Elliott, behind the wheel of his injured brother Ivan’s championship winning car, made short work of the field in heat two from his yellow grade start to take an emphatic victory over Hamill, the latter getting the best of a fantastic last lap tussle with Michael Logan and Lamont.

The Tullyroan Challenge Cup final saw Hamill and Roff immediately get into battle, swapping and changing the lead on each lap. Hamill made the telling move though, nudging Roff wide in a blow he couldn’t get back on terms from. Hamill reeled off the final laps to take the win, with Roff great value in second ahead of an impressive Elliott and Thomas McCrory.

Returnee Ethan Dilly set the pace in the opening Lightning Rods heat, before World Champion and renowned rainmaster Nigel Jackson powered around the outside to take an outstanding win over Ally Neill. Neill then just held Jackson off to claim the heat two honours on the sodden circuit.
The final saw another masterclass from Jackson, as he gave a demonstration of wet weather driving to annihilate the field to complete his double for the evening. Mark McCambridge and Neill chased his home in the podium places.

Another big field of Thunder Rods saw the budget racers produce some close, competitive action, with Clifford Gordon and Andrew McLean disputing the heat one lead before Mark McLaughlin managed to nip past to take the win. From then on it was all about McLean, as Andrew made the most of his generous yellow grading to take the wins in both heat two and the final. Following him home in the feature race were Sam Preston and McLaughlin.

The young guns in the Junior Productions coped admirably with the wet conditions all evening. Dungannon lad Aaron Dynes scored a clear win in the opening heat over Matthew Weir and Sam Percy. Irish Open Champion Jack Morrow then took the win in heat two after demoting the impressive Lacey Bevan late on. The final saw Dynes out front early on but he had no opposition to the flying Weir, as Matthew soared past to take the silverware in some style ahead of Percy and Morrow.