Over 20 Thunder Rods braved the poor conditions for their first outing of 2025, with Mark McLaughlin taking a clear win in the first heat over Nolan Wilson and James Steele. The action was fast and frantic all evening, with heat two seeing Jake Carson ahead before Josh Young hit the front. Adam McKinney came late though with a great outside run to take the win over Young and Steele.
The final was another cracker that you couldn’t take your eyes off for a second. Carson built a very healthy lead out front but, just when it looked like a debut win for the Ballymena driver, former Stock Rods European Champion Joe largey managed to break free from the pack. He chased Carson down, and executed the perfect outside pass on the last lap to win the drag race to the line for the silverware in arguably the drive of the night. Carson could be well pleased with a very gallant runner up slot, ahead of McLaughlin and Irish Champion James Goldie.

Seventeen Junior Productions bodes well for the season ahead, with Charlie Johnston taking the first heat ahead of Ryan Abernethy Jnr and Leyton Hughes. Heat two developed into a great battle as Abernethy held on out front, but he had no answer to the flying Ryan Berry who took a great win after a very polished drive indeed.
The final was another superb race, with Jake Barnett out front until demoted by a fast moving Jack Morrison. Jack looked all set to make it three final wins on the trot until he came under severe late pressure in the changing conditions. Donegal’s Andrew Russell managed to squeeze into a gap to take the lead on the very last lap, taking a great victory over Morrison, Hughes and Berry.

The young stars of the future in the Ninja Karts completed the programme, with Luke Grattan and Denver Bevan having spells out front before star man Jack Murphy swooped past for a great win over Bevan and William Brown in heat one. Birthday boy Harry Hoy and Bevan were both ahead at a stage in heat two, but once again it was Murphy who blasted through the 20-kart pack to take his second win of the night, with Bevan and Brown again the placemen.
With no caution periods in the final, Murphy found it much harder to get to the front and that left Bevan and Brown to battle it out. Brown led almost the full distance, only to be out-foxed by Bevan in backmarking traffic as they went into the final bend on the last lap! As Bevan took a well deserved win, Murphy and Eddie Fowler filled the top three as Brown spun out within sight of the flag.