World Stock Rod Championship at Raceway!
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Ballymena’s Victor McAfee will take on the world’s best at Raceway this weekend.
The World Stock Rod Championship takes place this weekend at Ballymena Raceway!
The qualifying heats are on Friday night - and the final showdown is on Saturday. Both these meets start at 7.30pm.
The top thirty-six drivers will go directly into the World Final line-up while the remaining drivers will have to battle it out in a last chance race to claim the final two slots on the grid.
Ballymena Stock Rod racer Victor McAfee is among the hopefuls bidding for World glory at the town track.
The car salesman from Carniny Road will battle it out against the top drivers in the sport to decide the World crown at his home track.
McAfee, the current Irish champion in the Stock Rod class, is a Raceway expert with a wealth of track knowledge to call upon and the experienced campaigner will be hoping for better luck than he enjoyed the last time the championship was staged in the province.
On that occasion back in 2004 McAfee battled his way into the lead only to crash out spectacularly following an incident with another local ace, Craigywarren's Micky McFall!
McFall is also back for another crack at the World crown in 2008 and the old rivals are sure to start amongst the pre-event favourites.
New Experience
Whist McAfee and McFall have competed in many World finals for another Ballymena based racer this weekend will be a whole new experience.
Eighteen-year-old Chris Gordon will make his World final debut and the talented teenager will be keen to safely navigate the qualifying races on Friday evening and book his place on the grid for Saturday's big race.
Gordon enjoyed a purple patch at Raceway in June when he won back to back finals and collected more silverware with another final victory during June.
Ballymena driver Colin McKendry and Gracehill racer Colin Greer complete the list of drivers from the borough competing in the World Championship.
The driver that all the others have to beat is defending champion Glenn Bell.
The Portadown ace won the title for the first time at Raceway back in 2004 when he was just fifteen years of age!
Bell, who also races in the National Hot Rod class, added his second title at Cowdenbeath in Scotland last year and is sure to put up a stern defence of his crown.
No Stock Rod driver has won more races at Ballymena this season than Shane Murray.
The Randalstown racer started the season by winning the Yokohama Champion-ship at Easter and hasn't looked back since. Other contenders for a Northern Ireland victory include 2001 winner Alastair Calvin from Richill and former Irish Champion Alastair Bolton from Ballymoney.
