Wilsons sponsoring Mid Antrim 150 Supersport Saturday race!

WILSONS of Rathkenny Vauxhall will be sponsoring the Mid Antrim 150 Club Supersport Saturday race at the Clough circuit on Saturday, August 1.

The business said it is proud to be reaffirming its commitment to supporting local motor sport and the wider community.

Last week a presentation marked the official handover of sponsorship, with Managing Directors John Wilson and Darren Wilson joined by Johnny Wilson, Lee Wilson and Vauxhall Sales Manager Darren McGarvey to hand over a sponsorship cheque to race representatives Jack Agnew, Andrew Armstrong and Wesley Grace.

As part of its support, in addition to sponsoring the Saturday Supersport Race, Wilsons of Rathkenny will be contributing a quad, a van, a Weidemann machine, and the company caravan for use across the race days, helping ensure the smooth running of the event and enhancing facilities for organisers and participants.

Wilsons of Rathkenny is proud to support local initiatives and play an active role in community events, particularly those that celebrate the region’s strong motor sport heritage.

Meanwhile, Wilsons of Rathkenny are also delighted to host the official press launch night for the event on Tuesday, June 30, at its showrooms, where sponsors, competitors, media and supporters will gather ahead of race weekend.

Confirmed as addition to racing calendar

The Mid Antrim 150 motor cycle road race has been confirmed as an addition to the Irish motorcycle road racing calendar for the 2026 season.

The event is to be held over the traditional Clough circuit on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1.

The meeting was last staged successfully in 2016, after which a number of setbacks, including financial difficulties, led to it disappearing from the sport's annual roster.

The most recent attempt to revive the meeting in September 2022 had to be abandoned after sabotage because oil, glass and nails were deposited in parts of the circuit the night before the main Saturday race day.

It was the second time the Mid Antrim race day had to be cancelled because of oil and other substances being deposited on the track, with a similar scenario having unfolded in 2011.

Last year Jack Agnew, the treasurer of the Mid Antrim 150 Club, told BBC Sport NI that the organisers were satisfied that any problems had been put behind them, the financial resources are in place to run the event and local residents have been positive in their response at a recent meeting.

“We had a meeting with the residents which was all very positive, the dates have been confirmed, and the local people were very keen to see it back again and are really behind us," he said.

“2022 was a difficult year for us and it left us struggling financially but now we feel that we are in a position with drawing on our reserves, and with other support, to run the race in 2026.”.

"And we're not just looking to run it in 2026, we have a five-year plan and we want to run it for the duration of that time, minimum."

A new team of organisers has taken over the running of the event.