By Paul Lindsay
After a 12-month sabbatical, the Mid Antrim ‘150’ makes a welcome return to the road racing calendar, with this year’s event taking place over the exciting 3.6-mile Clough circuit just outside Ballymena on Friday July 31 and Saturday August 1, with £9,000 prize money at stake.
Hydrex Honda’s Guy Martin will join national road racing regulars Ryan Farquhar, Keith Amor, Adrian Archibald, John Burrows and the Dunlop brothers William and Michael as the star attractions at Mid Antrim, which incidentally, has been run on the current Clough circuit since 1989.
The start–finish and paddock facilities have been relocated back into the village of Clough, which will no doubt prove popular with local race fans and 200 race entrants.
The eight-race programme, supported by a host of local businesses and Ballymena Borough Council is a feather in the cap for the Mid Antrim Motor Club’s racing section in the current economic climate, and race secretary Derek McWhirter, thanked Councillor Maurice Mills and the event’s race sponsors for all their support at last night’s launch in Clough village.
The club has accepted entries from 40 Newcomers for this year’s event, with Maria Costello MBE, already attracting the lion’s share of attention with her entry in the Super Twins class. Look out for number 76!
Manxman Chris Kinley, the new pit-lane voice of the TT, will be joined on commentary by George ‘two-metre man’ McCann and Alan Drysdale, with Race Week events kicking off as early as Friday July 24, with a pub quiz in Ballymena Bowling Club.
A number of other fundraising events have been organised on the run up to the race itself, but co-ordinator Norman Morrow urged fans to support the event by purchasing a programme.
Unlike road racing events south of the border where an entry fee can be charged, Northern Ireland organisers rely heavily on programme sales for much-needed income.
Practice for all classes kicks off on Friday July 31, with roads closing at 4.30pm; then on Race Day, roads close at 10am for a 10.45am start.
