STARS SUPPORT BRITISH SIDECARCROSS & QUADCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 LAUNCH AT NORTHERN IRELAND M

North Armagh Motorcycle and Car Club Off Road Section took the opportunity to launch their promotion of the MAXXIS British Sidecarcross & Quadcross Championships at the Northern Ireland Motorcycle Festival at the Eikon Centre during the weekend.

Joined on the stand at various times were World Superbike Champion, and King of the Jungle Carl Fogarty MBE who tried a Sidecar for size, local hero’s British Superbike star PBM Ducati rider Glenn Irwin, who tried a quad as well, and Carrickfergus NW200 Race Record holder Alistair Seeley, as well as some Inter Galactic visitors when Bobba Fett, Chewbacca, and the dark lord himself, Darth Vader turned up too, all of them joining Lee Johnston, TT rider, who claimed on stage that even he wasn’t mad enough to try Sidecarcross!!

The event is scheduled for Desrtmartin and is supported by MAXXIS Tyres, Wilcocks Hole Formers, Irish Ferries, Nutt Travel, and Lisburn Bitmac & Tarmac and will consist of the two main Championships, with defending Champion Mark McLernon from Hillsborough hoping for a win in the Quadcross Championship after dominating last years home round, as will Club Member and Comber resident Justin Reid, Banbridge’s David Cowan, and Navan’s Leon Rodgers, Under 21 British Champion all hoping for a podium spot.

The Sidecars are returning after an eight year gap, and although no local has ever stood on a British Championship podium, Lisburn based Neil Campbell with his English Passenger Craig Parmenter will be our best bet after finishing fourth in the 2016 Championship, 21 year old Gary Moulds from Lisburn will have a temporary English passenger for this event in Steve Kirwan, as regular passenger Alan Gardner recovers from a nasty knee ligament injury and Gary will be hoping for a shot at the podium too, and of course, big sister Emma with Niki Adair on board as passenger will also be hoping for a top ten after her history making year in 2016 where she became the first female driver to represent her Federation at the Sidecarcross of Nations in France and finished a fantastic 16th in the British Championship.

All the local crews will be hoping for a large crowd for home support at this event, and as the race does not clash with any other motorcycling event, this will be an opportunity for the public to see something a bit different, Sidcercross Grands Prix regularly attract crowds of up to 50,000 in Europe, and as we will have the number 3 in the world competing in Stuart Brown, reigning British Champion as well as Grand Prix regulars, and the fastest Quad racers in Europe on the same day, what a treat for anyone who enjoys close racing.

The Club plan to have activites and competitions for the younger fans, with trophies and prizes to keep them amused, so come along for a fun family day out and to support all our local competitors