The handicappers did a great job in tonight’s final road race of the club season at Carrowdore. The front group got a minute and a half on the 3rd cat group, with another minute and a half back to scratch. All the groups worked well and the whole race didn’t come together until half way round the last lap.
In the drag for the line, James Ambrose (North Down) and Ian Inglis (Black Rose) got a slight gap and James took the win. Paul McMinn (Ards) led in the bunch a couple of seconds later, ahead of Ian McClure (Northern), Gareth Boyle and Mark Thomson (both North Down).
In the battle for Ards CC points, Robin Wilson was next behind Paul, followed by Geoff Brennan, Chris Lappin and Mark Brown. Ricky Topping cruised in to claim sixth Ards rider, knowing that in the absence of Gareth Murray he had the club road race handicap trophy sown up for a second year in a row.
Thanks as always to the marshals, time keepers and judges – these are great events and always attract a good crowd of enthusiastic and appreciative riders.
Final standings in the road race handicap trophy
| Name | 10/5 | 31/5 | 21/6 | 19/7 | 2/8 | 16/8 | Total | |
| 1 | Ricky Topping | 10 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 31 | ||
| 2 | Robin Wilson | 10 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 27 | ||
| 3 | Gareth Murray | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 26 | ||
| 4 | Wayne Garrett | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||
| 5 | Paul McMinn | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | |||
| 6 | Luke Fulton | 10 | 10 | |||||
| 7 | Geoff Brennan | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | |||
| 8 | Josh Porter | 7 | 7 | |||||
| 9= | Andrew Hedley | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| 9= | Gary Wilson | 5 | 5 | |||||
| 9= | Chris Lappin | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||
| 12= | Alex Porter | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 12= | Richard Hanna | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 12= | Mark Brown | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 15= | Graeme Brown | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 15= | Willy Gill | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 17= | Ian Carson | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 17= | David McCamley | 1 | 1 |