John Meara wins on racing return at Tinker Hill

Meara was making his return to racing after a 12-month lay-off due to injuries he suffered at a test in Spain at the end of last year and although a little apprehensive before racing began, he was delighted to get behind the gate again.

“I only made my mind up to go to Tinker Hill the day before the race but I’m glad I did,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting anything at all and before the gate dropped for the first race I was a little nervous but after the first two corners I got my head down and picked up from where I left off.”

It has been a long road back for the 25 year-old, who suffered a broken right ankle, knee ligament damage and broken left shoulder in the Spanish accident.

At times over the past year he has questioned whether he would return to the sport that has brought him so much success and pain throughout his career, but after the initial few months and when his injuries began to heal, he focused on getting back on board his KX450f Kawasaki again.

“It was a bike malfunction that caused the crash in the Spanish test and I have to say I wasn’t in a good place for a long time afterwards, but the amount of good wishes from the racing family has encouraged me along the way,” added Meara.

“Even on Saturday the amount of people who came up to ask how I was and say they were glad to see me back was just amazing. “Once I got out in practice I felt really comfortable and I was happy with my performance as there were a few real quick riders there. When you consider I have had less than twenty hours on a race bike since last September I had some fun today and I have to be pleased with my three wins.

“Yes I lacked fitness and race pace but I will work on that between now and the start of the 2021 season in March.”

It was a very hot and dusty Tinkerhill last Saturday and in the opening race it was Hitachi KTM rider Gary Gibson, who has recently returned to live in Northern Ireland after racing for many years in England and Europe, who got the holeshot with John Meara and Jay McCrum tight on his rear wheel.

A mistake by the Ballygowan man let Meara through to go on to win his first race back and although McCrum was fast, he left it too late to do anything about the race winner.

In race two John Meara and Gary Gibson clashed with Gibson coming off the worse crashing out and forced to retire with terminal damage to his KTM.

It left Meara to control the race form the front with McCrum taking until lap five to get past Callum Meara, younger brother of John, to claim second with Callum third.

Gibson didn’t line up for race three and it was McCrum who got the hole shot on the fonaCAB Kawasaki but he ran wide at Turn 1 letting both the Meara brothers through.

McCrum recovered to force his way past Callum Meara for second a few laps later, with Rhys Graham finishing third at the flag.

Jay McCrum left Tinkerhill reasonably happy, saying: “I enjoyed the racing but the conditions weren’t great but I suppose it was the same for everyone,” he said.

“Really I wasn’t taking too many chances today as I was mainly there for bike time before the final round of the MX Nationals and also I’m busy at the minute testing a few different makes of machinery as we prepare for the 2021 season.”

Lewis Spratt had a clean sweep winning all three races in the S/W85 class as did Nathan Green (Grade A2).