Portadown teenager Ethan Gawley shines at opening round of Irish Masters motocross series at Magilligan
The opening round of the Beyond Signage Irish Masters at Magilligan MX Park saw big entries and thrilling racing in all classes.
Portadown’s Ethan Gawley delivered a masterclass aboard the K-Tech/Fluid Plumbing and Heating KTM, producing a flawless performance to seize the overall in the B/W85 class.
The 13-year-old topped practice before grabbing three blistering hole-shots and three commanding race wins. Jack Deazy and Zach Rutherford completed the overall top three.
Consistency proved key for Robbie Reid, whose two wins and a strong second in the S/W85 class secured the overall in impressive style. Caleb Duffy and Freddie Carmichael rounded out the top three.
Lewis Spratt was happy with his first outdoor race on the Jet Products 250f Yamaha, winning the Seniors overall.
“Two hole-shots and three wins, I can’t complain,” said Spratt. “We ironed out a few issues on Saturday, and everything clicked on Sunday.
"Now I’m ready for the Scottish Championship opener in Tain.”
Wicklow’s Kole Nally finished second overall with Tom Bishop third.
Ballyclare teenager Charley Irwin was simply unstoppable in the Grade A class on the Discount Beds 450 Honda, storming to three wins from three starts in dominant fashion.
Race one saw early drama as Alex Henderson grabbed the hole-shot before chaos struck. Irwin, starting third, sliced into second after Niall Cregan slipped off, then inherited the lead when Henderson crashed.
From there, he controlled the pace, winning ahead of Robbie McCullough, who got the better of the battle between Cregan and Ross Stewart.
A slow start in race two meant Irwin had to come through from third on the opening lap to take the lead by the halfway point of the race. It was Cregan who hole-shotted race three with Irwin in second.
Irwin eventually got to grips with the conditions, passing the Donaghcloney rider to complete his treble. Cregan was second overall, with McCullough completing the top three.
Jake Sayers was the 65 class overall winner from Brendan McAreavy and Jay Knox, while Belfast rider Leo Taylor was unbeaten in the auto class, taking the overall from Jay Colgan and Cahan Mullan.
Matthew Beattie was the overall winner in the Grade B class from Stephen Bailie and Ryan Fenton while Bradlee Walker took the overall in Grade C from Jordan McMullan and Neil Laverty.
The K1 class delivered great racing across both days, but the podium remained firmly in the hands of three standout performers.
Jack Cole, Rosie Cole and Ronnie Ebbitt proved the benchmark in Saturday and Sunday’s action, locking out the top three positions on both occasions.
In K2, it was a weekend of total control for Joshua Blakely, while in the K3 class, the spoils were shared after two thrilling days of competition.
Saturday belonged to Jude Campbell, who delivered a superb ride to take top honours. On Sunday, however, it was Louie Darragh who stepped up with an impressive victory of his own.
The Small Wheel Auto class also produced fantastic racing throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, Cody Harper took the win ahead of Cahir McLaughlin and Jack Higgins.
Sunday saw a reshuffle at the top, with Jack Higgins climbing to the top step of the podium. Aniyah Hasson impressed to secure second, while McLaughlin once again showed consistency to round out the rostrum.