Team Ireland riders reflect on tough Motocross of Nations after facing world's top motocross stars
Team Ireland finished 23rd out of 36 countries competing in the MXoN (Motocross of Nations) at Matterley Basin in what was always going to be a tough challenge against the world’s top motocross riders.
Martin Barr, Jason Meara and Cole McCullough spearheaded the charge at the English venue near Winchester, with Barr – competing in his 18th MXoN – 20th in the MXGP class in the heats.
Meara finished 21st in the Open class while 16 year-old Cole McCullough – the youngest rider at the event – came home in 24th in the MX2 class in their heats.
It meant that Team Ireland had to race in Sunday morning’s B Final where Meara and Barr finished seventh and 12th respectively, with McCullough 24th.
Fourth overall was not good enough for the trio to progress to the main event where Australian’s Jett Lawrence, Hunter Lawrence and Kyle Webster finished as champions for the first time in the history of the event.
Team USA came away second with the Netherlands third in the overall rankings. Tim Gajser earned the MXGP overall with 1-1 finishes while Jett Lawrence took the Open honours.
Reflecting on his first MXoN, teenager McCullough said: “It was great experience to be part of the MXoN for Team Ireland. Other than a couple of small tip offs in the qualifying race and B final,I felt my riding was good all weekend.
"The track was really great and the support from so many people from home was mega to see.
"As a team we were a long way from making it straight through to the A final, but we knew it was going to be tough. Before the race on Sunday, an FIM official came over to tell us that Martin Barr was the oldest rider at the event and I was the youngest one lining up – nice statistic for Team Ireland.”
Barr added: “It was a disappointing weekend not making the A final. Unfortunately, things didn’t go our way.
"I got second gate pick in the B final and ended up 19th on the gate. I knew it would be an issue and sure enough I got caught up in the first turn carnage and went down.
"I fought back to 12th so it wasn’t for the lack of trying that we missed the final. With at least three GP regulars in the field it was the hardest B final I have ever raced in. If I had got around T1 it could have been a different story because I had the pace.”
It was a similar story from Meara, who had to fight back from an early slip-off.
“In the qualifying race I went down at the second turn and came through from dead last to 21st,” he said. “The B final was a solid ride to seventh. Martin and Cole were both unfortunate to go down but we all rode our hearts out and did the best we could.”
Meanwhile, Tandragee MX Park hosts the Gordon Ringland Memorial Race on Saturday, October 12 in aid of the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.
Signing on takes place at 8.30am with racing scheduled to start at 10am. There will be three races for Y1 Junior Quad, Y2 Junior Quad, Y3 Junior Quad, A&B Solos, Clubman Solos, A&B Quads, Clubman Quads and sidecars.
The Gordon Ringland Memorial Cup will be presented to the overall winner of the Sidecar class by Gordon’s mother Jackie.
Admission is free, however there will be collection buckets where it is hoped everyone will donate towards this worthwhile charity.
The North Armagh Club wishes to thank Industrial Door Specialists of Moneyreagh, SCD Plant Maintenance and Repairs of Drumbo, Beggs & Partners – Plumbing Merchants, Central Motorhomes from Temple, National Joinery of Wexford and Team Vanluchene from Belgium the 2024 World Sidecarcross Champions for their sponsorship of the meeting.