Mark McLernon capitalises on experience to clinch quad hat-trick at Tandragee in round two of MRA Ulster Championship

In a dry race one the Hillsborough rider, who was fastest in qualifying, led from the gate with Comber’s Justin Reid second, Dean Dillon third David Cowan fourth.

McLernon opened a 4.433s gap by the end of the nine laps with Reid, who only decided to race the night before, holding off Dillon by the chequered flag. Cowan finished fourth with round one overall winner Paul Edgar in fifth.

Race two was a closer affair between reigning champion, McLernon and Dillon, with just over a second separating them at the flag after nine fantastic laps of racing. Reid again was third with Edgar fourth.

“That was close,” said McLernon. “You have to play smart in these conditions. Keep it nice and tidy. Go slow in to the corners and get out of them fast, stay tight because it is a long way round here on the outside and there is not much space to pass at Tandragee.

Dillon added: “Mark got the hole-shot but it went right to the final corner and I tried everything to push him and make the pass, but he held the line.”

A downpour for the final race left the track in a bit of a mess but again McLernon on the TDG Yamaha got the hole-shot and led from the gate to the flag.

Dillon finished second with Kyle Murphy completing the top three.

“I was behind Mark but after a few laps I had to slow down as there was so much muck getting threw up I couldn’t see,” said Dillon.

"I dropped back and brought it home. It’s a long season and I need to think of the championship and not do anything stupid at this stage of the season.”

Reid was disappointed with fifth, saying: “With all the muck my radiator got filled in and the bike started to overheat. It was a pity as we were nose to tail in the early laps.”

In the semi experts it was 15-year-old Ross Dillon who ran out the overall winner on the Walsh Honda.

The teenager was unstoppable in the opening two races, beating Lisburn’s Dean Young. Mitchell Adams and Mathew Gilchrist claimed a third place each.

Lisburn’s Neil Campbell and Ross Graham were unbeaten in the sidecar class claiming the overall with three wins on their VCM AMS KTM outfit.

Jonathan Wilson and Andrew Rowan were second with Andy and Adam McKibbin completing the first three.

Coleraine’s Travis Troye continued his unbeaten run in the 250 class claiming the overall. The 13-year-old Loreto College pupil was in great form at Tandragee and comfortably won all three races. His ambition is to go through the season unbeaten.

Seven-year-old Jenson Gilchrist from Dromore claimed his first Y1 overall with three wins from three starts. Brooke Crawley and Ella Brown completed the rostrum.

Dungiven’s Rory Farren was the Y2 overall winner from Eoin Malone and Riley Quinn.

Dromore’s Val Bell claimed the clubman’s from Gavin Toner and Callum Bray.