Northern Ireland motocross riders thrill home crowds at Arencross Championship in Belfast

Dundonald’s James Mackrel thrilled the home crowd in the Traxxas Pro class finishing seventh on Friday and eighth on Saturday.

On the Team Geartec Norman Watt 250 Kawasaki, against the more powerful 450s and electric bikes, Mackrel won the last chance qualifier on Saturday night and in the final made a great start, lying sixth before getting caught up in a couple of incidents. He fought his way back to eighth by the chequered flag.

“I pushed hard from the start to make a gap in the LCQ race and in the final I was well up at the start then got tangled up with Ashley Greer,” he said. "I enjoyed the racing and the crowd support was brilliant.”

Omagh teenager Lewis Spratt powered the Todds Leap/McCullagh’s Centre 125 KTM to second overall on Friday. Unfortunately, an engine seizure on lap two of Saturday’s first race meant an engine change before the night race.

Riding the only 125 on the grid Spratt was sensational, finishing third behind race winner Joel Fisher.

In the Pro Am class Seaforde’s Nathan Green finished ninth and sixth overall on the two nights while in the E5 Electric class Lurgan’s Mason Sheilds finished fifth and fourth overall.

Belfast’s Ryan Jackson claimed two overall eighth places in the Supermini class.