Martin Barr and Jason Meara strong across Foxhill meeting

Ballyclare’s Barr qualified third fastest and came home fourth in both his races for fourth overall.

“Not a bad start to the series...I’ve no complaints and it sets me up nicely for the British Championship,” said the Apico Honda rider, who believed second was on the cards in the opening race. “I was in the battle for second with Tristan Pardon and Jason Meara but couldn’t make the move.”

Race two saw Barr make a good start but a problem with the bike forced him to drop off the pace before again finishing fourth.

“On the second lap the petrol breather came off and there was fuel splashing everywhere,” he said. “It took me a couple of laps to get it together again and by then the leader were gone...still, all things considered, I’m happy.”

Loughbrickland’s Meara had a successful weekend on the Moto-Cycle GasGas by finishing third in race one and sixth over race two for fifth overall.

“It was a great weekend for me,” said Meara. “I was feeling comfortable right away and as long as I could put myself in good positions and not make any big mistakes I knew from the moment I rolled out that I was on for a pretty decent weekend.”

He was inside the top five from the start of race one and made it into third early in the race.

“Tristan Purdon pulled a bit of a gap in the start but I managed to close him in pretty fast, then once we got a bit of a rhythm going I made a pass crossing the line,” he said. “But he got me back into the next turn.

"It was a really hard track to pass on and with Martin close on our tail I didn't want to make a big mistake and then end up losing it to him.

"It's kind of a tricky position to be in but I think I managed it quite well.”

A bad start in race two saw him down in 12th on the opening lap before charging through to sixth by the flag.

“I was trying to make a bit of a run to close down on Tom Grimshaw and Martin, who weren't all that far ahead of me," he said. “But, unfortunately, didn't have the best feeling on the bike.

"I should have made a bit of a change to the forks as the bike was beating me up quite hard.

"Overall fifth today, so I will take that.”

Moira’s Dean Dillon dominated the Premier Quad class over the first round of the Ulster and Irish Championships at Tinkerhill.

The reigning Ulster champion hadn’t been on a bike competitively since the 2023 Quadcross of Nations in Italy.

It didn’t show as he powered his way to three wins from three starts.

He hole-shotted race one with his younger brother Ross second on a first home race in the Premier class. Ross stalled his Yamaha three laps in and dropped to fifth by the flag behind Paul Edgar, Kyle Murphy and David Cowan.

Banbridge man Cowan led race two until Dean made his move, opening up a 12-second winning margin, with Murphy third.

Ross got the hole shot in race three and led for a few laps before Dean hit the front. At the chequered flag, the two Dillon brothers were first and second with Cowan third.

Dean said: “I’m happy with that but once Ross gets more bike time he will be hard to work with!”

Mathew Gilchrist claimed the Semi-Expert Quad overall with three wins.

Gary Moulds and Paul Horton made their comeback from injury to take the overall in the Sidecar class.

Three second places were enough to give Jamie Wilson the Clubman Quad overall - while Macy Edgar, Corey Murry and Mathew Wilson all claimed overall wins in the youth classes.