Portadown’s Adam Hylands took a sensational last gasp victory in the National Hot Rods British Championship during the annual Tullyroan Oval Speedweekend. Adam nipped past long time leader Shane Bland on the final lap to take the win in an epic finish. During the weekend there was also a celebration of 50 years since the opening race meeting at nearby Shamrock Park in Portadown, with a great display of memorabilia and demonstrations by cars and drivers of the past.
The DRS Steelbuildings National Hot Rods British Championship saw an opening heat win for Adam Hylands over Jaimie McCurdy, before European Champion Shane Bland from the Midlands powered home to take the second heat over Glenn Bell in a race blighted by a huge crash for Derek Martin.
World and National Champion Billy Wood from Hampshire raced home to the third heat win over local ace Gary Woolsey, the latter having pulled off a great outside line pass on Mark Heatrick.
Hylands and Bland shared the front row for Sunday’s British Final, which was stopped early on for a huge back straight crash which saw a number of cars airborne and badly damaged. At the restart the track was slippery initially after a brief shower, which allowed Bland to get the drive on the outside line ahead of Hylands. Adam tracked Shane’s every move, before Bland pulled clear mid race when Glenn Bell and John Christie latched onto the back of Hylands for second. Hylands broke free again nearing the end, heaping pressure onto Bland as the laps dwindled down. As they took the last lap board Bland dramatically got wrong footed by a backmarker, leaving a gap which Hylands was into in a flash. Shane tried hard to close the door but Hylands was through to the British Championship win, with defending champion Christie and Bell completing the podium.
The 50th Anniversary Race saw a fine win for England’s Chris Crane, before the coveted Leslie Dallas Memorial Trophy fell the way of Hylands as he signed off from his National Hot Rod career in fine style with his car already sold. Christie and Bland completed the podium in the event which also doubled as Round 3 of the Cele Services Four Nations Cup, and which saw veteran Norman Woolsey join the back of the grid as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.
