Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Hillsborough’s Mark Mclernon was the toast of Irish off-road racing last weekend when he claimed his maiden EMX Quad European Championship victory at Tor Motocrossowy Gdansk in Poland.

The multi British, Irish and Ulster quad champion signalled his intentions in his qualifying race taking a gate to flag win on his Yamaha.

In the opening race it was reigning champion, Italian Patrick Turrini who stormed into an early lead after McLernon ran wide at the first corner. Denmark’s Marcus Thomsen held second with championship leader, Harry Walker, from Reading, fourth.

Turrini opened a three-second gap over the chasing McLernon and despite closing that gap to under a second it was a case of too little too late.

McLernon made no mistakes off the gate in race two, leading into Turn 1 and pulling a four-second gap over Walker, who needed the win to clinch the title. Race one winner, Turrini went out with a blown engine.

A mistake at the halfway point of the race cost the Ulsterman all of his advantage, however he still held Walker off to win by 0.7 seconds, meaning Walker has to wait until September before wrapping up the championship in Italy.

McLernon, who now lies joint third in the championship with German rider Manfred Zienecker, said: “I have been close on occasions but to finally claim my first win is something pretty special. It’s a great feeling.”

Meanwhile, Glenoe’s Glenn McCormick claimed the overall MX2 victory at round four of the Scottish Motocross Championship at Duns.

It was a perfect day for McCormick on the new Chambers KTM as he qualified on pole and clinched three wins for the overall.

“I felt comfortable on the bike right from the start of the day,” McCormick said.

A terrible start in race one saw him last away before he battled his way through to second behind Belfast rider James Mackrel on the Watt Kawasaki. McCormick took the lead on lap eight to win by just over a second from Mackrel.

Another poor start in race two and a crash didn’t deter McCormick from taking his second win of the day.

He added: “I hit the front on the final lap and with three corners to go he crashed then I went down, only I gathered myself up quicker, to take the win.”

Heavy rain made the track tricky for race three but it didn’t stop McCormick from dominating. When he took the lead on lap four he crossed the line with over five seconds to spare over Zander Brown with Mackrel completing the podium.

Joshua McCorkell won the adult ‘B’ class with Charley Irwin fifth. Lurgan’s Ruairi Grimes claimed the overall in the adult ‘C’.

Loughbrickland’s Jack Meara won the 250 Youth with Ballyclare’s Charley Irwin third. Meara went on to finish ninth in the MX2 class on Sunday.

l Castelderg’s Cole McCullough was in action at Maggiora, Italy for round seven of the EMX 125 championship. He was fastest in practice and third in his qualifying group however he could only manage 14th, in the race.

McCullough was lying fifth before the crash on lap three.

Mark McLernon celebrates maiden European quad victory in Poland