West Waterford Super Autograss Weekend - 6/7 September 2014

The Nicky Hannigan & Shiela Oakham Memorial Trophies

Autograss gets no better than this! The re-jigged All Ireland schedule this year left West Waterford's traditional September two-dayer without a major title attached, so the club used a little imagination and turned what could have been no more than a low-key club event into a special weekend with a great atmosphere. The Nicky Hannigan Cup and the Sheila Oakham Shield (for the Juniors), both usually contested at a one-day event in August, are trophies that mean a great deal to Irish racers and by moving them to the September weekend they got the exposure they deserved, and very popular winners with Mike Kelly taking the Nicky Hannigan trophy and Liam Roche the Sheila Oakham. The turnout wasn't massive but the track and the weather were perfect, everyone got six heats and finals, plus the winners' and helpers' race, and much of the racing was as closely fought as you'll see anywhere. The only disappointment was an unexpectedly early finish, thanks to the Lismore Garda who decided at 2 am on Monday that everyone deserved an early night!