THE JOURNEY TO NUMBER ONE - Mark McLernon Profile


December 22 2016.



Mark McLernon took the 2016 ATVs Only ACU British QX Championship title at the final round of the series at Canada Heights in October. The No1 plate is his to race under in 2017, but it has been a long, hard road for the likeable 21-year-old from Northern Ireland.


McLernon started quad racing in Northern Ireland when he was just six years old and proceeded to take multiple championships throughout his youth racing years.

He first entered the British Youth 250 championship in 2010, taking the title after a hard-fought season. In fact, this was his first season riding on MX tracks, as back in Northern Ireland all the Youth events were run on grass track circuits.

In 2011, at 16 years of age, he moved up into the adults, racing in Northern Ireland before hitting the mainland with a few wild-card entries in the British Championship in 2012/2013. During this period he also travelled to the USA, gaining further experience by taking in top events at many of the major Stateside tracks.

2014 was his first full crack at the British Championship, and it started well, maintaining an early lead in the series until a few mechanical issues dropped him to third at the end of the season. He still did enough to secure the Under 21 title though, so not bad for a first-time effort!

Things were looking good for 2015, but a series of early problems meant that he decided to pick and choose British Championship events and prepare for a full-out attack in 2016.


2016 TITLE CHASE

Going into the 2016 season, Mark put in a lot of effort in over the winter, building a brand new Walsh CRF450 to contest the British championship. Running under the Team Rocketman banner meant top-line support from a well organised and committed team. Living on the mainland also made it a lot easier to compete at the top each weekend by cutting down on the travel.

Mark takes up the story: "Going into Round One I didn't really know what to expect, but finished 3rd overall. I was happy, but not THAT happy.

"Round 2, I knew in my mind I was one of the favourites for the Desertmartin round as it's my playground, coming from Northern Ireland. I won that round and left there as joint leader in championship points table. From that point on I knew that I could win the championship.

"After rounds 4 and 5 I had pulled the championship lead out to 36 points and going into the last round at Canada Heights I was nervous, but knew as long as I didn't have a mechanical problem it would be easy.

"In Race One I made a good start and got away with Paul Holmes and stayed with him. But the team pit boarded me to slow down and take that safe points.

"For Race Two I knew if I finished in the top four the title was mine, but I fluffed the start and the pressure was on. From the second lap I knew there was a fault with the quad. It kept cutting out in the air. Then it came to a halt at the top of the hill. My race was done. I couldn't believe it!

"The pressure was really on for Race Three. I was the first person in the holding pen and knew that I was ready for it. I holeshot the start and took the sensible route to second place and the title.

"It was great to win, but I couldn't have done it without the support of loads of helpers, backers and sponsors throughout my career. Thanks everyone!"


2017

For 2017 the newly crowned British champion will still be racing under the Team Rocketman banner, but on a Yamaha YFZ450R. The plan is to defend his No1 plate in the British Championship and to take in as many rounds of the European championship as possible, along with selected rounds of the French championship.


Sponsors:


Lone Star Racing

PEP Suspension

Streamline Brake Lines

Ferodo Racing

Rocketman Racing

Barretts of Aspley

McLernons Pharmacy Systems

Norman Watt Motorcycles

Goldspeed Tyres

XRW Racing

2Tuff Racing

Doma Racing Exhausts

Samco Racing

TLO Racing

Barrett's of Aspley

The Brake House


Photographs by Paul Ervine.
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