By Belfast’s Darren Duncan, a true shoestring road racer, and his sponsor Graham McLaughlin—a former competitor and two-stroke enthusiast—proved what passion and grit can achieve. With their modest Graham McLaughlin Racing 125 Honda, the team embodied real grassroots racing. Winning the Aubrey McAuley Cup is a fitting tribute to their dedication and effort this season.
This was based on results in the 125 GP class at the four-national U.C. road races. Duncan’s season began at the Cookstown 100, where he qualified fourth, then finished third in the race behind Kyle Parkes and Gareth Arnold.
At Tandragee, after qualifying third, Duncan was-forced to retire from the race. Armoy followed, and a strong qualifying performance saw the ‘Bee’ secure second place. In the race itself, Duncan claimed the team’s first victory in the 125-category. The season concluded at last Saturday’s Mid Antrim 150 road races, where Darren matched his Armoy results—qualifying second and taking another win, which also secured him the Aubrey McAuley Cup. Darren also receives a bonus of £150.00, thanks to Barry Davidson, Joe Wright, and Baylon McCaughey.
The Aubrey McAuley Cup was-revived this year thanks to two guys, with road racing at their hearts, Joe Wright and Barry Davidson. The Cup represents decades of passion and camaraderie, and its return is a beacon for those who remember the golden era of two-stroke racing.
Through the dedication and vision of Joe Wright and Barry Davidson, this influential prize would-be-awarded to the Top 125 GP Competitor at the conclusion of the 2026 Irish Road Race Championships.
The revival of the Cup this year stands as a testament to tradition, inspiring a new generation of competitors while rekindling pride and nostalgia throughout the racing community. The Aubrey McAuley Memorial Cup was-first presented in 2000 to the Loughshinny Motorcycle Club by Joe Wright, David Whan (USA), and Roger Moore in memory of one of Irish road racing’s characters. Aubrey was the life and soul of the race paddock and was known to everyone.
A serious crash at Killalane in 1997 saw Aubrey suffer serious injuries. Sadly, Aubrey passed away in 1999. The first ever winner of this trophy was Barry Davidson, and it was then that Joe Wright first met Barry. Since then, they have become lifelong friends; Barry would go on to win more trophies in the two-stroke category, with Joe Wright again involved in the award presentations.
The Trophy was-then presented at the Killalane road races; amongst the winners since then are Mick Chatterton (2002) and Ellie Forrest (2003). By this time, the TSRRSC (Two Stroke Road Racing Supporters Club) was gathering momentum, and it was decided that they would use the cup amongst their awards, the roll call would then look like this;
2007 Phelim Lunney, 2008 Sean Leonard, 2009 Ciaran Donnelly, 2010, Sam Wilson, 2012 Warren Reeve, 2003 Mark McNeilly, 2014 William Cowden, 2015 Melissa Kennedy, 2016 Adam McLean, 2017 Paul Jordan and the final winner in 2018, Nigel Moore.
Photo credit: Baylon McCaughey
Words by Baylon McCaughey
