MOTOR SPORT:ADAM CARROLL, from Portadown, scored Belmayne A1 Team Ireland's maiden victory from fifth on the grid in an action-packed A1 Grand Prix feature race in Mexico City on Sunday.

Carroll made a good start and was fifth at the end of the first lap. The top five began to break away from the field with Canada leading from Switzerland, Great Britain and New Zealand.

On lap 10 Ireland followed Great Britain and New Zealand into the pits for the first round of stops and some slick work from the Irish crew got Adam back out ahead of both, as well as jumping Canada, who had pitted a lap earlier.

Now in second spot, Carroll was the second fastest man on track, with the quickest, Switzerland's Neel Jani, in the lead. The pair began to pull away until lap 27 when Jonny Reid hit the tyre wall in the chicane.

Switzerland's six-second advantage was erased and Carroll was right on his rear wing at the restart. Jani began to pull away slightly until lap 37 when both the Swiss and Irish cars pitted for their second mandatory stops.

After a good pit-stop by the Irish team, Carroll was side by side in the pit-lane with Switzerland as they headed back out on track but with the Irish car in the correct lane Jani was forced to tuck in behind as Ireland took the lead.

Carroll held off the challenge from Jani until lap 44 when the Swiss driver was called in for a drive-through penalty for not tucking in behind the Irish car earlier in the pit-lane. With the pressure removed Carroll went on to record his historic victory.