With the 2011 Saville Machinery and Motorhomes N.I. Sevens Racing Challenge title already decided in favour of Lisburn”s Ryan Magennis, the main points of interest at the double-header at Kirkistown on Saturday the 24th of September, were the Rookie of the Year title, and who would get second and third in the main Challenge.
Alan Davidson was leading the Rookie table by 19 points from Jack Boal, but with two races left nothing was certain. In the main challenge Jimmy Dougan held second behind Magennis, with a lead of 27 points ahead of third place Davidson. The final NI Sevens qualifying session of the 2011 season started early, but the early start didn”t seem to affect champion Ryan Magennis, breaking the 64 second barrier to record a 1:03.9s and take pole position. Close behind were Alan Davidson and Jack Boal, with Jimmy Dougan and Trevor Allen fifth and sixth. Barry McBride”s Westfield had a misfire that saw him at the back of the field of 11, but despite working on it until the start of the first race was unable to get it running properly.
At the start of Race 1 both Boal and Magennis were neck and neck through Debtors, but, by the time they poured through Colonial, it was Magennis who led from Boal, with Trevor Allen third ahead of Alan Davidson and Jimmy Dougan. Trevor Allen had a minor off that dropped him from third down to the back of the field, promoting Davidson and Dougan, both fighting hard for vital championship points.
At the front leader Magennis was being forced to drive a defensive line by a determined Boal, keen to claw back points on Davidson for the rookie title. Magennis”s defensive driving, while not allow Boal the lead, was allowing both Davidson and Dougan to close up, making it a four-way battle at the front. A couple of laps of tight formation driving saw Alan Davidson take Boal”s second place away, but Boal fought back, re-taking Davidson on the brakes into Colonial.
Unfortunately this battle of the Rookies was cut short as Davidson”s prop shaft sheared at the universal joint, finishing his day”s racing and taking with it his hopes of the rookie championship. Further down the field Larry Mawhinney, Iain Leinster, Johnny Armstrong and Davis Buick were all having tight battles, making for exciting racing throughout the field.
At the front Boal continued to pressure Magennis, while Dougan dropped back a few car lengths in third. Over the next half a dozen laps Boal and Magennis fought out a titanic battle, first Boal taking the lead, then Magennis taking it back, barely a cigarette paper between the cars, but both drivers allowing each other room, and obviously enjoying the fight. Again mechanical issues intervened, with Magennis pulling off with 2 laps to go with an engine problem, leaving Boal with an unassailable lead ahead of Dougan, Larry Mawhinney and Davis Buick in fourth.
This was enough to leave Boal two points ahead of the unlucky Davidson in the Rookie Of The Year table. With Davidson unable to make the second race, Boal had both the race victory and the Rookie title. On top of that, Boal also recorded 1:03.918s on lap 6 to take the official Kirkistown race lap record from 2009 champion Richard Morgan. Race 2 started with a customary reversed grid for the NI Sevens, with Trevor Allen, Johnny Armstrong and Barry McBride leading the pack into Colonial on the first lap. A lap later Allen had extended his lead ahead of Boal, Magennis and Dougan. Over the next couple of laps Allen was hauled back, then overtaken by the chasing group of Boal, Magennis and Dougan.
Despite fierce fighting for position between themselves, these four pulled a considerable lead from the rest of the field over the next few laps. Lap after lap of manoeuvring and overtaking eventually saw Jack Boal lead, pursued closely by Jimmy Dougan, while Magennis and Allen dropped back a couple of lengths in third and fourth. And that”s the way it stayed, right up until the last corner when Dougan, an experienced Formula Ford driver, went wide on the way into the hairpin, took an early apex and got on the power early. He then out-dragged Boal to the line to snatch an unlikely victory by a nose. Not only was this Jimmy”s first win of a consistent season it secured second place overall, ahead of Boal. Magennis, Allen and Mawhinney finished third, fourth and fifth in yet another memorable race for the Saville Machinery and Motorhomes N.I. Sevens Racing Challenge, in another exciting season. Final Table 2011 Saville Machinery and Motorhomes N.I. Sevens Racing Challenge 1 Ryan Magennis 238pts 2 Jimmy Dougan 167 3 Jack Boal 135 4 Trevor Allen 103 5 Alan Davidson 100 6 Larry Mawhinney 76
2011 1 Jack Boal 180pts 2 Alan Davidson 157 3 Trevor Allen 147 If you”re interested in starting off in motorsport, joining the action and hitting the grid in 2012, why not contact andytparkinson@gmail.com? We can help you with ARDS tests, race licenses, cars for sale, or give some pointers if you”re interested in building or converting your own “seven”. There”s no more exciting, nor better value, motorsport for the 2012 season. More details available at http://www.nisevensracing.co.uk
