The promised good weather that was expected for the car race meeting at Kirkistown on Saturday 26th April was somewhat delayed. The day started off wet, dried up in the middle and was then threatened by fog towards the end!
The first race of the day was for the Formula Vee B and C drivers. Conor Melia and Eamonn Thornton, both from Dublin, battled closely throughout the race. On lap 11, Melia secured the lead, winning by a substantial margin at the end. Andy Keogh, from Saggart, was third.
Formula Ford 1600s were next up. Ronan Doherty, from Dunloy, and Stephen O’Connor, from Dublin, swapped the lead for the first 6 laps before Doherty established superiority, going on to win by 11 seconds. Dublin’s Andrew Noble was third.
16 Junior Minis took the start of the third race. These drivers are between fourteen and sixteen years old. The racing was close and clean with Leo Richardson, from Dublin, and Jayden McBrearty, from Bruckless, disputing the lead from the off. Ardee’s T.J.Taaffe and Kyle Irvine, from Carrickfergus, were also in the mix until Taaffe’s challenge faded on lap 7. Richardson retook the lead when it mattered, on the final tour, to win from McBrearty by 0.157 seconds. Irvine was a further half second behind them.
Race 4 featured Roadsports and GTs. Steven Larkham, from Carrickfergus, and his Uncle Jim Larkham, from Newtownabbey, shot off together in their Radicals but Jim spun at Colonial One, dropping to the rear of the field. Mike Ward, from Youghal, also in a Radical, now gave chase to Steven, with Bernard Foley, in his Crosslé 42S keeping watch in third place. That is how the positions remained until the chequered flag. In the GTs, Matthew McCord, from Cookstown, was first. John Newport, from Loughgall was second.
A combined grid of Modi-5-Cup Mazdas and Kirkistown Fiestas formed Race 5. For the first 3 laps in the Mazdas, Damian Moran, from Newry, kept Craig Ewing, from Dundonald, at bay but, eventually, Ewing got past and went on to win convincingly. Robert McAllister, from Antrim, was third. In the Fiestas, Aidan Mulready, from New York, had a start to finish lead but Neville Anderson, from Banbridge, kept him honest all the way. Conor Mulholland, from Newtownabbey, was third.
Donadea driver, Kevin O’Hara, moved back to Formula Vees for their second outing and immediately showed his class by leading all the way and finishing almost 8 seconds ahead of Ballyfermot’s Colm Blackburn. Dublin’s Kieran Hannan, was a very close third.
The second race for Formula Ford 1600 was fascinating, due to two of the main contenders, Stephen O’Connor and Andrew Noble, spinning to the rear of the field on the first lap. Once again, Ronan Doherty, disappeared into the distance but Philip Harris, from Ballynahinch, found himself in a very competitive second place, with Markethill’s David Nicholl in third. Both O’Connor and Noble were making their ways through the field. On lap 7, O’Connor caught and passed Nicholl, with Noble doing the same a lap later. However, Harris was going at a great pace for a much older car. It took until lap 13 for O’Connor to grab second place. Harris held on to third all the way to the end.
If it was thought that the first Junior Mini race was close, the second was even closer. For 13 laps, Leo Richardson, Kyle Irvine and T.J. Taaffe circulated as one. Jayden Mc Brearty kept a watching brief in fourth place. On the second last lap, Irvine made his move from third to second, probably hoping to make up the final place on the last lap. However, Richardson kept his cool to win by 0.377 seconds. Irvine retained second place by 0.006 seconds!
In the second Roadsports and GTs race, Jim Larkham powered his Radical into the lead. On lap 6, his nephew, Steven, drove round the outside at Debtor’s Dip, to take a lead he would not lose. Mike Ward finished third. In the GTs, Matthew McCord took another win. Alexander Preston, from Armagh, was second.
The final race of the day took place with a sea fog coming in over the bottom end of the circuit. It was the second outing of the Modi-5-Cup Mazdas and Kirkistown Fiestas. The Mazdas had a reversed grid and Ballywalter driver, David Cousins, took his Mazda into the lead. However, after a series of spins, he finished well down the field. Craig Ewing won again. Robert McAllister was second and Damian Moran, who also had a big spin on lap 1, finished in third place. In the Fiestas, once again, Neville Anderson and Aidan Mulready had a good battle, with Mulready taking another win. Conor Mulholland took third again.
The next race meeting at Kirkistown is on Saturday 31st May. It features Superkarts, Legends and Globals, as well as the other domestic classes. The Northern Ireland Mustang Owners Club will also be in attendance.
