The Sun, and many more spectators than usual, came out to witness a fantastic day of car and superkart racing at Kirkistown Circuit on Saturday 31st August.
The Irish Junior Mini Championship were visiting and fourteen drivers, all between fourteen and sixteen years old, opened the day’s racing. Carrickfergus driver, Kyle Irvine, assumed the lead on the first lap and was not headed again. Leo Richardson, from Dublin, was getting close attention from Bushmills driver, Bobbyjoe McFaul throughout the race. Bobbyjoe got past on the final lap to relegate Leo to the final podium position.
In their second race, later in the programme, Joshua Henry, from Inver, led from start to finish. Behind him, for the first three laps, there was a mighty scrap among Richardson, Irvine, McFall and T J Taaffe, from Ardee. On lap four the final two podium positions were settled in favour of McFall in second place and Taaffe in third.
Three cars were sidelined by mechanical maladies before the BOSS Ireland cars made their way to the grid for their first race. Thus, spectators were deprived of seeing Portadown’s Noel Robinson, Downpatrick’s Eamon Matheson and New Ross’s Michael Roche. It was Michael Connolly, from Bagenalstown, who had put his 3.5 litre Dallara World Series car on pole. Hilltown’s Tony Greenan was sitting beside him on the front row in a 2 litre Dallara F317 Mercedes. The qualifying gap had been 0.121 seconds! At the start, it was Connolly who took the lead but Greenan was all over his gearbox. Crossing the line going into lap four, Greenan was just slightly ahead but the greater power of the bigger machine allowed Connolly to get back in front. From then on, no matter what Greenan tried, including some late dives into Fisherman’s Bend, he couldn’t get by. All this pressure was causing Connolly’s brakes to overheat and on the final lap he overshot Colonial One, coming to a halt and retirement. Thus, Greenan won, Martin Daly, from Dunshaughlin, was second and Robert Copeland was third.
After an unsettling mistake with the start lights for the second BOSS Ireland race, which was for the Malcolm Templeton Perpetual Trophy, the “race” was stopped. The cars were re-grided and refuelled. The second attempt at a start was successful. Greenan knew he had to get into Colonial-One ahead of Connolly, to avoid a repeat of the first race. Both left their braking massively late and Connolly spun, recovering in last position. Greenan did not ease off until he had established a massive lead over Daly, who was in second place. Connolly mounted an incredible recovery drive, passing Daly on lap seventeen. Although, he was over forty-five seconds ahead, Greenan upped his pace and set his fastest lap on the last lap to win by 46.612 seconds.
The Formula Sheanes were visiting for this meeting, as well. In their first race, Keith Hogg, from Dublin, and Enda O’Connor, from Wicklow, had a great battle, until O’Connor’s car expired going into the final lap. Brendan Carr worked his way up from last place to make it a Dublin one-two. Charlie Linnane, from Kilmacanogue, completed the podium. The second race was less frantic. Hogg took a start to finish win. O’Connor was second and Sean Kiernan, from Mullingar, was third.
In the Roadsports races, Newtownabbey driver, Jim Larkham took two wins. Mike Ward, from Youghal, took two second places. Steve Morris, from Welling, was third in the first race but suffered a very heavy crash in the second. The Libre Saloons ran concurrently, with Gavin Stanfield, from Cabra, winning both races from Gavin Kilkey from Derry.
While the BOSS Ireland cars are lapping Kirkistown in 52 seconds, the Roadsports in 58 seconds, Sheanes in 60 seconds and Formula Ford in 61 seconds, the 250cc Superkarts are lapping in 56 seconds! In the first Superkart race Brian Jones, from Craigavon, was initially having a great battle for the lead with Alan Crossen, from Comber. However, after three laps his kart began to slow, with what appeared to be fuel starvation. That allowed Crossen to win from Moira driver, Liam Fox. Richard Dewart was third. In the 125cc class, Philip Mills, from Dollingstown, was first. Eoin Ryan, from Cashel, was second and the evergreen Noel Lindsay, from Hillsborough, was third.
In their second outing, Crossen went straight into the lead, chased by Jones. However, the fuel issue returned and Jones was passed, first by Liam Fox, from Moira, then also by Colin Menary, from Bangor. That was how they finished. In the 125cc class, Scott Greenaway, from Gilford, took the win from Mills in second and Ryan in third.
The tables turned in the last Superkart race. This time Fox led from start to finish. Crossen’s machine developed a worsening problem and although he was the second 250cc machine home, he was, actually, sixth over the line, behind four 125cc machines. Of those, Greenaway was first, Mills second and Ryan third. Lindsay was the only other finisher.
In the first of two Modi-5-Cup races for Mazda MX5s, Newry’s Damian Moran started at the back due to being found underweight in qualifying. He made rapid progress throughout the race to grab the last podium place. Ahead of him were Francis Allen, from Moira, in second place, and winner, Craig Ewing, from Dundonald. In the second race Moran went one better, finishing second behind Ewing. Allen was third.
The first FF1600 race produced a ten-car field. As expected, Jason Smyth, from Celbridge grabbed the lead on lap one and was never headed again. Stephen O’Connor, from Ballymount, did keep him honest all the way. Ballymena driver, David McCullough, kept a watching brief throughout, to finish third. In the second race, O’Connor was deemed to have had a false start and penalised ten seconds. Thus, although finishing second on the road, behind Smyth again, he was classified fifth. McCullough had a big “off” at the John Crosslé Chicane, retiring on the spot. Ian Campbell, from Dundalk, secured second place after a race-long battle with Dave Parks, from Ballina, who was classified third.
These results mean that Jason Smyth is the new N. I FF1600 Champion, as his points total cannot be exceeded by any other competitor, with only two races remaining.
A combined grid of Kirkistown Mini Coopers and Kirkistown Fiestas provided interesting racing. In the first race, Tandragee driver, Peter Bennett, did not take his customary lead. Instead, he became embroiled in a battle with Ballyhalbert driver, Craig Gilmore. This let Craig’s brother, Darren, from Lisnaskea, get an increasing lead. It took until lap nine before Bennett could break away from Craig and get after Darren. Although he did close to within a second, he could not get the win. In the Fiestas, father and son team, Derek and Michael Graham, from Portadown, battled constantly throughout the entire race, with Michael taking the honours. Banbridge driver, Neville Anderson was third.
In the second outing for both classes, the top two places, in both cases, were reversed. Peter Bennett and Darren Gilmore had an excellent battle in the Minis, which was only decided on the final lap, in favour of Bennett. Craig Gilmore was third. In the Fiestas, Derek and Michael Graham swapped places constantly, with Derek taking the lead finally on the penultimate lap. This time, Newtownabbey driver, Conor Mulholland, was third.
The next meeting closes the season on Saturday 28th September. This features the Martin Donnelly Trophy for N.I. FF1600 and the Emerson Fittipaldi Trophy for Formula Vee. A full supporting bill, including Superkarts will be on offer.
Words: DONAL O’NEILL/500 MRCI [Images must not be used in any way without prior written consent of the photographer]
