There was a tangible feel-good vibe at Kirkistown Race Circuit on Saturday 27th July. Certainly, the good weather contributed but it was the presence of seventeen cars for the pre-1955 races that was capturing the praises of the spectators. In fact, all bar one of the cars were pre-1939! The standard of preparation was excellent.
There was a full programme of racing, with all the regular classes and others but the Five Hundred Motor Racing Club of Ireland, who own the circuit, were making a feature of older cars on the day. Prior to the first pre-1955 race, a parade of vintage cars, who had turned out for the day, took place on track. When that was over the pre-1955 cars took up their positions on the starting grid and shut down their engines. The gates were opened and spectator were permitted on track to photograph the machines and talk with the drivers. After fifteen minutes, the sirens blew, the track was cleared and the drivers got back in their cars, ready for their first race.
Andy Johnson, from Killinchy, was on pole by 5 seconds in his 1932 Alfa Monza, from Holywood’s Simon Brien, in a 1933 MG K3. He, in turn, had just pipped Ken McEvoy’s 1934 Riley TT Sprite by 0.003 seconds! In the race Andy Johnson cleared off, lapping all but four of the field and finishing with a winning margin of 74 seconds over Kilkenny driver, Tony Canny, in a 1935 Riley TT Sprite. Ken McEvoy was a further 5 seconds behind in third place. John Houllihan, from Dungarvan, brought his 1936 Riley 12/4 home fourth, Eric Kavanagh, from Kildare, finished fifth in his 1934 Frazer Nash and Angus Johnson, son of Andy, rounded out the top six in a 1932 Alfa Romeo 1750.
In the second race for these cars, later in the day, Andy Johnson retired from the lead on lap 6, while Simon Brien retired from second place on the same lap. That left Ken McEvoy defending valiantly to the end from John Houillihan and Tony Canny, who, had they not been swapping places constantly, may well have deposed him to third! At the flag, Houillihan had pulled just over one second on Canny. Eric Kavanagh was fourth. Edmund Cassidy, from Kilsallaghan, brought his 1936 Iona Special into fifth place and Angus Johnson repeated his sixth place from race one.
The day’s racing had begun earlier with a race for Libre Saloons. There were only four cars in the field and most people, including this writer, expected Cabra driver, Gavin Stanfield, to simply clear off in his Subaru. However, Lurgan driver, Peter Baxter, hadn’t read that script! While the Subaru got a good lead off the line, Peter Baxter’s Seat Supercopa began closing the gap. On lap four, he totally ambushed the Subaru driver on the back straight and took off for a convincing win.
The rematch was the last race of the day and there was great interest in how this one would play out. Once again. Stanfield got the hole-shot at the start, pulling out a half second lead. In these cars, half a second is quite a lot. By lap two, the Seat was slightly closer. On lap three Baxter set what was to be the fastest lap of the race to close right up on the Subaru. Stanfield was defensive going into Maguire’s Hairpin but got a much better drive on the way out, opening the lead out again. On the fourth lap, approaching Maguire’s hairpin, Stanfield felt safe enough to take the faster, wide line but Baxter launched his car down the inside in a late braking manoeuvre that got him alongside the Subaru. Unfortunately, he was carrying too much speed and could not make the corner. He went onto the grass before lightly hitting the tyre safety wall and retiring. Stanfield took the win from Derry’s Gavin Kilkey and Trevor McConnell, from Convoy.
The second race on the programme was a combined affair for Roadsports, Globals and NI 7evens. Newtownabbey driver, Jim Larkham got back to his winning ways, leading from start to finish in his Radical PR6, from Youghal driver, Mike Ward in a similar machine. Bernard Foley, from Blackrock, driving a Crosslé 42S, had just been passed by Steve Morris, from Welling, when Morris spun at Colonial One. That left Foley in a safe third place. The NI 7evens provided a much more frantic affair, with the Francis brothers, Richard and Mark, from Donaghadee, along with Richard Morgan, from Hillsborough, almost inseparable throughout the race. At the finish Richard Francis won from his brother, Mark. Richard Morgan was third. In the Globals, Max Drennan, from Navan, won ahead of Charlie Linnane, from Kilmacanogue, in second. Roisin Sweeney, from Naas, got her best ever result at Kirkistown, coming home in third place.
The second race for the Roadsports provided the same result of Larkham first, Ward second and Foley third. In the NI 7evens, the result was also the same, with Richard Francis first, his brother Mark, second and Richard Morgan third. Only the Globals provided a different result, with Larne driver Richard Finlay finishing first in this class and fifth overall! Max Drennan took second place and Ken Byrne, from Carlow, took third.
The Formula Vees were making a welcome return to Kirkistown. In their first race, Kieran Hannan, from Dublin, won by a remarkable seven seconds! Second, third and fourth places were much closer, with Charlie Hart, from Baltinglass, finishing ahead of Paul Lewis, from Longford, and Robert Flemming, from the Curragh. The second race was a much more typical Formula Vee race with 3.6 seconds covering the first six cars at the finish. Colm Blackburn, from Ballyfermot, won. Jack Bryrne, from Tinahely, was second and Gavin Buckley, from Dublin, was third. Flemming, Hannan and Hart filled the next three places, in that order.
The Kirkistown Mini Coopers and Kirkistown Fiestas formed a combined grid of fourteen cars. In the first of two races, Tandragee driver, Peter Bennett, led from start to finish in the Minis. Darren Gilmore, from Lisnaskea, took second and Mark Stewart, from Belfast, was third. In the Fiestas, Adrian Mulready, from Clonshaugh, had a great battle with Derek Graham, from Portadown, both drivers swapping places constantly. In the end, Mulready took the win. Graham was second and Neville Anderson, from Loughbrickland, was third. In the second race, first and second places were the same in the Minis, with Craig Gilmore, from Ballyhalbert, taking third. Mark Stewart had a very scary moment on the eighth lap when his left front brake exploded on the way into Colonial One. He did a great job of scrubbing off the speed by spinning the car into the grass. Derek Graham got revenge on Aidan Mulready by winning the second Fiesta race. Newtownabbey’s Conor Mulholland was third.
Both FF1600 races were thrillers! In Race One the lead was disputed from the off by David McCullough, from Ballymena, Morgan Quinn, from Kill, Dave Parks, from Ballina and Jason Smyth, from Celbridge. McCullough led for four laps while the other three were sorting themselves out. On lap 5, Smyth, who had come from fourth on lap 1, took the lead and Quinn followed him through to second place. It stayed that way right to the end, where Smyth won by 0.231 seconds. McCullough was 0.35 seconds behind Quinn, while Parks had dropped off substantially in fourth place. In the second race, Smyth passed McCullough for the lead on lap three and opened a small lead that he would keep. Quinn finally got past McCullough on lap nine. In the end, Smyth had a three second gap over Quinn and McCullough, who were separated half a second at the line.
Rob Kennedy, from Carrickmacross, took a strong win in the first Modi-5-Cup race for Mazda MX5s. Moira’s Francis Allen was second, ahead of Craig Ewing, from Dundonald, in third place. The second race was a reversed grid so Rob Kennedy started at the back. This was a very entertaining race. Craig Ewing fought his way from seventh to take the lead on lap four. Rob Kennedy’s progress was slower. It took him until lap seven to reach second place, by which time Ewing was well gone. On lap ten, Allen passed Newry driver, Damian Moran, who had started second last and risen as high as second place. That was how it finished. Ewing was first, Kennedy second and Allen third.
It is hoped that the appearance of the pre-1955 cars might become an annual event. In the meantime, the BOSS Ireland cars are coming back to Kirkistown on the 31st August to compete for the Malcolm Templeton Trophy.
Words: DONAL O’NEILL/500 MRCI
