Golden Helmet Round 1 - Kiltorcan, Kilkenny -
1-2/04/06
After many months of meticulous preparation, the first
round of the All Ireland ‘Golden Helmet’ karting series took place at the
Kiltorcan raceway near Kilkenny on 7-8 April.
The new championship boasts the largest prize fund ever for
karting, with monetary prizes and a golden sprayed helmet up for grabs for the
winners of each class.
The championship has numerous benefits for karting but
primarily it offers a chance for drivers from north and south of the border to
compete together on a level playing field which has not always been achievable
in the past with the variation in classes.
The first of six races in the series was also the Irish
Open event and as a result a large entry of drivers from north and south of the
border turned out to compete. The Open event is regarded by all as a prestigious
competition in its own right and so this only served to double the incentive for
the drivers who were already aiming to get their ‘Golden Helmet’ series off
to the best possible start.
A large contingent of thirty – four drivers from north of
the border made the long trip to the fabulous facility, set in an area which
only five years previously housed a derelict quarry. They were rewarded with a
challenging, twisting yet flowing circuit on which to do battle with their
southern counterparts.
As usual, the Rotax Max class was one of the most
competitive over the weekend. Always a popular category at any event, thirty
seven drivers turned out to compete for victory in the 125cc water cooled class.
As a result the drivers had to be split into two groups for the heats following
the first timed practice. Philip Harkness from Moneymore was quickest in timed
practice and so started from the front for each of Group A’s three heats. He
was never really challenged in any of the heats in which he took part and ran
off three convincing victories to secure pole position for the grand final on
Sunday afternoon. Southerner Wayne Douglas grabbed pole position for Group B’s
three heats but unfortunately for him he did not quite have the pace when it
came to the business of racing. Although he led early on in each heat,
Douglas
dropped back under pressure from Andrew Maybin and Aaron Smith in each. Smith
was the driver on form and repeated Harkness’ feat of three straight wins to
put him alongside him Harkness on the front row for the final.
Cheryl Murphy took a comfortable win in the ‘B’ Final
to qualify for the all important ‘A’ final later in the day along with
Aubrey Sheehan, Mark Edman and the last qualifier, Conor O’Brien.
The ‘A’ final had hearts stopping before the race even
began as Smith’s kart failed to fire on the dummy grid. Finally Smith did get
started and raced to regain his grid position before the race got underway. He
just managed to do so, but having just regained his slot at the last corner
before the start, he was on the back foot and under pressure from Andrew Maybin
who started third. Maybin had a run up the inside going into the long right
hander after the start line to which Smith responded by giving his rival the
squeeze. Maybin ran out of room and spun in front of the rest of the pack, with
the ensuing pile-up eliminating five karts on the spot. Harkness steered clear
of the confusion behind but after a few laps was under pressure from Smith who
escaped unharmed from the first corner incident.
Douglas
profited as well from the first corner chaos and ran out the rest of the race
in a lonely third place.
The published results sheets say that Smith took the win,
but an incident on the last lap whereby Smith took the lead is still under
contention. But as things stand Smith won from Harkness, with
Douglas
third and Ryan Donnelly coming through the field to take a very solid fourth
place. Novice driver Niall Meegan finished his weekend with a phenomenal fifth
place, beating off thirty-two other drivers in one of his first ever race
meetings.
Unfortunately there was a small turnout of Rotax 177
drivers and as a result the racing was not a patch on that demonstrated by the
Rotax Max drivers. Jamie Connery took three easy wins in the heats before going
on to take a comfortable win in the final from Darren Maher in second.
The Northern drivers were dominant in Minimax throughout
the weekend, constantly filling the top six places in the heats. Chris Smiley
grabbed pole for the final after taking two wins in the heats. Derek Martin won
the remaining heat, but a collision with Northern Irish champion William Herron
in heat two led meant both took positions slightly further down the grid for the
final. At the start of the final second placed driver Carl Stirling was pushed
out onto the marbles and dropped to sixth, whilst a cracking start from Martin
saw him move up to second, in pursuit of Smiley who made a clean start to retain
his lead. After three laps Smiley had about three kart lengths of a lead but
thereafter Martin began to cut the gap by about three tenths of a second per
lap. On lap eight there was nothing to separate the leading two karts, which had
been joined at this stage by Bill Sherlock on his run through the field. Martin
began to really pressure Smiley but just as it looked as though he might take
the lead, the pressure from Sherlock behind became to much and Martin put a
wheel on the gravel coming out of the second of the infield hairpins. Sherlock
needed no invitation and promptly moved through into second, but the split
second of confusion allowed Smiley the breathing space that he needed to go on
to take the win. Sherlock came home a very solid second, with Martin
disappointed with third after pushing for the lead early in the race. Stefan
Lyttle,
Stirling
and Herron rounded out an all-northern top six, with Robert O’Keefe the first
Southern driver home in seventh.
There was karting history in the making as Ryan Magennis
led home the other four TKM Extreme drivers to win heat one on Saturday
afternoon. It was the first time TKM karts have ever raced in the
Republic
of
Ireland
and therefore Magennis became the first driver ever to win a TKM race south of
the border. He went on to win the other three races as well, including a
dominant win in the final on Sunday. Connor Maginn took pole for the heats and
made Magennis work hard for each of his four wins, but eventually would up with
a solid second place in the final.
After Rotax, it is safe to say that the JICA final was the
second most anticipated final of the weekend. There was a fairly mixed up grid
for the final as two of several of the quick drivers hit trouble in one of their
heats with the result that they would start well down for the final. However on
pole after being consistently quick in the heats and after winning heat two was
Gary Edwards, with Rikki Gordon alongside in second. At the start Gordon
suffered the same fate as many drivers who started from the outside of the front
row, and was pushed well back to fifth after the first corner. Darren Sutton
came through from fourth to set off in pursuit of Edwards, who profited from
having a clear track in front of him over the first lap. After three laps, the
leading pair were already well ahead of the rest of the field, with Shane
Crosbie and Gordon beginning to cut a clear path in third and fourth
respectively. With six laps down it was still Sutton looking for an opening to
get past Edwards into the lead, whilst Wayne Boyd had made progress through the
field to fifth spot, but more importantly was lapping faster than anyone else.
At the end of lap eight Sutton saw his chance and went through at the tight
right hand bend at the end of the lap to take the lead. He began to pull away,
but then Edwards found a new burst of speed and started to close in on the
leader. However there was not enough laps left and so Sutton held on to take a
very well deserved and hard fought victory. Edwards took second after an equally
great drive, whilst Crosbie and Gordon took third and fourth places
respectively. John Norris moved up to fifth after Boyd and Craig Stirling
collided on the last lap and were both out on the spot.
Michael Gordon was very much the driver on form throughout
the weekend as far as the Cadet class was concerned. Having qualified on pole
for the heats, the young northern driver was pushed into a spin in heat one but
recovered to take the two remaining heat wins. Megan McCrea was also quick in
qualifying, but was deemed to have caused Gordon to spin in the first heat,
something she was not overly happy about. However she made the best of a bad
situation to line up fifth for the final. Gordon quickly assumed the lead in the
final as the drivers behind fought over second place. On lap seven, half
distance, Gordon was three seconds ahead of McCrea, who was trying in vain to
shake off the attentions of Conor Dunne, who in turn had a comfortable gap back
to fourth place. Nobody was bale to challenge Gordon, however, who ran out the
last few laps to take a convincing victory. McCrea hung on to make it a northern
one-two, having set the fastest lap to complete a great drive. She finished just
ahead of Dunne, who received €100 from Con Connolly Motorsport Photography as
the first southern driver home in third. Connolly’s generous support of the
Cadet race saw Gordon also receive €100 for his dominant victory.
The Formula 125 gearbox drivers won a great amount of
respect from the watching spectators for their ability to cope with the tight
twists and turns with of the Kiltorcan circuit. The other drivers through they
had it tough over sixteen laps but they did not have to be constantly changing
gear as well as turning, accelerating and breaking. The times over the weekend
were tremendously close but it was the IRL plated kart of Fergus Faherty which
lined up on pole for the final after two heat wins. In the final it was the
aptly named Mike Carty who came through the field to take the win after being
seemingly off the pace in the heats. It is likely that Carty had preserved his
tyres better than any other driver in the heats, which allowed him to carve his
way through the field to be in front when it mattered – the last lap of the
final. Faherty finished two seconds behind in the runner-up spot, with heat
three winner John
Butler
rounding out the top three.
Tyre
preservation was key to the Formula A race as the karts run with such sticky
and therefore fast wearing rubber. Raymie Eastwood was very quick in the heats
and lined up on pole for the final. Patrick McKenna was the only driver to get
close to Eastwood throughout the heats, pushing him hard all the way each time.
The final was similar to the heats as Eastwood and McKenna cleared off at the
front of the field in that order, with Craig Breen circulating in a clear third
place. McKenna began to put huge pressure on Eastwood, and made his move at the
opening turn of lap five. There was contact with which Eastwood was clearly
unhappy, but McKenna carried on and began to pull out a comfortable advantage.
Eastwood seemingly did not have the same level of grip as McKenna, having worn
his tyres more in the heats, but it was all academic as he retired soon after on
lap nine with a broken chain. McKenna continued in a clear lead over Breen, who
in turn was well clear of the battle for third between five karts.
Andrew Fallon held the position for a while but spun unassisted with two
laps to go. So the finishing order was McKenna, Breen, with Thomas Walton
holding off James Hennessy to take the final podium position in third
The Super Pro-Karts remain a mystery to many of the
northern visitors with their heavily modified Pro-Kart engines and rumbling, V8
soundtrack. One thing for sure
though is that they can move at a rapid rate of knots, setting time five seconds
quicker than the standard Pro-Karts could manage. John Eliffe was quick in the
heats and did not hang about in the final, setting the quickest lap and pulling
out a comfortable lead of three seconds by the finish. Ivan Thompson finished a
clear second behind Eliffe with an equal gap back to Gabriel Lodge in third.
The Pro-Kart class made a welcome return to competition in
the south, with the ten karts providing some great entertainment over the two
days. Gordon O’Brien won heat one but retired from heat two with a broken
chain. Barry Cregg and Robert Robinson took the two remaining heat wins. The
favourite for the final was without doubt the polesitter, Cregg, who had been,
overall, the quickest in the heats. His task was made much easier by Robinson,
starting from second, getting pushed back to fifth after the first corner, again
suffering from the marbles at the outside of the corner. Cregg went very much
unchallenged for the rest of the race as a fierce battle developed behind for
second place. After several laps it seemed that the drivers behind had given up
hope of catching the flying Cregg out front, and spent the rest of the race
squabbling over the second position. After sixteen laps Cregg ran out a
delighted winner of the Pro-Kart ‘O’ Plate, finishing four seconds ahead of
the runner-up, Sean Doherty. O’Brien, Robinson, Nigel Stewart and Mark Dunlop
were all covered by less than a second as they rounded out the top six in that
order.
All in all it was a very successful weekend for karting,
demonstrating the vast potential of the new All-Ireland series. The next round
of the series will see the drivers heading north to the popular Nutts Corner
circuit for the Ulster Championships to be held over Easter Monday and Tuesday.
Provisional Results
of the Finals:
Cadets:
1) Michael Gordon
2) Megan McCrea
3) Conor Dunne
Rotax Max:
1) Aaron Smith 2)
Philip Harkness
3) Wayne Douglas
Rotax 177:
1) Jamie Connery
2) Darren Maher
3) Conor McCarthy
Minimax:
1) Chris Smiley 2)
Bill Sherlock 3)
Derek Martin
TKM Extreme: 1) Ryan
Magennis
2) Connor Maginn
3) Peter Napier
JICA:
1) Darren Sutton
2) Gary Edwards
3) Shane Crosbie
Pro-Karts:
1) Barry Cregg 2) Sean Doherty
3) Gordon O’Brien
Formula A:
1) Patrick McKenna 2)
Craig Breen
3) Thomas Walton
Formula 125
1) Mike Carty
2) Fergas Faherty
3) John Butler
Super Pro-Kart:
1) John Eliffe 2)
Ivan Thompson
3) Gabriel Lodge
Report: Stephen Rutherdale
Ulster Championships 06 (also Golden Helmet Round 2) - 17-18/04/06
Just over a week after the opening round of the inaugural
Golden Helmet, All-Ireland karting series, the focus shifted north to the second
round at Nutts Corner. The event, held on 17th-18th April
over the Easter bank holiday, doubled one of the biggest races on the
Northern Ireland
calendar; the Nibbles Catering supported Ulster Championships.
The event’s unusual format of six equally scoring races
over the two days attracted a large entry of one hundred and thirty drivers,
including a full grid of forty in the Rotax Max class. Competitors scored points
towards the Golden Helmet series in reflection of their overall position after
the two days of racing which made up the 2006
Ulster
championships.
To cut the size of the Rotax grid to meet track
requirements, eight races were called for, with each driver competing in six as
in the other classes. James Laverty won the first race on Monday, which was run
in slippery conditions after early morning rain. Several drivers, most
noticeably 2005 Ulster Cup winner Chris Irwin, chose wet tyres for the first
race, which quickly overheated and caused them to fall to the back of the field.
However Irwin recovered from his eighteenth place finish by taking a win and a
second place in the day’s remaining two races.
Gary Blair began day two in fine form, taking two
successive wins in races five and six. Irwin took a third place in race five,
but struggled in race seven to finish in ninth place. Philip Harkness scored
consistently on the third day with three second place finishes. With Blair
having completed his three races of day two, the standings showed that he was
the overall champion. Irwin went out in style with a win in round eight, but it
still placed him four points behind Blair in the final standings. Harkness’
consistent driving placed him third overall ahead of Raymond Lusty in fourth.
The Rotax 177 title was taken by Ciaron McKee who finished
nine points clear of Brian Cherry in second.
Cadet driver Michael Gordon was dominant in the first round
of the Golden Helmet series in Kilkenny. However his challenge at round two, the
Ulster Championships, looked to be over before it began following a hefty
collision with another competitor who drove out in front of him following a spin
on the warming up lap. Thankfully following medical attention young Gordon was
back in fine form for race two, which he won after a race long scrap with
Charlie Eastwood. Two more wins followed for Gordon in races three and four, but
then his progress was halted by Kyle Price who came from behind twice to win
races five and six. Gordon finished a close third behind Price and Adam Stirling
in race five, which together with a second in the last race was enough for him
to secure the overall title. Price finished just five points adrift in second
with Connor Dunne the highest placed southern driver in third.
100 Libre was dominated throughout the two days by two
drivers, Raymie Eastwood and Isaac Lyons. Eastwood won the opening race of the
first day but then retired from race
two after five
laps, handing
Lyons
the win. Eastwood then bounced back in race three, convincingly beating
Lyons
into second place. The from was similar in the opening race of day two, with
Eastwood taking a comfortable win, although this time Lyons was under pressure
from Stuart Henderson, and narrowly held on to take second place. In race five
Lyons
finally turned the tables and beat Eastwood on pace and in race position,
setting the show for a cracking final race. There was nothing between the two at
the end of the meeting, after Eastwood found the little bit of pace necessary to
beat
Lyons
into second in the last race. When all the scores were added Eastwood and Lyons
tied on 115 points, but Eastwood lifted the trophy for first as a result of
having set the fastest lap over the two days.
William Herron appeared to be dominant in Junior Rotax,
taking four wins and two second places to secure the overall title of Ulster
Champion. However the racing was closer than the results may suggest, as often
there were four or five karts in with a shout at victory. Samantha Thom and Josh
Gault did manage to displace Herron with each taking one win apiece. Two second
places and a third together with his win was enough for Gault to take second
overall.
Michael Cox began the meeting well in World Formula with a
win in race one. Race two was taken by Jeffrey Scott, mixing with some of the
normally faster TKM karts. Three more wins followed for Scott, meaning he did
not need to go out in race six as he had already lifted the overall victory.
Ryan Magennis took three wins in TKM, with Robbie Robinson
and Stephen Rutherdale the only other drivers to get a look in as far as wins
were concerned. Robinson won race one and race six, which saw him finish seven
points adrift of Magennis in the overall standings. Rutherdale took the win in
race four but it was Josh Mulholland who took third place with consistent
finishes over the two days.
Michael McAuley returned to Pro-Kart racing after some time
away from the sport, doing so in style with a win in race one. Robbie Robinson,
competing in TKM and Pro-Karts did not show any sign of fatigue with three wins
in races two, three and four. Derek Wilson, another driver to compete in both
Pro-Karts and TKM, won race five whilst Robinson headed a fierce battle for
third, a result good enough for the overall Ulster Championship title.
Consistent points scoring for
Wilson
along with his win saw him finish in second overall with Garry Armstrong taking
third.
Carl Stirling continued his fine run of form at the Nutts
Corner circuit by taking the opening two wins in Minimax. Derek Martin responded
in race three with a convincing victory to put him in contention going into the
second day. However it was Chris Smiley who was the pacesetter on Tuesday
morning, by repeating
Stirling
’s Monday feat of two straight wins. With one remaining race, Stirling and
Smiley were locked equal on 103 points, with each having fifteen points to drop
as their worst score. Smiley had it all to do as he would be starting five
places further back than
Stirling
, which in the end made the difference. The two drivers’ quickest times could
only be split by seven thousandths of a second, but by the time Smiley came
through from eight on the grid
Stirling
was well clear in from.
Stirling
kept it on the island and took the win by just under two seconds from Smiley, a
win which gave him the overall title as well.
JICA was all about the recovery of Wayne Boyd to take the
overall win. Plagued by mechanical troubles on the morning of day one, Boyd
recovered to take four largely unchallenged wins in races three through to six.
Rikki Gordon wound up second ahead of top southern driver Shane Crosbie in
third.
After the highly eventful Ulster Championships, the Golden
Helmet series now moves on to the Kirkistown ‘K’ plate event on 13th
May.
Report: Stephen
Rutherdale
All Ireland Golden Helmet Series Round 3 (Also Kirkistown 'K' Plate) Kirkistown
-
25-26/08/06
The inaugural All Ireland Golden Helmet series reached its
half way mark on 12/13 May with the third round held at the Kirkistown race
circuit on the Ards peninsula.The new initiative is bringing together drivers
from north and south of the border to compete for substantial prizes to be
awarded at the end of the six round series. The Kiltorcan raceway in Kilkenny
played host to the first round of the championship before the show moved north
to Nutts Corner and then on to Kirkistown for what doubled as the annual ‘K’
Plate event.
The event began in a sombre mood with a minute’s silence
for Mervyn Campbell, tragically killed in a 250 Superkart crash two weeks before
at the Kirkistown circuit.
Despite other sporting attractions such as the
North West
200 and the FA Cup final, each class sported healthy entry levels, boosted by
large contingent of drivers who made the long journey north to compete.
Timed qualifying, two heats and a pre-final for each class
served only to increase the competitive tension before the all important finals,
from which points would be scored towards the Golden Helmet championship. There
was an added incentive as the winner of the final in each class would win the
privilege of racing with the ‘K’ Plate for a year.
Cadets had been one of most closely contested class
throughout the heats and the final proved to be no different. A four kart battle
raged for the lead throughout the twelve lap final, with Michael Gordon, Kyle
Price, Charlie Eastwood and Adam Stirling constantly swapping positions. The
race was hard to keep up with as so much going on, but the drama was all kept
for the run down to the flag.
Stirling
was in front and looked very much as through he would take the win if he could
complete the last twenty metres of the final lap. But in a bizarre incident, the
young driver appeared to look round to check were his opposition were, and in
the process made contact with the front of one of the following karts and spun
to the outside of the circuit. Eastwood was the driver to benefit most, a split
second later taking his first major race win. Gordon finished in second ahead of
Price with an disappointed Adam Stirling recovering to take fourth.
The TKM Extreme drivers were next out for their final, with
Derek Wilson lining up on pole after three convincing wins in the heats and
pre-final. Stephen Rutherdale, from second on the grid, got the jump at the
start and drove around the outside of the pole sitter at the first corner. On
the third lap Peter Napier was a spectator after Clifford Wylie appeared to fail
to apply his brakes and sent the
Belfast
driver of the circuit into retirement.
Wilson
moved through after three laps to reassume the lead, but Rutherdale quickly
took the place back as he used the wide circuit to get past at the top hairpin.
Connor Maginn briefly displaced
Wilson
down to third, but by half distance
Wilson
had clawed his way back through into the lead. Rutherdale appeared to be
beaten, but slowly began to reduce the gap to the leader, and with a lap to go
had closed right in as
Wilson
made a small mistake at the first corner. Rutherdale was slow round the top of
the circuit, and gave
Wilson
enough of a gap to hold on the take the win, with Maginn taking third behind
Rutherdale.
Christopher Smiley had a relatively easy time of it in the
Minimax final, starting from pole and never really being challenged on his way
to victory. Second on the grid for the final was Callum McQuitty, who had
sensationally set the fastest lap in the pre-final on his way to second place,
but in the final he was unable to hold off the more experienced opposition and
dropped to a still very solid fifth place. Stefan Lyttle came through to finish
in a clear second ahead of Carl Stirling in third.
The Pro-Karts are always inseparable, but with the fastest
times of the first four karts all within four hundredths of a second, their
final was a lottery from start to finish. Robert Robinson started from pole
position, and quickly assumed the lead, chased by Sean Doherty from second on
the grid with Mark Dunlop and Tommy Fegan also in close pursuit. The tricky
first corner, which sees the karts turn right, off the wide car circuit and onto
the slightly narrower karting infield was the key overtaking place. Overtaking
is difficult at many other points on the track, as long straights typically lead
into narrow chicanes, although the wide hairpin at the top of the circuit is
always a good place to try a move. Positions changed throughout the race, but as
the chequered flag fell it was Robinson who was in front by only seven
hundredths of a second from Dunlop. Doherty finished four tenths further back in
third, narrowly ahead of Fegan who in turn had a considerable gap back to Jason
Morrow in fifth place.
For the first time in many, many years, the JICA class
competed on the
Co.
Down circuit. Several southern drivers made the trip north to compete in the
class that is more frequently associated with racing in the south. Wayne Boyd
made the best start to come out of the first corner in the lead, with Craig
Stirling, Rikki Gordon and Darren Sutton, winner of the first round of the
Golden Helmet series in Kilkenny, all in close pursuit. The junior drivers set
the track alight with their screaming engines, setting times as quick as the
Senior Rotax drivers could manage. Whilst Boyd held the lead, it was clear that
Gordon was the driver on the move as he pulled through from fourth place early
on to be on the bumper of Boyd with four laps to go. A well executed manoeuvre
saw him take the lead, which he would consolidate by setting the fastest lap
with two to go. Boyd made an effort to pull in the gap to Gordon, indeed setting
his fastest lap on the very last lap of the race, but it was all in vain as
Gordon held on to take the win. Boyd came home second ahead of Sutton in third.
Steven Bradley was never really challenged in the final as he came home ahead of
the other three Junior Rotax drivers to take the win in his class, even mixing
it with some of the JICA drivers en route.
Raymie Eastwood had a clear run to the 100 Libre victory.
Cormac O’Neill held second early on, but was overtaken by Stuart Henderson,
shortly before he retired with five laps to go. Eamon Gribben took third place
behind
Henderson
.
For the first time in the history of the sport, Super
Pro-Karts made an appearance on the Kirkistown tarmac. The ten drivers that made
the trip north to compete put on a great show on the very rapid karts, but the
final, and indeed the proceeding races as well, was all about two drivers, John
Eliffe and Ivan Thompson. The two were inseparable in the twelve lap final,
trading places and fastest lap times throughout, but in the end it was Eliffe
who crossed the line just thirteen hundredths of a second ahead of Thomspon.
Gabriel Lodge enjoyed a similarly close battle with Colin Keegan, with Lodge
eventually taking third place by only four hundredths of a second.
Stuart Lyness led the Rotax Max final from the start but
before long came under pressure from Dubliner Andrew Maybin. Gary Blair pulled
through the field after dropping back at the start and before long was well
ahead of the rest of the field on the bumper of Maybin who in turn was right
with Lyness. Just after half distance, Lyness mysteriously appeared down in
third, having been passed by Maybin and Blair around the back of the control
tower. Perhaps with his tyres giving up grip, Lyness had a further half-spin and
would eventually finish fourth behind round one winner Aaron Smith. Despite
setting the fastest lap of the race, Blair could not quite get close enough to
Maybin and had to settle for second, with a delighted Maybin the winner.
With half the series already over, the championship
protagonists are now firmly established in each class. The show now moves to the
west of
Ireland
for the fourth round of the series, the IRL plate event in
Galway
.
2006 Irish Kart Grand Prix / All Ireland Golden Helmet Series Round 6 -
25-26/08/06
The JH Price and Northern Ireland Events Company supported
Irish Kart Grand Prix was back stronger than ever with its three day running
over 24-26 August. This year’s event doubled up as the grand finale of the
first ever All Ireland Golden Helmet series and so attracted considerable
numbers from south of the border. Other notable entrants included reigning
British Cadet champion Sam Jenkins from
Bristol
, former Grand Prix winner Richard Bradley from
London
, racing in 100 Libre, and
Milton Keynes
’ David Bellchambers in Rotax Max.
Come the completion of the finals theses three drivers
would all have much to celebrate, but on Saturday morning only those who delight
in August rain had much to enthuse about. Thursday practice had been run in
glorious conditions whilst half of the heats on Friday were blighted by
persistent rain. The forecast for Saturday had not included the showers which
continued to catch drivers off guard throughout the all important pre-finals and
finals. The unpredictable action which followed was all caught on television
cameras to be shown on terrestrial TV.
Jenkins was unstoppable in the Cadet pre-final, reeling off
an eleven second victory over closest rival Adam Stirling.
Stirling
was fortunate to escape injury after rolling his kart in one of the Friday
heats, but was clearly undaunted as he battled throughout the race to eventually
beat Charlie Eastwood to take the runner up spot. Track conditions for the final
had teams scratching their heads as to what tyres to use. A dry line had formed
almost all around the circuit, but the chance of the rain staying away for the
complete fifteen laps appeared slim. Jenkins made the best start on his slick
tyres in what looked to be a repeat of his previous form. However after five
laps the two lady drivers in the race, Megan McCrea and Jessica Orr, were
scything through the field on their slick tyres. McCrea snatched the lead from
Jenkins and with the track almost completely dry appeared to be on the way to a
clear win. Jenkins found pace from nowhere and showed just why he is the
reigning British champion as he somehow managed to stick with McCrea even
through his tyres were long past their best. Incredibly, with four laps to go
and the track still dry he even managed to retake the lead from McCrea and began
to pull away. When the rain returned with two laps to go the fate of the race
was sealed and Jenkins cruised home to another win, eleven seconds ahead of the
courageous McCrea who so nearly took a landmark win. Jenkins finished a
staggering twenty-seven seconds ahead of the nearest wet-shod kart of Charlie
Eastwood who reversed the positions to beat
Stirling
into the final runner up spot. Orr had held third for most of the race only to
slide off at the very last corner on her slick tyres, dropping to a still very
credible fifth place.
At post race scrutineering, however, McCrea was excluded for a technical
infringement, promoting Eastwood to the runner up spot, with everyone behind all
moving up one place apiece.
Reigning Irish champion Ivan Thompson took the Super
Pro-Kart win after a race long battle with ‘O’ Plate winner John Eliffe, who
fell of the track on the last lap of the race, but recovered to take second
ahead of Colin Keegan in third.
Tyre
choice was not a problem for the Minimax drivers with their final ran in
soaking wet conditions. Chris Smiley took another major race win, although he
was put under consistent pressure for the duration of the race from Carl
Stirling.
Stirling
eventually just over two seconds behind Smiley and a full fourteen seconds
clear of third placed driver Stefan Lyttle.
Aaron Coby came through to win the 100 Libre Pre-Final
after the track dried out and his slick tyres came into their prime. The other
slick shod karts of Cormac O’Neill and Stuart Henderson rounded out the top
three, in the same positions as they would start in the final. Raymie Eastwood
came through from fourth on the grid to dominate the final and seal his overall
Golden Helmet championship win. Bradley came through from last on the grid,
having retired after a single lap in the pre-final, to take a solid second place
with Craig Breen taking the final podium position.
Rotax 177 is not always renowned for producing spectacular
action but thanks to the changing weather conditions it proved to be one of the
best races of the day. At the start of the race it appeared as though the slick
shod drivers had made a mistaken tyre choice, but after five laps the track had
dried greatly and Lee Cherry surprised everyone by emerging in a clear lead. It
was a lead that he was able to extent, until about four laps from the end when
the rain returned. Caught out by the sudden downpour, the once comfortable race
leader slid off the track at the first turn, loosing at least half of his
extensive lead in the process. Gary Quinn, on wet tyres which were by now well
past their best, was ominously closing in, and on the last lap slipped past
Cherry on the run up the hill out of the chicane. Quinn came home a jubilant
winner whilst Cherry slithered around the last lap to finish in second place.
Ciaron McKee took third place by less than a tenth of a second from the battling
duo of Allen and Brian Cherry.
Derek Wilson lined up on pole for the TKM final and took
over the lead of the race for the first few laps. Defending Grand Prix winner
Ryan Magennis, starting from second on the grid put Wilson under severe
pressure, eventually finding a way past on lap four.
Wilson
, realising the extra pace that Magennis had, was quick to react and retook the
lead at the very next corner. By this stage, Robbie Robinson had flown through
the pack from the very back of the grid to make it a three way scrap for the
lead. Robinson made his way as far as second, before Magennis firmly established
himself in the lead, going on to the take another Grand Prix victory and the
Golden Helmet title. Robinson tried his best to catch Magennis but in the end
flew off the road at the first corner, into retirement.
Wilson
took second place whilst Clifford Wylie rounded out the top three in third.
JICA was all about the sensational drive that saw Rikki
Gordon progress through from ninth on the grid to take a comfortable victory
over nearest rival Wayne Boyd. Gordon left nothing in doubt with a fastest lap
over four tenths of a second quicker than any other driver. Shane Crosbie filled
the remaining podium position in third place.
Jeffrey Scott finally found a way past Mark Overend late in
the World Formula race to take the win. John Clarke and Darren Overend were the
only other finishers in third and fourth places respectively.
Due to time restrictions the Pro-Kart final had to be
shortened to twelve laps as opposed the planned fifteen. Polesitter Nigel
Stewart opted for slick tyres with a clear dry line around the circuit, but was
in a very vulnerable position on the run down to the first corner. It was not
surprise then to see Stewart recovering from an excursion into the gravel trap
whilst Sean Doherty led the first lap on his wet tyres. After five laps however,
Doherty’s lead had been extinguished and a typical five kart scrap had
emerged. Whilst the battle continued to rage at the front, attention turned to
slick-shod Gordon O’Brien who was making startling progress through the field.
At the start of the last lap he was in fifth position, then fourth by the top of
the hill. On the run in to the Horseshoe for the last time, O’ Brien tried to
make up further positions, but unfortunately this happened just as the three
drivers in front tried to swap positions as well. The result was inevitable, and
it was Mark Dunlop who found his was through the mess of stationary karts to
cross the finish line in first place. However, Dunlop was found to be
underweight at post race scrutineering, the win going to Andrew Fegan instead.
Robbie Robinson and Simon Ramseyer were promoted to second and third places
respectively.
Steven Bradley was overjoyed as he finally took a major
race win, dominating the Junior Max final with a fastest time almost a second
quicker than anyone else could manage. William Herron, winner of the three heats
and the pre-final led the first half of the race, but eventually slipped to
third with overheating tyres. Samantha Thom beating Herron to the line to take
second place by just four-thousandths of a second.
Rotax Max required five heats and a repechage to organise
the fifty drivers ahead of the pre-final. Philip Harkness led the final from
pole position, extending his lead over the opening few laps on the dry circuit.
By lap five, however, Raymond Lusty was clearly catching the race leader and
went through into the lead not long after. The pace that Lusty had displayed
early on was such that he would have been expected to pull clear at the front,
but Harkness reeled him in, followed closely by David Bellchambers, Neville Bell
and Aaron McMaster. Harkness found a way past with about five laps remaining,
Lusty thereafter doing all in his power to stay with him to the end of the race.
At the start of the last lap Harkness held a slender gap with Lusty hanging on
in second place. The positions stayed the same until the Horseshoe, where Lusty,
knowing it was his last chance to have a go at the lead, tried to pass Harkness
on the inside. It did not pay off, and the resulting contact saw both drivers
lose several positions. Bellchambers sped through to take a well deserved win on
his first visit to the track for many years, with
Bell
taking second and Harkness recovering to finish third.
Report: Stephen Rutherdale
Northern Ireland
Championships Round 4 - Bishopscourt -
03/06/07
The long straights and flowing
corners of the Bishopscourt racing circuit played host to round four of the
Northern Ireland
karting championships on 3rd June. Usually the event marks the
halfway point of the series, but this year the schedule is the largest ever,
with a total of ten rounds to decide the champions in each class.
The long circuit, with its
challenging layout which allows the gearbox karts to get up to full speed, was
the scene of the highly successful Irish Kart GP event at the end of 2005.. The
short circuit offers a unique challenge to the direct drive racers, and being
perhaps the fastest circuit used by direct drive karts in the
UK
, slipstreaming battles are commonplace. A twisting start to the lap gives way
to a flowing, foot-to-the floor back stretch, before the final chicane onto the
long start/finish straight.
The final chicane was a cause for
concern for many of the drivers in the morning, the organisers having placed
markers at the inside of what was previously a flat out change of direction. The
markers left no margin for error at top speeds, but thankfully with the
exception of one Rotax Max driver who had a minor shunt, nobody came to grief.
The glorious weather that had
been predicted for the days racing actually did come, and so the Cadets took to
the track for their first heat in the best weather seen at Bishopscourt for many
years. Kyle Price won that first heat after his nearest rival early on, Megan
McCrea, dropped right to the back of the field with an overheating engine.
Jessica Orr then took over the mantle of the leading lady driver, taking a
second place in the first heat in her best race to date. Price ran away with the
second heat as well, before going on to take an unchallenged win in the ten lap
final. So another maximum points score for Price after a perfect days racing,
but most of the attention was focused on the battle for second place between the
two ever improving lady drivers. Orr kept ahead for much of the race, but the
more experienced McCrea came through on the last laps to take second place to
end a frustrating day blighted with mechanical troubles. Orr’s display shows
vast potential and at the tender age of nine she is one to look out for in the
future.
Confirming the boundless
capabilities of female drivers in
Northern Ireland
, defending champion Samantha Thom took a commanding lead at the start of the
Junior Rotax final. Steven Bradley had been the victor in the two proceeding
heats, but was unable to get clear at the start of the all important final.
Instead Bradley, along with William Herron, had to claw back the gap to leader
Thom. With only a few laps still to run the trio were right together,
slipstreaming at top speeds. Unfortunately for Thom her great run would come to
an end as contact with Herron brought her challenge to a halt. Herron and
Bradley raced on and it was the flying Bradley who crossed the line narrowly
ahead to take his second maximum points haul in as many weeks. Thom managed to
get started again but finished two laps down in fifth place. Callum McQuitty and
Stuart Coey battled throughout the final for the Minimax win, with Coey
eventually crossing the line half a second ahead of double heat winner McQuitty
to take the win.
There was confusion, controversy
and strange happenings throughout the day in the combined Pro-Kart / TKM Extreme
races. The first strange happening came in heat two, after Sean Doherty and
Stephen Rutherdale had taken the Pro-Kart and TKM wins respectively in heat one.
Two laps into the second heat the steering wheel on Rutherdale’s kart detached
itself from the steering column and the kart ploughed into the tyre barrier at
the bottom chicane having seemingly made no attempt to take the corner. The TKM
driver was thrown from his kart but fortunately emerged only with a wrist
injury. Clifford Wylie took the win in that heat, only to have his engine seize
on the slowing down lap.
At the start of the final
Rutherdale took the TKM lead from fifth on the grid, and was able to pull away
from Wylie who was forced to use one of the old-style 100cc engines. Pro-Karts
were inseparable and a five kart scrap raged throughout the race between
Doherty, Gary Wheeler, Tommy Fegan, Stephen Foster and Bobbie Robinson. Back in
TKM, part way through the race Wylie’s kart began to disintegrate as first an
engine mount fell off, forcing the hapless driver to have to physically hold his
motor in place. Davis Buick squeezed past over the closing laps and would
eventually take second in TKM. Rutherdale came around to lap the leading
Pro-Karts on his last lap, but with a substantial lead over his opposition,
stayed behind the slower karts, taking the chequered flag just after they
received the last lap board. The marshals at the first corner clearly heard that
the chequered flag had went out, and understandably held out a red flag, just as
the Pro-Karts came to start their last lap. Some slowed down, hand in the air,
but others realised the mistake that had been made and raced on. Robinson lost
out badly, going from the front back to fifth place, and was unable to make up
the places again as the leading group of Pro-Karts picked up the pace again over
the final lap. Doherty crossed the line in first place, Wheeler second, with the
drivers who had lost out angry over the mistake that had cost them the race.
Rotax Max provided the biggest
grid, with seventeen karts starting the ten lap final. Sixteen made it cleanly
through the first corner, with Andrew McClelland sent spinning to the back of
the pack after two solid performances in the heats. Chris Irwin was next to go,
out after a solitary lap and a major blow to the reigning Ulster Cup
champion’s title hopes. Stuart Lyness assumed the lead, closely pursued by
Gary Blair. The two scrapped for the duration of the race, pulling clear of
third placed man Robert Devenney. The midfield battles raged throughout the
race, but all attention focused on the two leaders as they went onto their last
lap. As they came around the sweeper and through the chicane for the last time,
Lyness was narrowly ahead, but could sense Blair’s presence on his back
bumper. Lyness moved across to defend his position, forcing his fellow
competitor towards the infamous wall that runs the length of the pit straight,
yet still leaving Blair enough room to breathe. Lyness crossed the line a tenth
of a second ahead of Blair who was clearly unhappy about Lyness’ defence
tactics. The results stood, so Lyness, Blair and Devenny filled the podium
positions, with Alan Crossen taking his best result to date in fourth place.
The event was the last
opportunity for the gearbox drivers to get in some practice before the gearbox
extravaganza at Kirkistown at the end of the month, which sees the UK Cup and
the UK Long Circuit championships coming to
Ireland
for the first time. The two heats
clearly took their toll on the combined 125cc/250cc grid, as only eight of the
original sixteen at the start of the day made it to the start of the eight lap
final. Matthew Campbell was unstoppable in the final, over a second a lap faster
than his closest opposition. Geoff McBride took a very solid second placed
finish, holding the defending
Northern Ireland
champion Liam Fox at bay to take the runner-up spot by two seconds. Richard
Dewart and Robin Hamill were the only other 250cc finishers in a gruelling
final. Noel Lindsey was never challenged in 125 and ran out the race as the only
125 runner not to be lapped by the flying
Campbell
in 250. Philip Mills therefore finished a lap down in second ahead of the only
other 125 finisher, Ian Simms.
Report: Stephen Rutherdale
Cadets: 1) Kyle Price 2) Megan
McCrea 3) Jessica Orr
Minimax: 1) Stuart Coey 2) Callum
McQuitty 3) Victoria Logan
Junior Rotax Max: 1) Steven
Bradley 2) William Herron 3) Jonathan McMullan
TKM Extreme: 1) Stephen
Rutherdale 2)
Davis
Buick 3) Clifford Wylie
Pro-Kart: 1) Sean Doherty 2) Gary
Wheeler 3) Tommy Fegan
125 Rotax Max: 1) Stuart Lyness
2) Gary Blair 3) Robert Devenney
Rotax 177: 1) Gary Ross 2) Nigel
Logan
125
Ulster
: 1) Noel Lindsey 2) Philip Mills 3) Ian Simms
250 Superkart: 1) Matthew
Campbell 2) Geoff McBride 3) Liam Fox
Report: Stephen Rutherdale
Northern Ireland Karting Review of 2006
2006 was very much a season of mixed fortunes for karting
on the shores of
Northern Ireland
. Overall numbers in the non-gearbox classes were further down on previous
years, with several experienced drivers retiring and not enough newcomers
emerging to fill the gaps left behind. This worrying trend must be the major
talking point to emerge from the past year, and needs to be reversed in 2007.
On the racing front, however, 2006 was as good a year as
any. The Northern Ireland Championships consisted of ten rounds in the longest
calendar for years. Competition remained fierce, and the need for consistency
developed by the extensive calendar produced some unexpected and first time
winners. The Northern Ireland Karting Association joined forces with Motorsport
Ireland
to promote the first ever All Ireland Golden Helmet Karting championships, the
name derived from the prize on offer in each class of a golden helmet for the
overall champion. The first and last rounds of this new series received
terrestrial television coverage, the quality of both programmes bringing the
sport to the public in a way not seen before.
The last round of the All Ireland championship, the Irish
Kart Grand Prix, took place at Nutts Corner in August, attracting over one
hundred and sixty entries from both sides of the
Irish Sea
. The Ulster Karting Club, which organises its races at the circuit, finally
gained some hope for the future after years of uncertainty, in the form of a
long-term lease from the local council. Much hard work from the chairman and
committee of the club has gone into securing a future for what is seen as the
epicentre of karting in
Northern Ireland
, and the club will continue to push for a return of national level racing to
the province.
The Bishopscourt Kart Club secured a major coup in bringing
the U.K. Cup and a round of the British Long Circuit Championships to
Northern Ireland
for the first time. Many months or meticulous preparation and huge commitment
from the club ensured it was one of the biggest karting events ever seen in
Northern Ireland
. The organisers attracted a vast contingent of competitors from
England
,
Scotland
,
Wales
and
Ireland
to compete for a considerable prize fund. The event, ran over three days at the
incredibly fast Kirkistown circuit in Co. Down, gave local gearbox competitors
the opportunity to demonstrate the level of gearbox racing in Northern Ireland.
James Irvine was particularly on form, winning the 125 National round of the
British Championships and then the UK Cup for 125s the following day.
Sadly, the 2006 season was hit by tragedy in May, with the
death of 250cc Superkart competitor Mervyn Campbell, in an accident at
Kirkistown’s Deptor’s Dip. Mervyn, uncle of former British Champion Matthew
Campbell will be sorely missed by the entire karting community.
The Northern Ireland Championships kicked of in March at
Nutts Corner, before moving on to round two at Aghadowey in April. Ran in
slippery conditions, the event served to consolidate the identity of the
championship contenders remainder of the season. Entry numbers were low, but
those who did turn enjoyed a day of close, competitive racing, but unfortunately
rain caused the cancellation of the gearbox final.
The low entries however, coupled with further reduced grids
at the September meeting, have left the future of the circuit in doubt for 2007
at least. The Coleraine and District Motor Club, who run the events, cannot make
it financially viable, with such a blatant lack of the support from drivers.
Their cause was not helped much by the cancellation of the September meeting
before it had even reach half distance, due to a rain shower, which flooded the
track making it too dangerous to continue racing. It is a great shame, as the
friendly organisation of the Coleraine club makes their races a favourite with
many. But the lack of support from drivers limits any chance of future
development of the Aghadowey circuit.
It appears that the circuit and perhaps the organisation
cannot cope with the demands of modern karters. However this is not to be read
as a criticism of the organisers, but rather of many of the drivers in the
various classes. Some have become too caught up with beating everyone else and
forgotten that they spent their hard earned cash in order to enjoy themselves by
going racing. 2006 saw, not at Aghadowey, but in particular one of the other
circuits, ugly cases of violence and, to say the least, heated verbal exchanges.
Many experienced racers have simply lost interest in the sport, disenchanted by
what they see as a lack of a level playing field, or just by the disappearance
of a sense of sporting occasion at certain race meetings.
Aghadowey has suffered as a result because it is gauged by
some to be too far to travel, although even two hours is insignificant compared
to the distance that many travel to race on the continent. Others sight the lack
of facilities, or computerised timing as their reason for not attending.
However, for a genuine racer, Aghadowey could not be a better circuit. Long
straights provide ample opportunity for slipstreaming, the fast curves have to
be taken heart-in-mouth lap after lap. Speeds of up to and above 140 kilometres
per hour are commonplace in direct drive karts, so for the genuine racer it is
nothing short of exhilarating. Yet still entries are lower at Aghadowey than at
any other circuit.
After the second round, the championship moved to
Kirkistown, a circuit which the 500 Motor Club has developed continuously over
the past few years. The circuit layout is fantastic, the atmosphere relaxed,
with the best facilities at any karting circuit in
Northern Ireland
. Still, entries were low, with only ten Rotax Max karts in comparison to the
thirty which regularly turn out to compete at Nutts Corner. Rotax Max was won on
that occasion by Stuart Lyness, who dominated the day’s proceedings to win the
final well clear of runner-up Alan Davidson. Robert Robinson extended his
championship lead with a win in the close fought Pro-Kart final.
Just why so many refuse to travel down the Ards peninsula
to Kirkistown to compete is a mystery, yet they will convene at Nutts Corner
with over twice as many entries as anywhere else. Nutts Corner played host the
sixth round of the series in July, and then to the championship finale in
October, both rounds attracting well over one hundred entries. The Bishopscourt
Kart Club and the Bishopscourt circuit owner went to great lengths over the year
to upgrade the former airbase – turned race circuit, with the end result being
well received by the few short circuit competitors who raced at the September
meeting. Pro-Kart racer Gordon O’Brien was lucky to avoid serious injury when
he was tipped into a frightening end over end somersault on the final lap, the
kart parting company with the driver and one of the engines then going up in
flames. The event also played host to the Irish Kart Grand Prix for gearbox,
Stephen McAdam winning the 250 category and Andy Hamilton taking the 125 title.
A few of the Northern Ireland Championship titles had been
decided ahead of the final round in October but several were still up for grabs.
Kyle Price successfully defended his title, as did Stephen Rutherdale in TKM
Extreme and Gary Ross in Rotax Max 177. Stuart Lyness lifted the Rotax Max
trophy for the first time, whilst William Herron took his 2005
Northern Ireland
title from the Minimax class across to Junior Max in which he lifted the
championship by a large margin. Robert Robinson took the Pro-Kart title.
Consistent driving from Callum McQuitty saw the young driver lift the Minimax
championship title after narrowly holding off Chris Smiley, who took third place
in the British Stars of Tomorrow championship. McQuitty’s victory over bright
prospect Smiley sets him up as one to watch out for in the future. Matthew
Campbell and Andy Hamilton took the 250cc and 125cc gearbox titles respectively.
2006 was a classic season of racing, but the ever
diminishing entry numbers are the main point of concern for many. With Aghadowey
likely to be off the calendar for 2007, the non-gearbox calendar will consist of
only three circuits and the gearbox series of only two. The organisers must be
commended for their efforts, as both Kirkistown and Bishopscourt have seen
considerable development of late. The problem lies with the drivers, who seem
happy to sit back as circuits disappear and countless opportunities for
development of the sport are squandered because organisers cannot get the
support needed to run races. Newcomers want to come into the sport and become
competitive, but overall to get some enjoyment out of it. But scenes of
fighting, drivers hell-bent on winning seemingly regardless of the financial
costs, and small grids do not paint a very good picture for the sport of
karting. Many of the frontrunners, in the author's opinion, need to revaluate
their participation in the sport and remember that at the end of the day it is
only that - a sport.
Report: Stephen Rutherdale
