Kirkistown, 25 July 2009
O Brien keeps streak going with win
Robert Casey grabbed his first pole position of the season at a bright and
sunny Kirkistown to start ahead of Trevor Delaney, Dave O Brien and Robbie
Allen. Brian Kelly had a gear selector problem on the warm up lap and failed
to start the race. Casey held his position off the start and led into
Colonial. Allen had a terrible start trying to get away in third gear and
losing a good few places but Stephen Kershaw and Dan Polley both made
brilliant getaways and moved up several spots each. Kershaw if fact was then
able to pass Delaney and Casey by the end of the lap to take the lead. Jimmy
Furlong started from the back row after problems in qualifying and made rapid
progress through the field in the opening laps. Adam Mcauley started from the
pitlane. Noel Cooley and Roy Hanlon tangled at the hairpin on lap two leading
to the pair losing handfuls of time.
Casey and Kershaw traded the lead between themselves early on. Delaney,
Polley, and O Brien were right behind the leading pair with Allen and Willie
Callaghan rounding out the lead bunch. There was then a slight gap to Mick
Sammon. Lloyd Murphy was unable to show front running pace and dropped back.
Morgan McCourt was duelling with Mcauley and Paul McCartan but the B
chamnpionship leader Mcauley was quick to drop the pair when he realised
Furlong was making easy work of the back of the field.
Casey was out in front on lap five when his gearbox went and he had to pit
from the lead. Kershaw inherited the lead but tangled with Delaney when the
pair got to Colonial with both cars losing places. Allen was the big winner
from this incident; he jumped 3 or 4 places and was now 2nd overall. Kershaw
was down to 15th. Delaney retired a lap later having been blackflagged.
Allen now found himself leading from O Brien, Polley, and Callaghan. Sammin
was still in contention all be it a small way off the back of the bunch.
Murphy was leading the novice class driving a lonely race for the second week
running. Furlong had caught Mcauley and a battle royal ensued until the end
as both drivers tried to secure 2nd overall in class. Sammin was the B
leader. McCourt was 2nd in the novices with a good margin over season leader
Cooley. Allen and O Brien were swapping positions lap by lap towards the end
of the race.
The race appeared to run a lap longer than expected and with O Brien ahead as
the leaders headed through the chicane the advantage was with Allen, he got
better drive and was about to make his challenge when he saw a yellow flag at
the Hairpin. He had to wait until the exit of the corner and a green flag
before mounting his challenge to win, however this was too late. O Brien
crossed the line first and took his third Kirkistown win in a row. Polley and
Callaghan were just behind the leaders. Kershaw passed Sammon on the last lap
to end a good recovery drive with fifth place. Furlong and Mcauley finished
together behind Murphy who trailed Sammon home. McCartan passed McCourt at the
hairpin to round out the top ten.
Stephen Kershaw now leads the FDS Worldwide Express Formula VEE National
Championship by 9 points over Dan Polley with Brian Kelly a point further
back. Robbie Allen is back in contention. Adam Mcauley leads the B
Championship from Mick Sammon by 11 points and a further 11 to Jimmy
Furlong. Noel Cooley leads the Supervalu & Centra Novice Championship by 15
points over Morgan McCourt while Javier Pernas and Lloyd Murphy aren't far
behind.
There is now a break and a visit to the Phoenix Park Races before we're back
at 'Kirky' on August 29
