2010 Spring Race Report
24 April 2010
The Open Formula Ford 1600 race once again was the highlight of the second championship car race meeting of the season at Kirkistown.
Morgan Dempsey placed his new Van Diemen on pole position from reigning champion John Ferguson. Misbehaviour on behalf of some competitors saw two green flag laps and it was Dempsey who led the pack on the opening lap. However, Dempsey went off at the Hairpin, rejoined quickly while Ferguson set the pace in his Ray.
Mike Edgar who posed the major threat to Ferguson and in the closing laps he made his move into second, but Ferguson kept the Van Diemen driver at bay, while first round winner teenager Jonny McMullan slipped into third.
The reigning Pre 90 Formula Ford 1600 champion Neville Anderson added his second win of the season in defence of his crown; he started from pole, immediately realising that Nigel Smyth had jumped the start and an early challenge from John Stewart and Ryan Templeton faded when they both spun; Templeton rejoined the action to finish third.
Two Formula Vee races with Damien Murphy leading the charge in the first race in his Sheane, but his glory was short-lived as he went off at Colonial One, he did recover, to eventually finish eighth. Morgan McCourt on his victory run was pressed all the way by Gerard Byrne and Robbie Allen.
Race two and it was the vastly experienced Ray Moore who set the pace. Initially a five car battle for the top honour. A safety car on track and on the restart, again it was Moore closely followed to the flag by Robert Casey.
Two Fiat races and in race one pole sitter Barry Travers was nudged out of the action at Colonial Two; Alan Quinn the leader, his glory was short, out on lap three as Gary Cunningham took the flag. Race two and Travers made up for he disappointment of race one by winning by half a second from Barry Hallion.
The Saloon/GT grid was swelled to a healthy state with a number of runners from the ITCC series. A last lap move from Pat McBennett saw Michael Riordan lose the lead as Martin Tracey was best of the saloons at the wheel of his Ford Sierra.
Anton Savage was the clear winner in the Formula Sheane race and a poorly supported Formula Libre race with just two finishers was won by Ivor Greenwood in his Radical Prosport.
Two races for gearbox karts completed the packed programme with wins for Noel Lindsay and James Irvine and two to Liam Fox.
Posted by PMcCollum on 28/4/2010; Last updated by PMcCollum on 28/4/2010