2010 Midsummer Race Meeting Report
26 June 2010
There may have been no visiting classes and the sea mist did its best to halt proceedings but the June car race meeting at Kirkistown delivered with Formula Fords again topping the bill and for good measure the karts in both 125 and 250 guise entertained.
Noel Robinson the 2009 Martin Donnelly Trophy winner was in top form as he took his Van Diemen to the top of the charts in qualifying, half a second faster than his nearest challenger. He made a superb start in race one as the reigning champion John Ferguson took up the challenge. Jonathan McGall was back on the scene, the former F3 driver was at the wheel of the only Mondiale in the race and at one point he held third.
In the closing stages of the race the two winners so far this season John Ferguson and Jonny McMullen touched and Ferguson's Ray went spinning into the barriers with extensive frontal damage.
Over the three final laps Robinson's car encountered a misfire but he finished well clear of Morgan Dempsey and Mike Edgar. Race two and Dempsey found himself all alone on the front row as Robinson's car ground to a halt on the warm up lap with a distributor problem. Dempsey, Edgar, minus a nose cone, and Ferguson fought for the honours and finished in that order. Alan McGarrity and his team who run Ferguson's car did a superb job in rebuilding the car.
Roadsports produced the largest grids on the day for their double header. Yet again it was Stephen Donnelly who had pole for both races with his Locost. However not an easy high speed demo for him as Arnie Black made him work hard for his two victories. Black finished a close second on both occasions in a customer Crossle 42S. The bulk of the entry belonged to the N.I. Sevens and again they produced very close racing. Ryan Magennis triumphed in both with his Locost, fighting off mighty challenges from Colin Reid, Mark Crawford and Jimmy Dougan.
Robin Titterington had pole for the Saloon/GT race and a decision from the organisers saw the Saloons start ahead with Craig Davidson leading for most of the race with his Mazda RX8; meanwhile Titterington was slicing his way through the traffic to eventually finish first across the line. Davidson was second ahead of Stephen Traub's Honda Integra.
A small entry for the Formula Libre race and no surprise it was Ivor Greenwood on pole with his Radical. Jack Frost in the ex-F3 Suzuki powered Dallara got the better start, a smoking Dallara was overtaken in the closing stages by Greenwood.
In karts there were double race wins for Liam Fox (250) and James Irvine (125).
Posted by PMcCollum on 14/7/2010; Last updated by PMcCollum on 14/7/2010