The atmosphere was electric for this second visit to the Co. Kildare track for the second time this year. With a packed venue and all eyes on them, the Micksgarage.com Formula Sheane Championship certainly didn’t buckle under the pressure; instead they put on what was renowned by Motorsport Ireland as the racing of the weekend. The series has been credited with that honour at every track it has visited this year and long may it continue. Testing on Friday had its victims, Chris McCabe succumbed to engine woes early in the morning but he and his crew worked relentlessly to change the engine and get the car back and race ready for qualifying the next day. The track its self was very uncharacteristically slippy some suggesting that it was from the drift cars the week before but that meant that every single car was on the exact same pace and no one driver was able to bang in super quick lap to set the pace, every session bringing with it a different pace.
Qualifying
The drivers arrived to a wet and changeable track on Saturday morning with many spending it contemplating what wet set-up they would run if it didn’t dry out by the time qualifying started. Luckily enough several other classes were out beforehand to clear a nice dry line which meant that the drivers could push on and go for that one quick lap to secure pole. All the cars lined up in assembly ready to go out with all eyes on the sky praying it would stay dry the whole way through. Qualifying being the fiery devil she is took no prisoners right from the start in the form of driveshaft failure for Gary Corcoran who didn’t manage to get a single lap time in sealing is fate to the back of the grid for both races. Usual business resumed for the battle for pole between the top in the championship, Dave Parks setting the pace early on before suspension failure brought is qualifying to an end and a red flag to the session. With Parks car removed the rest of the grid positions were battled out in the same manner we know and come to expect from these guys. Sheane snatching the pole position only for a second before the Master Hearty snatched it off him. Allen then banged in a lap to put Sheane to 3rdwith Hogg in 4th. Sheane then put in a lap that couldn’t be measured with a microscope, only .015 of a second behind Hearty. Hearty went on to set an even quicker lap time and extend the gap slightly with Hogg snatching 3rd of Allen. Parks early pole time was good enough to see him take 5th on the grid with Kearney, Paul McLoughlin, Newcomer to the class Sean Doyle only managing 8thafter struggling with set-up, Linnane and Carr rounding out the top 10. True to form, Sheane blasted in a last ditch pole lap and reclaimed the top spot on the grid from Hearty.
Race One.
18 cars lined up in assembly for the first race of the weekend for the series, all looking fantastically turned out and ready to race. The cars all had a quick green flag lap to find out where the grip was on the ever changing track conditions. The packed grid all took their positions, the rev’s raised in deafening anticipation of the lights going out and as they did Keith Hogg, from the second row of the grid took off like a bullet out of a gun and picked of Hearty and Sheane to lead into the first corner. A fantastic start from Doyle put him into the action fast and onto the back of Allen’s gearbox as they turned out into the country, simple driving around cars on the outside to slot in behind the leading pack. Around the cars came all noses to tail like they were stuck together Hogg leading from Sheane, Hearty, Allen and Doyle who was quickly lining up Allen with his eyes on Hearty. The rest of the field thundered through a few cars missing in first lap incidents and all scrambling for places. Gary Corcoran coming from the back of the grid was already inside the top ten, an absolutely incredible first lap by the County Wicklow man. Doyle moved up to 3rd after making the moves on Allen and Hearty and the battle for the lead changed as Sheane snatched it away from Hogg. Sheane got the head down and set about building his lead from the chasing pack. Parks managed to take Allen for a few laps before Allen re-claimed the 4thposition from him. Doyle set his sights on Hogg and more ultimately Sheane in 1stbut he had forgotten one thing the man who he had just overtaken, Hearty who threw every year of his experience at Doyle to take the place back. That battle raged on for a few laps with both touching at nearly every corner of the track which ended in the only way it could like that, Doyle’s throttle sticking open coming into the esses saw him drive into the back of Hearty and push him around the corner causing both terminal damage that saw them both retire a few laps later. That promoted Allen and Parks to 3rd and 4thpositions which would soon be 2nd and 3rd as Hogg developed an engine problem that he tried to nurse home in the effort to grab some points but would eventually retire a lap from the end. Battles raged all the way through the field and other cars ran into problems in battle which promoted Paul McLoughlin up into 4th with drive of the day driver Gary Corcoran driver bringing his car home in 5th. The 2ndMicksgarage.com car was brought home in 6th spot in the hands of guest driver Michael Sweeney. Brendan Carr and Gilbert Clancy managed to keep their noses clean and avoid all the trouble to work their way through the field. That’s how the race ended, Kevin Sheane, Robbie Allen and Dave Parks the big winners in points for the battle for the championship. This one race has blown the whole championship open and made it a 5-way battle at the top as they all closed in on Hearty. After all that excitement the crews and supporters peeled themselves away from the track to which they had been glued to congratulate the podium winners up in the scrutiny bay. That was all the action for the Saturday, race wise anyways and good few teams having to work on into the evening carrying out repairs for the race on Sunday.
Race Two
Sunday morning, and as the drivers, crews, families and supporters arrived they were greeted by a very overcast Mondello Park but again most importantly it was dry which set the race up to be as fast paced and action packed as the day before was. A few slight changes in grid positions for the start, the biggest being Hearty taking the pole position spot from Sheane. The tension was high and everyone was on tender hooks as the cars rolled up to the grid for the start. The lights went out and another blistering start by Doyle off the line, Sheane got the drop on Hearty as they approached the first corner. Hearty seemed to have a problem initially as Hogg got the overtake finished before turn in, Allen took avoiding action to the left of Hearty, Doyle to the right and out over the pit line to slot in in-behind Hogg for the corner. As they went out into the country for the first time Hogg did everything in his power to hold off Doyle who looked everywhere for a way around but couldn’t. Sheane scrambled to get the head down and try pull away whilst the others squabbled over the positions. Doyle threw it up the inside of Hogg coming into the last corner and made it stick; now he set his sights on Sheane. Across the line Sheane took the defensive line into turn one but again Doyle drove out onto the pit lane and around Sheane to take the lead. That was 7th to 1st in 8 corners…not bad for only his 3rd race in the series. Allen tried to make a move on the outside of Hogg going into turn one which resulted in him running out of track and that was the end of his days racing. That off brought out the safety car, not exactly something you see every day in Irish Circuit racing but was needed none the less as Allen’s Car was in a dangerous position. The Safety car gathered the cars up and they awaited the green light to go racing again. The midfield battles were sensational too, Gary Corcoran and Sean Hynes Slicing their way up the grid from the back with Clancy, Sweeney and Carr all swapping positions anywhere they could. On the restart Doyle lead the train of cars across the line into the first corner. Doyle set about trying to pull a gap but Sheane and Hogg had set themselves up right under Doyle’s rear wing where they stayed throughout the rest of the race never letting him more than a car length away. The Chequered Flag dropped and Doyle took the win from Sheane in 2nd and Hogg in 3rd. Brian Hearty was in 4thjust in front Parks who claimed 5th from Mayo man Sean Hynes in 6th. Corcoran with another incredible drive finished 7th from the back of the grid. Paul McLoughin slotted in 8th John Linnane made it home in 9thafter a great drive from him in his immaculate machine. Brendan Carr rounds out the top 10 positions.
And that was it rounds 7 & 8 were done and dusted and the series was leaving the track with 2 more winners this year which brings it to 5 different winners from 8 rounds, that alone goes to show how close this class is in terms of pace and quality. The Second race on the Sunday was credited as being the best race of the weekend which is another accolade that the series can take, Formula Sheane has now been the best racing at each of the 4 race weekends it has attended this year so far and with the championship after been blown wide open with those results you can be sure that they will take that title at the next 2 in Kirkistown and Mondello Park. As Doyle was not involved in the Main Micksgarage.com Formula Sheane Championship he will not be awarded points for the win, Everyone below Doyle will be bumped up a place in the final race positions for points meaning, Sheane takes full points for race 2, Hogg takes 2nd and Hearty moves up to 3rd to round out the podium positions and likewise throughout the rest of the field.
Formula Sheane would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Drivers, the Crews, the Marshalls, the Organisers, the Families and the Fans of the Series. Without any of you none of the class would be possible and we love putting on the show for you. Everyone certainly felt the support this weekend. The Micksgarage.com Formula Sheane championship proving time and again (and at every race circuit this year!) why it is Ireland’s Premier Racing Series. You will not find a higher calibre racing in Ireland. There’s a long break now until round 9 but let it Roll on and let these guys continue in the fight for the Honours in Irelands Top Tier racing series!!!
Image credit: James Foley
