Race Report

FILDES FINDS FINE FORM

Stephen Daly had the task of upholding family honour in the rare absence of both Dan and Martin for rounds 5 and 6 at Kirkistown’s mid summer race meeting. Coincidently both absentees happened to be leading the 2 classes in the championship, which left opportunity for the opposition to make hay while the sun shone. Stephen accomplished his mission in style though with a double win in F2 and after an inconsistent start to his season he now replaces his uncle at the top of that class.

Top seed for qualifying Eamon Matheson looked the most likely candidate for F1 honours after his fine performances the previous day, and feeling that the pace wouldn’t be quite so hot this time he tuned himself into conservative mode. After posting a 54.2 early in the session he parked the Mission on pit road and waited to see what would happen. His strategy was spot on but it was Ken Fildes who lined up alongside, the veteran driver finding an extra half second after some tweaks to his car since last day. A titanic F2 battle between Stephen Daly, Ivor Greenwood and Philip Shields filled the next 3 places in that order, barely 3 tenths between them, which set the scene nicely for some good racing. Eugene Heary Snr was disappointed with his 56.0 having been in the 54’s last day with John Daly and Donal Griffin next up though Griffin’s car had sounded off from early in the session. A blown head gasket was diagnosed, which ended his first day in Kirkistown for more years than he cared to remember! Jim Larkham, Fergus Faherty and Gary Graham rounded out the qualifiers, Fergus having recovered from what must be a contagious bout of dropped valve syndrome.

Conservative mode kicked in again for Matheson at the start of race 1 in order to make life easier on his transmission. This meant he got swamped on the run to the first corner finishing the first lap in fifth, but by the end of the fourth lap he had worked his way on to the tail of leader Fildes and looked set to pounce. A sticking throttle though upset his plan and meant he had to resort to the ignition switch to cut power, but repeated buzzing of the engine as he tried to make the finish ended in a broken crankshaft only 2 laps from home. Meanwhile, the much anticipated F2 battle dissolved somewhat when the circuit doctors decided Philip Shields was unfit to race following a back injury sustained while training. All this drama played into the hands of class rookie Eugene Heary Snr whose excellent progress continued through the day, collecting enough points to top the championship table at the halfway point in the season.

It was a Fildes Daly front row for race 2 and with Stephen, as usual giving it everything, he made the elder Heary work to get past. Once past though, Heary moved in on Fildes, but despite being faster on paper he couldn’t quite make it past, the two of them finishing barely 2 seconds apart with John Daly taking third in F1. Stephen Daly completed his class double well ahead of his opposition, Jim Larkham taking second with Fergus Faherty, having replaced the driveshaft he broke off the line in race 1, taking third.

A combination of speed and reliability puts Eugene Heary Snr in the unlikely position of leading the championship at half time in the season, and as his confidence grows it should make the second half interesting. Stephen Daly’s double moves him into contention, and as the regulars return for our next event in Mondello on July 24 things could get very tight at the sharp end of the table. Don’t go away!

Click here for championship table

Link to the results: http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=678764

2012 Calender

April 15 - Mondello Park National
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April 28 - Kirkistown
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May 12/13 - Bishopscourt (non championship)
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May 26 - Kirkistown
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July 1 - Mondello Park National
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August 18/19 - Phoenix Park (non championship)
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September 8/9 - Mondello Park International
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September 29 - Kirkistown
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