If anyone hasn't been to a car meeting at Kirkistown for a while (ever?), next Saturday's (28th) meeting is the one to be at! It features the first round of a Pan-European FF1600 series. The other rounds are in England, France and Monza in Italy! There will also be rounds of the NI Sevens championship within the Roadsports class, the N.I. Saloons which is hotting up massively this year, the new Fiesta class which has already proved extremely entertaining, some Legends and some G.T.s and the Irish Libres. In the latter will be Philip Shields who has been regularly smashing the outright lap record in testing! The Ginetta Juniors will have two races as well, where you can see the future stars of Irish Car Racing learning their craft. All this for a tenner! Or for free if you are a club member (£35). In the meantime, have a look at this fun survey, vote and then send it to your friends! http://checkthis.com/hqqj
Euro FF SuperSeries Hit’s The Track At Kirkistown. This week will see a mini European invasion on to the Ards Peninsula when James Beckett’s Euro FF1600 SuperSeries rolls through the gates of Kirkistown Race Circuit Co Down, allowing Formula Ford 1600 racers from Ireland and all over Europe the opportunity to go head to head in a new four round European series. The SuperSeries will allow drivers who race the world’s most popular junior single seater category the chance to race in four countries during the course of the season. After Saturday the entrants will head into Europe to the well known The Croix en Ternois track in France, then return to the UK for the third round in August, being held at Brands Hatch with the final race of the season, scheduled for September at the legendary Monza in Italy. Participants in the SuperSeries will also have opportunity to win the “The Cunningham Cup’ at the end of the 2012 season as the series is non-point scoring and so no end-of-season champion can be crowned. Instead, The Cunningham Cup will be awarded to the Super Series ‘Driver of the Year’ for performances within the series’ four meeting season. Organiser James Beckett says the “The Cunningham Cup will be a great reward for the driver who best displays the talents, results and sportsmanship befitting the talent of a SuperSeries Formula Ford 1600 racer.” The Cunningham Cup carries the name of Neil Cunningham, the popular New Zealander who is regarded by many as one of Formula Ford’s finest ever drivers. Cunningham has recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease. James Beckett himself is currently seen by some people in the motorsport community as the UK’s guru of Formula Ford and is also the prime mover behind the famous Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone. James has had an interest in motorsport from childhood, so it was quite apt that James started working part-time at Silverstone race circuit in 1988. In 1993 James started co-ordinating the Coys International Historic Festival and rose through the ranks to become the Assistant Club Secretary of the BRDC in 1996 and during that time he created the Walter Hayes Trophy, reintroduced the BRDC 500 for pre war cars, ran the BRDC Historic Sportscar Championship. James’s career path then changed direction and James Beckett Motorsport was formed in 2009 and quickly reintroduced the Champion of Brands in 2010. He’s guru status is reinforced with by his organising of the WHT, co-ordinating the Formula Ford Festival and have now introducing the SuperSeries. Aside from work with FF1600, James remains involved with historic motorsport via organisation and carries out a number of media duties which includes representing ADR-Delta in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Formula Ford was established back in 1967 and has been the launching pad to stardom for many well-known racing drivers including Emerson Fittipaldi, Johnny Herbert, Eddie Irvine, Mark Webber and Jenson Button. James say‘s, "Formula Ford has always been very strong in Northern Ireland and it was a natural decision to start the Euro SuperSeries at Kirkistown. The circuit offers a great challenge to FF1600 drivers and I am pleased that the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland will be the hosts for the first race." Saturday’s race entry perfectly reflects this with no less than three former NI winners of the Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival featuring on the entry list, Noel Dunne (2006), Neville Smyth (2010) and Ivor McCullough (2011) Other names to look out for on the 22+ entry include Jonny McMullan, the new Kirkistown FF1600 outright lap record holder, Noel Robinson - a former winner of the Donnelly Trophy, Chris Paul, Adrian Pollock, Neville Anderson and Brands Hatch favourite, Derek M. Daly. Timetable:10.25 SuperSeries Qualifying 13.50 SuperSeries Qualification Race (10 mins) 16.15 SuperSeries for Formula Ford 1600 presented by Cubik (15 mins)
An excellent and exciting days racing at our favourite track today. The Formula Libras were accompanied by the fast Karts of 120 and 250cc as well as the Ginetta Juniors, Formula Fords, The new Fiesta series including an MX5!, saloons and Road Sports as well as the Euro FF Super Series. The weather was cool and dry with sunshine cheering us all up after the past weeks of April showers, winds, snow and hail, so we were grateful. The GP2 car of Breezemount made another appearance to delight us all and we had some new additions to the Libras as well as a beautiful Crossle 9S. Plenty of action on the track and a great days racing was enjoyed by all. Full report will follow soon, so keep an eye here Some photos here more will follow soon.
Race of the day was cars 27 and 99 in the last FF race until it ended in tears felt so sorry forthe leader. Next best battle was armo in his civic against the derv leon, how paint wasn't swapped I don't know. Next up rogan and turkington in fiestas, paint very clearly swapped and if rogan had more competitive miles under him, I think he'd have defensive lines mastered to keep the rest behind, so slow but exciting to watch. Spectacle of the day was shield's gp2 car, just breathtaking seeing it headd on coming from debtors dip Highlight of the day, getting a yarn with kris meeke and seeing him out in his F1 kart before it siezed with us as colonial, and he pushed it the whole way back to the paddock himself up the gravel and it didn't bother him one bit what a guy!!!
www.kirkistown.com or keep an eye in the motorsport section here, all the race meeting dates are in a thread here dude... KIRKISTOWN CALENDAR 2012 Jan 14 Winter Series kart race Jan 21 New Year Stages Feb 11 Winter Series kart race March 10 Kart Race March 24 ANICC Sprint March 31 Race Meeting April 21 Kart Race April 28 Race Meeting - inc EuroNational FF Round 1 May 12 Kart Race May 26 Race Meeting June 23 Race Meeting June 30 National Sprint July 1 National Sprint July 21 Race Meeting August 25 Race Meeting October 6 Race Meeting November 10 Winter Series kart race December 8 Winter Series kart race All 500 MRCI events. Also at Kirkistown: Feb 18 NAMC Rally April 9 B&D M/C race June 2 B&D M/C Race Jul 13/14 RRC M/C Race August 4 M/C Race - possibly now off the board September 1 B&D M/C Race September 15 Larne MC Sprint September 30 UAC Circuit Retro (unconfirmed) October 20 UAC Sprint.
POLLOCK SCORES IN SUPER SERIES ADRIAN Pollock won an action packed opening round of the new Super Series Formula Ford 1600 Championship at Kirkistown. The Omagh driver inherited the lead with his dark blue Van Diemen as Ivor McCullough and Jonny McMullan crashed out in spectacular style after a race long duel. Pollock sitting in third place was ready for what was expected to happen as McCullough and McMullan fought for the lead lap after lap. A delighted Pollock crossed the line to claim victory ahead of Noel Dunne and Derek M Daly. Mullan’s sole consolation was that he lowered the class lap record yet again. Earlier in the day Pollock won the qualifying race from Noel Dunne; this was red flagged after a crash involving Chris Paul and John Stewart. Paul’s car crashing heavily on Stewart’s and it took some time to extract Stewart from the wreckage, thankfully he was lucky to escape with minor injuries. The Irish Ginetta Junior series returned to the County Down venue for rounds five and six and it was Jake Byrne who won both, raising his tally to four wins this season and a comfortable lead at the top of the table. The Irish Formula Libre cars produced the fastest racing with wins for Eamon Matheson and Philip Shields. The Saloon/GT race saw poleman Pat McBennett take the honours with his Lotus ahead of a fierce battle for saloon honours with Gerard McVeigh scoring with his Mitsubishi ahead of Ralph Jess (BMW) and Greer Wray (Vectra). A new class to Kirkistown and round two for the budget Ford Fiesta series and with entries steadily growing it was James Turkington who crossed the line first with Chris Rogan second and Andrew McShane third. Arnie Black driving a Crossle 9S in both Roadsports races and he duly won with Ryan Magennis establishing a new class record in the N.I. Sevens Class. Race wins in karts went to Liam Fox, two in Superkart Division 1, James Irvine, two in Superkart 125 and there were wins for Stephen Foster and Alan Witherow in Superkart 250 National. Super Series FF1600. qualifying race. 1 Adrian Pollock (Van Diemen DP08) 8 laps in 8m 22.14s (86.72mph); 2 Noel Dunne (Van Diemen RF00) +01.47s; 3 Derek M Daly (Van Diemen RF93); 4 David McCullough (Van Diemen RF00); 5 Neville Anderson (Mondiale M89S); 6 David Nicholl (Reynard FF89); 7 Ryan Campbell (Reynard FF84); 8 Stephen Mawhinney (Crossle 32F); 9 Michael Todd (Mondiale M84S); 10 Arnie Black (Crossle 32F). PP. Pollock: 1m 01.27s ((88.83mph). FL: Pollock 1m 01.56s (88.41mph).S: 14.Final. 1 Pollock 16 laps in 16m 40.67s (87.03mph); 2 Dunne + 13.33s; 3 Neville Smyth (Ray GR09); 4 Daly; 5 David McCullough; 6 Campbell; 7 Anderson; 8 Jonny McMullan (Mondiale M89S); 9 Black; 10 Nicholl. PP: Ivor McCullough 1m 00.75s (89.60mph). FL: McMullan 1m 00.91s (89.37mph).record. S: 18. Formula Libre. race 1. 1 Eamon Matheson (E5) 12 laps in 11m 45.05s (92.64mph); 2 Mark Crawford (Jedi) + 4.10s; 3 Martin Daly (Tatus); 4 John Daly (Lola); 5 Peter Dwyer (Dallara); 6 Michael Roche (Dallara); 7 Stanley Watson (Lola); 8 Paul Heavey (Leastone); 9 Geoffrey Moffett (Van Diemen). PP: Philip Shields (Dallara) 53.39s (101.94mph). FL: Matheson 57.23s (95.11mph). S: 11. race 2. 1 Shields 15 laps in 13m 50.58s (98.30mph); 2 Crawford; + 51.13s; 3 Dwyer; 4 Martin Daly; 5 Heavey; 6 Watson. PP: Shields 54.40s (100.06mph). FL: Shields 52.98s (102.72mph). S: 9. Irish Ginetta Juniors. race 1. 1 Jake Byrne 10 laps in 12m 10.40s (74.52mph); 2 James Fleming + 02.15s; 3 Andrew Clarke; 4 Jack Finlay; 5 Sophie Byrne; 6 Luke Hourihan; 7 Stephen Huddlestone; 8 Eorann O’Neill. PP: Byrne 1m 11.91s (75.70mph). FL: Clarke 1m 11.97s (75.63mph). S: 9. race 2. 1 Byrne 10 laps in 12m 19.32s (73.62mph); 2 Clarke +03.86s; 3 Fleming; 4 Dylan Curley; 5 Sophie Byrne; 6 Finlay; 7 Hourihan; 8 Huddlestone; 9 O’Neill. PP: Fleming 1m 12.30s (75.29mph). FL; Fleming 1m 11.86s (75.74mph). S: 9. Saloon/GT 1 Pat McBennett (Lotus) 13 laps in 14m 06.50s (83.59mph); 2 Gerard McVeigh (Mitsubishi ) + 03.27s; 3 Ralph Jess (BMW); 4 Donal O’Neill (SEAT Cupra); 5 Robert Patton (Honda); 6 Tommy Holmes (Honda); 7 Andrew Armstrong (Honda); 8 Martin McDonnell (SEAT Leon); 9 Aidan Vance (Honda).PP: McBennett 1m 01.39s (88.67mph). FL: McBennett 1m 01.98s (87.81mph). CW: McBennett; McVeigh. S: 12. Ford Fiestas. 1 James Turkington 10 laps in 13m 18.53s (68.16mph); 2 Chris Rogan +00.37s; 3 Andrew McShane; 4 Ian Newport; 5 James Hanna; 6 Roy Smyth; 7 Ryan Robinson; 8 Alister Robinson; 9 Norman Black. PP: Rogan 1m 18.60s (69.25mph). FL: Hanna 1m 17.19s (70.52mph). S: 9. Roadsports. Race 1. 1. Arnie Black (Crossle) 13 laps in 13m 45.17s (85.75mph); 2 Ryan Magennis (GMS) + 12.47s; 3 Alan Davidson (Westfield); 4 Jack Boal (Locost); 5 Graham Moore (Westfield); 6 Johnny Armstrong (Westfield); 7 Jimmy Dougan (Locost); 8 Kieran Smyth (OX7); 9 Colin Reid (Reis). PP: Black 1m 01.27s (88.84mph). FL: Black 1m 01.49s (88.52mph).CW: Black; Magennis. S: 12. race 2. 1 Black 13 laps in 13m 52.35s (85.01mph); 2 Magennis + 06.15s; 3 Davidson; 4 Trevor Allen (Stryker); 5 Dougan; 6 Laurence Mawhinney (Westfield); 7 Moore; 8 Armstrong; 9 Stephen Wright (Locost). PP: Black 1m 01.48s (88.54mph). FL: Black 1m 02.11s (87.64mph). Magennis class B 1m 03.04s (86.34mph) record.CW: Black; Magennis. S: 11. Kart results: Superkart 250 Div 1 race 1: 1 Liam Fox 8 laps in 07m 40.53s (95.46mph); 2 Richard Dewart; 3 Jonny Wilkinson; 4 Arie Verhoog. FL: Fox 56.93s.race 2.1 Fox 8 laps in 07m 43.28s (94.89mph); 2 Dewart; 3 Verhoog; 4 Wilkinson; 5 Robin Hamill. FL: Fox: 56.64s. Superkart 250 250 NAT race 1. 1 Stephen Foster 8 laps in 08m .23.04s (87.39mph); 2 Des Black; 3 Scott Greenaway; 4 Adam Foster; 5 Kris Meeke. FL: Meeke 59.19s. race 2. 1 Alan Witherow 8 laps in 08m 17.53s (88.36mph); 2 Stephen Foster; 3 Mark Montgomery; 4 Meeke; 5 Adam Foster; 6 Greenaway; 7 Black; 8 Jonathan Adams. FL: Meeke 01m 00.22s. Superkart 125 race 1. 1 James Irvine 8 laps in 08m 21.74s (87.62mph); 2 Gary Agnew; 3 Aaron Newell; 4 M.McGaffin; 5 Philip Mills; 6 Noel Lindsay; 7 Philip Graham; 8 Ken McBride; 9 Brian Jones. FL: Irvine 01m 01.51s. race 2. 1 Irvine 8 laps in 08m 27.55s (86.61mph); 2 Lindsay; 3 Newell; 4 McGaffin; 5 Cliffy Hamilton; 6 Jones; 7 Graham; 8 Mills; 9 Geoffrey Simms; 10 McBride; 11 Agnew. FL: Irvine 01m 02.34s.
My Images: http://www.reallymeansounds.com/report.php?event=692 Kris Meeke was out playing in his 250 kart TA
52.98 in the GP2 car yeah, still no lap record though Philip should have the lap record this year as apparently he beat it in a practice, Adam Carrol drove one of his cars (maybe the gp2) and destroyed the LR in the wet lol but as they are test days it can't stand
What is the outright lap record round there these days? Before it was re-surfaced it was someone who had an f3000 car with a Judd F1 v8 engine in it. Can't for the life of me remember the name of the guy though, but that was 6 or 7 years ago.
think it is possibly the same guy? Dan Daly rings a bell at 50 dead or thereabouts if you have a blue book handy the lap record may well be in it
Irishman Dan Daly in a Reynard 4.0 Ilmor lowered the Kirkistown outright lap record to 51.431 from 51.44's and lapped the 1.5 mile circuit at a average speed of 105.832mph.