Thirty years ago English fans sang " Three Lions " (it's coming home) for the first time in hopes of their teams European glory. Fast forward thirty years and they are still singing it in vein of their original hopes but alas it still hasn't come home. Also thirty years ago the European Rallycross Championship visited Irish shores at Mondello Park.
The Kildare track hosted round five of the series that year. The County Kildare Motor Club ran the event and some of the local hero's like Tommy Graham and Michael Coyne competing that day are on the entry list all this time later. Ludvig Hunsbedt from Norway ran out the eventual winner on the day in his Ford Escort RS 2000 T16 4x4. Swedish driver Tommy Kristofferson who competed in his Audi S2 Coupe that day made his return to Mondello Park to watch his son Johan, the current leader in this years championship take to the Irish track for the first time. Sadly Dermot Carnegie and John Moloney who were Irish Rallycross royalty back then are no longer with us but still remain in their fans minds, as the big circus rolled into Naas town centre on Thursday evening.
A parade of cars made their way through the town to give the locals a glimpse of both the sport and the machinery involved. It created a great atmosphere for the event as engines were revved and launch control systems demonstrated before gathering in Lawlors Hotel gardens. It was a chance for the fans to get up close to the cars and drivers and inspect the engineering and debate would our local lads have a chance against their European counterparts.
The evenings visitors did not disappoint and brought with them stickers and photocards for young and old to get signed. They posed for photographs, answered questions for the curious onlookers and helped created a wonderful event in glorious weather.
The serious action began on Saturday with the opening qualifying rounds. Andreas Bakkerud Johan Kristofferson and his team-mate Ole Christian Veiby would be the top three to beat. That said the Irish contingent of Derek Tohill, Michael Leonard, Niall Murray, John McCluskey, Patrick O'Donovan, Ollie O'Donovan, Tommy Graham, Gary Donoghue and William Carey would be there to put it up to the professionals.
Speaking to them all over the course of the weekend they all said it was a dream come through to be competing in an event of this stature in their home country.
It was early drama for Tohill who had an engine problem and only just managed to complete the compulsory 1 lap minimum in practice to take part in the event. His team worked their magic and had the engine out and replaced in time for qualifying one. In the FIA European Championship there are 4 qualifying races followed by 4 quarter finals, 2 semi - finals and then the final. Points are scored in each qualifying races which determine your starting places on the grid for the quarter finals. only the top three make their way to the semi-finals and the same for the final. Its though to make your way through but if you have problems in the qualifying races it still leaves you with a chance to progress albeit a lot hard in the quarter finals.
The luck of the Irish was missing on Saturday with turbo pipe problems for Graham and Carey, Puncture and a black flag for Leonard dropped him down the field after showing very quick paces early on in qualifying 1.Tohill lacked speed in his Peugeot and worst of all for Murray who went out with engine problems. For the O'Donovan's it there were both highs and lows. Competing in front of their home crowd Patrick while competing at the front when contact ended his great qualifying 1 race. However he bounced back and won his qualifying 2 race to leave him in eight place going into Sunday. His father Ollie had a much better day with victory in both his qualifying races leaving him in fifth.
Up front in was Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby who would sit at the top of the overnight standings. He went into Sunday with a slight advantage over Juha Rytkönen and Andreas Bakkerud. It was nearly almost over after heavy contact in Qualifying 1, at turn one when his VW Polo's rear window shattered after contact with René Muennich. He fought back brilliantly to recover from the back of the field and win his heat. In Qualifying 2, lining up alongside Kristoffersson, Andreas Bakkerud, Juha Rytkönen and Joni Turpeinen. A brilliant five-car battle kept the large crowd entertained. Veiby used his joker lap perfectly to emerge ahead of Bakkerud in the closing stages to finish second. With Kristoffersson's later recieving a black flag, it elevated the Norwegian to the top of the session classification and, crucially, to the top of the overnight leaderboard.
Bakkerud completed the top three. The Norwegian demonstrated excellent racecraft in Qualifying 1, following Joni Turpeinen throughout before a perfectly judged late joker strategy to snatch victory on the final lap. He lead his Qualifying 2 race, early on which was a five-car fight before losing out to the Kristoffersson and Veiby. Kristoffersson's later exclusion, moved him up to third overnight.
Sunday brought in an even larger crowd with many old faces who were once regulars to the county Kildare circuit. Credit has to go to the Mondello staff who's hard work in the week leading up to the event paid off as the track looked pristine in the glorious weather. The locals flocked to get their pictures, autographs and t-shirts of the visiting professionals with Andreas Bakkerud clearly the fans favourite going by the sales of his t-shirts being worn throughout the weekend. On track it was all change after the two morning qualifying sessions with Kristofferson now topping the leaderboard from Bakkerud and Veiby. For the the Irish fans Patrick O'Donovan remained their highest hope in fifth as Leonard once again punctured and both Honda civic men McCluskey and Donoghue both having first corner excursions. Both Graham and Tohill were driving well but just didn't have the pace to make it higher up the leaderboard. With only the top three making it through to the semi-finals it was going to be tough for the Irish drivers. Sadly Graham, Carey, Donoghue and McCluskey were knocked first but a brilliant drive from the back of the grid to third for Leonard got the crowd cheering on the local man. Tohill and both O'Donovan's got through also adding to the hope of at least one making it to the final.
It was the visitors however who remained in control as Bakkerud won his semi-final ahead of Joni Turpeinen and Juha Rytkonen. Both O'Donovan's and Tohill were out and in the second semi-final it was the same ending any hopes of an Irish finalist as Leonard who had contact at turn two resulting in him dropping time and taking an early joker lap which was close to paying off but fourth was best he could do. Still it was a great drive after all the problems he had throughout the qualifying races. That left Bakkerud against the VW team-mates of Kristofferson and Veiby. Bakkerud got the best start and lead into the first corner ahead of Veiby as Kristofferson and Turpein made contact. Kristofferson stuck behind both Turpeinen and Rytkonen again made contact into turn two but Turpeinen and Rytkonen kept the power on and managed to hold their places.
Turpeinen took his joker on lap one which allowed Kristofferson into third and a chance to close the already growing gap to the front two. Veiby now right on Bakkeruds tail was next to joker in the hope the clearer track would allow him to gain enough time to overtake Bakkerud once he went to do his joker lap. Bakkerued now under immense pressure from Kristofferson who had closed the gap right down kept his lines tidy and soaked it up. The VW Polo having edge on the straights and under braking over the Ford just couldn't find a way past. Lap five and it was Kristofferson who went to joker and on the exit he came alongside his team-mate Veiby. They made contact at turns one, two and three which cost both vital time and ending their chances of the win as Bakkerud would have enough in hand when he jokered. Veiby held his place in second and they had enough built up to overtake Turpeinen with ease as he jokered but Bakkerud was home and dry in an excellent drive to take the win and close the gap to Kristofferson in the championship.So after a thirty year wait it was all over but it was well worth it as the large sundrenched crowd went home happy and already looking forward to the European Rallycross circus coming back to town next year.
