Sheane Wins Season Opener - Airportcars.ie Formula Sheane Championship

The first car race meeting of the year usually fills competitors and fans with a sense of joy and relief that the long winter break is over. They can get back to getting the fix of adrenaline and catch up with friends in the paddock they have not seen since the last race meeting of 2021.

Members of the Sheane Family with Formula Sheane and Formula Vee drivers on the grid ahead of the opening race. Photo: Barry Cregg

One friend that sadly will not be in the paddock anymore is David Sheane. The man who epitomized sport in motorsport. The Blainroe man who brought Formula Vee to Ireland and help so many people because of this race at an affordable cost compared to other classes by designing and building his own cars for over 40 years. In the year 2000 he once again helped the the clubman by introducing a new class that were more powerful than a vee but cheaper to run that a Formula Ford. Now in its twenty second year Formula Sheane is still going strong. As a mark of respect driver from both Formula Vee and Formula Sheane gathered on the grid and gave a minutes round of applause in memory of David. 

Members of the Sheane Family with Formula Sheane and Formula Vee drivers on the grid ahead of the opening race. Photo: Barry Cregg

Richie Adams leads the field into turn one during the Formula Sheane race.
Photo: Barry Cregg 

Richie Adams leads Richard Kearney during the Formula Sheane race.
Photo: Barry Cregg 

When the cars lined up for the first Formula Sheane race of the day it would be a reversed grid to that of the qualifying results. The class wanted to make it a bit more interesting for the spectators and drivers alike. Richie Adams and newcomer Mike Dermody found themselves lining up on the front row with favourites Philip Sheane and Richard Kearney starting on the back row. As the lights went out it was Adams who raced ahead and lead the field into turn one followed by Brendan Carr. Mark Keenan was in third but mad short work of Carr to get up to second place. Starting from the back is always hard but can also be easy to get caught up in another person accident. So care has to be taken in the opening laps until the races settles down. Kearney and Sheane knew this and both kept out of trouble although Sheane got the worst start over Kearney and made a bit more work for himself than he had to. 

Mark Keenan lead the opening laps until his clutch began to slip during the Formula Sheane race. Photo: Barry Cregg 

Keenan was on a flyer and by lap two he was in the lead. Adams though was not for letting him get away and hung on closely behind. Behind these two Brendan Carr after a good start had mechanical issues and dropped to the back of the grid and eventually retired. Garrett McKenna and Chris Dunne settled into a battle of their own. By now Kearney and Sheane were moving up the field rapidly and were closing in on the first three. 

Philip Sheane, rubs wheels with Mark Keenan during the Formula Sheane race. Photo: Barry Cregg 

By lap 5 Sheane had moved into second with Kearney right behind in third but a lap later the roles reversed allowing Keenan another lap in the lead. By lap 8 he was back to third but could not hold the pace of the two men ahead although a slipping clutch did not help matters.   

Richie Adams leads Garrett McKenna during the Formula Sheane race.
Photo: Barry Cregg 

Garrett McKenna leads Richie Adams during the Formula Sheane race.
Photo: Barry Cregg

         

Now the two fastest men were out on their own. The more cars on the grid the better it is for the class but sometimes it only takes two to make a race. In typical Formula Sheane style this was turning into another thriller. Both Kearney and Sheane pushed each other as hard as they could. Kearney sliding his car on the exit of turns one and two as he tried to put the power down as early as he could. Sheane hounded the Carlow man in what had to be a race he wanted to win so badly for his late cousin David and as he is not contesting a full year this year it made it all the more important. 

Richard Kearney, leads Philip Sheane, and Mark Keenan during the Formula Sheane race. Photo: Barry Cregg 

Richard Kearney, during the Formula Sheane race. Photo: Barry Cregg 

With time running out he made his move with three laps to go and pushed ahead on the last lap to take the chequered flag. Behind the top three Garrett McKenna and Richie Adams had a ding-dong battle of their own swapping places three times with McKenna coming out on top this time.

A fitting winner for the first of the two scheduled for the day in what was a difficult week. It was nice to see new men up the front for a while which gave them experience that will stand to them as the season goes on. 

Results:

1st Philip Sheane

2nd Richard Kearney

3rd Mark Keenan

4th Garrett McKenna

5th Richie Adams

6th Chris Dunne

7th Mike Dermody