 |
| Colm Blackburn takes the chequered flag to win the 2023 Leinster Trophy. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
For motor
racing fans, Mondello Park in September can only mean one thing. The Leinster
Trophy Races. The biggest race meeting of the season which is celebrating its
80th running this year, is the one that everyone wants to win, as
the annual prestigious silverware is brought out by the Leinster Motor Club.
All competitors want to add their name to those trophies and have them
alongside the famous ones already on them. For this year the Formula Vee class was
awarded the honour to compete for the Leinster Trophy. Last awarded to the
class back in 2011 and won by Ray Moore, a strong grid of 27 drivers took to
the grid for this year’s event.
Sadly, the heatwave
the country was experiencing all week decided to end on Saturday and the mixed
Irish climate returned for race day. Drivers were having to pick a setup to
work over both wet and dry areas on the track after a couple of heavy downpours.
Most of the track was dry but a couple of areas off the racing line were still
damp which would play a role in the outcome.
 |
| Family and friends of the later Mick Merrigan ahead of the Leinster Trophy race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
As the
lights went out it was pole sitter Gavin Buckley who got the best start albeit
after a bit of movement on the line to lead Lee Newsome into turn one from Ronan
Doherty. Using the full international track for this race there would be ample
opportunities for passing manoeuvres throughout the race. Doherty was on the
move and got back into second by turn three and former champion Colm Blackburn
made a strong pass on current champion Anthony cross to move into fourth. An
ambitious move into Birranes Bends by Doherty on the lead didn’t come off and
the young rookie was lucky not to take both men out, but he did drop back to fourth.
The long track tends to spread the cars out but by the end of lap one there was
a train of cars together, nobody wanting to be left behind.
Blackburn
looked the quickest however and was into second ending the first lap and looked
to close right up to the leader Buckley. The damp conditions at turn three
caught him out and he was beached in the gravel trap unable to get out and being in an unsafe position brought out the
red flags.
 |
| 10-09-2023: Gavin Buckley, Sheane, leads Ronan Doherty, Sheane, Lee Newsome, Sheane, and Anthony Cross, Sheane, on his way to winning the Leinster trophy race. ICCCR, Leinster Trophy races, Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
The Mondello
Park track team pulled Blackburn from the gravel and he rejoined to grid for
the restart from his original position of 5th place. Some questioned
this and felt he should have restarted at the back of the field. For now, it
was lights out and a race to turn one again lead by Buckley. Doherty, Newsome and
Blackburn were all behind and tucked in but by halfway round an unfortunate Eamonn
Thornton got clipped by a spinning Kieran Hannon while trying to avoid him and got
put into the bank and then rolled his car over a couple of times. Thankfully no
injuries were sustained. He got out of the car straight away. This brought out the red flags once again understandably.
 |
| 10-09-2023: Ronan Doherty, Sheane, leads Colm Blackburn, Leastone, during the Leinster trophy race. ICCCR, Leinster Trophy races, Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
On the
third restart it was Doherty who lead into turn one with Buckley, Blackburn and
Newsome behind. The young man from Antrim in his first year of racing, who
already taking the Loh Motorsport Rookie class Championship earlier in the day was
out to take the biggest prize. His pace was strong and his mechanical problems
from Friday testing seemed to be behind him. On the run down to turn 7 Buckley
used a good exit from the previous corner to get alongside Doherty. Doherty defended
on the inside but an over ambitious move by Blackburn to get by Buckley
resulted in him hitting his rear wheel and spinning him around and luckily not
into more people coming past.
This gave Doherty
a healthy lead to build on. If those behind started to battle amongst themselves,
he could become uncatchable. Blackburn still stayed in second after his
collision with Buckley and set to catch Doherty. The gaps between the first
three stayed the same over the next several laps until disaster struck Doherty
who’s mechanical gremlins came back to force him into retirement. Such a shame for
the young man who looked in complete control of the race. This let Blackburn
off the hook to take the lead and barring the same misfortune the race was his
as he was lapping quicker than Newsome.
 |
| Colm Blackburn leads Lee Newsome, Ronan Doherty and Anthony Cross on his way to winning the 2023 Leinster Trophy. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
The battle
of the race for third place between Mark Reade, Tim Murray and Trevor Delaney.
Reade who only lives down road from Mondello, sowing great pace after not being
in the car for over a year. In the end it was Blackburn who reeled off the
final laps comfortably to take the win ahead of Newsome and Reade who got the third
in the end.
 |
| Colm Blackburn celebrates winning the 2023 Leinster Trophy. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Punching
the air as he crossed the line the man from Ballyfermot wasn’t holding back his
joy at winning the Leinster Trophy.
Speaking
after the race the winner was in a sate of shock at adding his name to the
famous trophy. “ When I seen the message on the phone a few months back that
the class was going to race for the Leinster trophy I got a shiver down my
spine. Then my friend Stephen Kershaw who helps me with the car texted to say
you will win that. Now I have its just mad, I’m so delighted to win it.”
 |
| Colm Blackburn celebrates with his son Jamie after winning the 2023 Leinster Trophy. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
 |
| Colm Blackburn reflects on his own after winning the 2023 Leinster Trophy. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
They joy
was put on hold for over two hours as protests against him after being allowed
to restart from his original position and his coming together with Gavin Buckley.
The officials had to decided if these had enough grounds for action. In the end
they declared the results stood and victory to Blackburn. It’s a shame for the
spectators and other class members as well as Colm’s big win that the podium celebrations
did not happen.
The final Formula
Vee outing is in Kirkistown Racing Circuit on the last Saturday of the month.
It also has another prestigious race for the Emmerson Fittipaldi trophy.
VW Spares B Championship
1st Mark Reade
2nd Ger Byrne
3rd Andy Keogh
LOH Motorsport Rookie Championship
1st Stephen Roche
2nd Brian Hall
No comments:
Post a Comment