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| 06-April-2025: Gavin Buckley, left, Sheane, leads Colm Blackburn, Leastone, right, during the first race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
The Selco.ie Formula Vee Championship kicked off in Mondello Park on Sunday. The weather was perfect for racing around the 1.8km county Kildare circuit. With track resurfacing done in a couple of areas of the track over the winter lap times were expected to drop and a new lap record possibly on the cards.
2024 champion Gavin Buckley would be the favourite for the days two races with Colm Blackburn being the closest challenger to him this weekend. Jack Byrne, last years runner up, missed this meeting as his wife Michelle gave birth to a baby girl on Friday morning but will be at the next round of the series. A massive congratulations to them both on the new arrival baby Eabha.
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| 06-April-2025: Gavin Buckley, Sheane, on his way to pole postion for the days two races. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Buckley did as expected and put it on pole but not from his main national class rivals. Niall O'Mara who is only in his third season of racing, had a great qualifying and put his SM Racing Leastone on the front row. His pace had gotten much quicker towards the end of last year, but to put it on the front race at the first meeting of the season is a solid effort. For race one Buckley got the best start and lead them into turn one with with Blackburn behind. Niall O'Mara didn't get away well a dropped a couple of positions down the field. The front two didn't waste time in breaking away from the field on the opening laps. Blackburn made his move on the final corner to take the lead but Buckley got a better exit and powered back past down towards turn one and retook the lead. A bad exit by Blackburn out of turn one helped Buckley open a gap and over the following laps built on it. Behind the front two Niall O'Mara began to make his way through the field having a great battle with Sean McClements, Conor Melia and Fergal Begley. McClements closed in on second place man Blackburn but ran wide on the exit of turn three dropping him back to the chasing back lead by O'Mara.
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| 06-April-2025: Niall O'Mara, Leastone, leads Conor Melia, Sheane, during the first race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Trevor Delaney, Sheane, leads Robert Flemming, left, Sheane, and James Kent, right, Sheane, right, during the first race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Sean McClements, Sheane, leads Niall O'Mara, Leastone, right, during the first race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Trevor Delaney who started at the back of the grid was carving his way through the field and was up to ninth by the end of lap 5. O'Mara tried a late move on McClements into turn one and very nearly took both men out but luckily managed to hold it together to remain in fourth. He tried again into the esses but could not find a way by. It was a great battle to watch but it was letting Conor Melia close in but now Delaney was up to sixth and closing in fast. By lap seven it was a four car train for third. Delaney got up to fifth after Melia ran wide in the middle of the esses and closed in on O'Mara. A lap later he was past after a great move at the final corner. He tried an outside move at the same corner a lap later but while it didn't come off he got great drive down the main straight and was past before turn one and into third. This was certainly the drive of the race. He would have given Buckley a fight for the win if he had started from his qualifying position.
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| 06-April-2025: Fergal Begley, Sheane, leads Sean McClements, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Eamonn Thornton, Leastone, leads Sean McClements, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Buckley was way out in front and just counting down the laps to the chequered flag as to was Blackburn in second. Melia lost two places to Fergal Begley and Eamonn Thornton and with a couple of laps to go it would be hard to get them back. Sadly a clash of wheels at turn one between O'Mara and Begley saw the end of O'Mara's race as he got lifted up and spun into the grass damaging the car. A shame for what was a good race for the Tipperary man.
It was however the reigning champion Buckley who showed them all the way home in a dominant drive from lights to flag. Colm Blackburn had a solid but lonely race to come home second and rounding out the podium was Trevor Delaney who had the most interesting race out of all the drivers.
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| 06-April-2025: Andy Keogh, Sheane, during qualifying. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg.- |
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| 06-April-2025: Conor Melia, Sheane, leads Sean McClements, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
For race two of the day it was again Buckley on pole from Conor Melia in second. Just like race one he got the best start and lead the field into turn one. Melia held second from a hard charging Eamon Thornton who was showing great pace. Once again Trevor Delaney had to start at the back of the grid but was not long making his way through the field in the opening laps. Sean McClements was into fourth ahead of Begley. McClements driving like a veteran even if he is in his first year of racing cars. A lap later Delaney was up to fifth and closing in on fourth place man McClements. He made a move down the inside at the final corner and took fourth but on the exit they collided and ended up spinning into the pit wall heavily. with the car to damaged to move the red flags were brought out. Thankfully Delaney was unhurt but his meeting was over.
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| 06-April-2025: Lee FLynn, Leastone, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: John Lawless, Leastone, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Brian Cowan, Sheane, leads John Lawless, Leastone, Lee Flynn, Sheane, and James Kent, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
On the restart Buckley again got into the lead off the line from Melia, McClements and Thornton. Buckley had already built a comfortable lead over Melia who was having his best drive to date in second but the battle for third was heating up between McClements, Thornton and Begley. Thornton tried a move down the inside of the final corner on McClements but their wheels touched and McClements got flipped into the air and rolled into the gravel trap landing on his wheels. This brought out the red flags yet again and the race was declared a result. A shame as the battle for third was looking to be an entertaining one for the the onlookers.
So a short race two but thankfully nobody was hurt in the incidents. It was a perfect weekend for Buckley with two pole positions and two wins to start off his defence of the championship. It was great to see the mid field runners from last year up their pace and take podiums and high point placings in the season opener. It was great to see the close battles with the rookie drivers like Brian Cowan, John Lawless, Lee Flynn and Sean McClements right in the field having a good race with more experienced drivers. Hopefully the damaged cars of Delaney and McClements can be repaired in time for the next round in Kirkistown in 3 weeks time. It will be a very different test for them as the speeds will increase and the slipstream racing on the long straights of the northern track.
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| 06-April-2025: Colm Blackburn, Leastone, during the first race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Trevor Delaney's, Sheane, being brought back to the paddock after his crash during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| 06-April-2025: Gavin Buckley, Sheane, during the second race of the day. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Speaking after the race the double pole , victor and fastest lap man Buckley, was happy with how his day went, " You couldn't make it up, fantastic day, fantastic weather the new surface made it more drivable. You couldn't ask for a better start to a title defence."
Results:
Race 1
Selco.ie National Championship:
1 - Gavin Buckley
2 - Colm Blackburn
3 - Trevor Delaney
TyreDoctor.ie B Championship:
1 - Fergal Begley
2 - Conor Melia
3 - Eamonn Thornton
PrecisionWorks Rookie Championship:
1 - Lee Flynn
2 - Brian Cowan
3 - John Lawless
Race 2
Selco.ie National Championship:
1 - Gavin Buckley
2 - Conor Melia
3 - Eamonn Thornton
TyreDoctor.ie B Championship:
1 - Conor Melia
2 - Eamonn Thornton
3 - Fergal Begley
PrecisionWorks Rookie Championship:
1 - Sean McClements
2 - Lee Flynn
3 - Brian Cowan
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