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| Gary Donohue, Honda Civic, leads the field into turn one during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
For the final two rounds of the Partsforcars.ie IRX Irish Rallycross championship drivers face a completely new track layout at Mondello Park. The new course would be the same that will be used in the upcoming and much anticipated FIA European Rallycross round in July. The weather was the best all season with very hot conditions but would cause its own problems with dust and tyre wear. The new layout however which would run in the opposite direction than normal but it is also very tight with few overtaking places. It was also a counting round of the British Rallycross Championship which brought a great entry of overseas drivers in the Super Retro and Supercar classes. Local men Derek Tohill, Peter McGarry and Logan Hoey were out to clinch their championship in the Supercar, Modified and Juniors classes respectively.
In the supercar class Tohill was out for title number ten in a row! The switch to Peugeot power last year brought new hunger and motivation for the Dubliner and to make the amount of titles an even number was also an added quest this year. It would not be easy though as Gary Donoghue was back out in his Honda Civic as well as his team-mate John McCluskey in his civic. It would be all eyes on Kildare man Michael Leonard in his beautiful Audi S1 after his switch from the VW Polo he used at the last round. Also the other Kildare man Tommy Graham would be there in his Ford Fiesta along with fella Fiesta man and William Carey. Not forgetting English visitors Julian Godfrey and Tristan Ovenden.
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| Julian Godfrey, Citroen DS3, centre, leads Tommy Graham, left, Ford Fiesta, and Thristan Ovenden, VW Polo, into turn one during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Thristan Ovenden, VW Polo, leads Julian Godfrey, Citroen DS3, into turn one during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Tommy Graham, Ford Fiesta, during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Gary Donohue, Honda Civic, leads Michael Leonard, Audi S1, into turn one during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
It was a clean sweep during the heats on Saturday for Leonard avoiding any trouble while those behind didnt. Tohill and McCluskey came together a couple of times and let him get clean away but that said he was driving very well and clearly clicked with the Audi S1 and was unstoppable in the final and took the win comfortably by nearly 3 seconds. Sunday looked like more of the same with a clean sweep of wins in the heats and semi-final. However he didn't get the best of starts in Sunday's final and had to back out of a first corner duel with Tohill and Donoghue. Donoghue held firm over the next couple of laps and lead them with neat and tidy driving. Tohil and Leonard were however closing the gap but a mistake on lap 3 at turn 3 nearly saw Leonard run into the back of Tohill but quick reactions saw him missing him by millimeters but the time lost was enough to end his run of wins for the weekend.
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| Derek Tohill, Peugeot 208, during the Supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Derek Tohill, Peugeot 208, during the Supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Derek Tohill, Peugeot 208, during the Supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
Then as Donoghue exited the joker lap he ran wide on the exit letting Tohill through and with Leoanrd still having to do his joker lap it was looking good for the current champion. Leonard though was putting in a quick time and it was going to be close. He ran wide but it wouldn't have to been enough that earlier mistake had cost him too much. He emerged from the joker in second and Tohill brought it home for the win and with it his tenth Irish title. It is a fantastic achievement for the Dubliner who is in a real purple patch of form lately after his win in France a couple of weeks ago and the win also helped his chances to retain the British tile. He still remains the benchmark in Irish Rallycross and with Europe's finest coming in July he will be out to beat them on home soil.
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| Michael Leonard, Honda Civic, during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
In the Modified Class another Dublin Peter McGarry was out to take the title in his VW Polo but he would have his work cut out to gain an over all win with the Bleasdale brother over from the UK in the very quick Vauxhall VX220's. He also had to keep an eye on his main rival in the championship Willie Coyne in his older but quick Opel Corsa. With the new layout it was hard to pass in a 4WD 600hp Surpercar so in a 300HP 2WD it was harder again so any slip up in the tight hairpins the time loss would be crucial in trying to go for a win. Try as he might bar one heat win McGarry could not get the better of Jason Bleasdale and on both Saturday and Sunday he finished second to the UK driver. That said he hard the better of his championship rival Coyne who was not in his usual form missing out on the podium on Saturday but finishing third on Sunday but it wasn't enough and the title went to McGarry. It is well deserved after driving very well all season and also continent which has clearly brought his driving up a level again.
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| Stanley Bovill, Ford Escort MKII, leads the field into turn one during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Stanley Bovill, Ford Escort MKII, during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Willie Coyne, Opel Corsa leads Ricky Alonan, Vauxhall Nova, during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Jason Bleasdale, Vauxhall VX220, leads the field into turn 1 during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Peter McGarry, VW Polo, leads Jason Bleasdale, Vauxhall VX220, during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Peter McGarry, VW Polo, during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
Speaking afterwards the delighted Tallaght native gave his reaction to the weekend. " It was a tough weekend i love the new layout, it's nice to come down to mondello and have different course to race on. It is hard to overtake on and Jason was on top form but I had to think of the championship too. I am delighted to have taken here today and in the new car too after all the hard work the team put into it, they deserve it as much as me. Thanks to all who helped during the year and to my family who put up with all this rallycross!"
In the IRX Junior class current champion Logan Hoey had one hand on the trophy already and a steady weekend would give him title number three in a row. Academy driver Kori Bagnall was the star of the day on Saturday as he was pushing Hoey all the way. In the final he only finished less than half a second at the line and will be one to watch next season. Hoey had easier on the Sunday and once again showed why he had made it three in a row despite a couple of slides during the day that could have ended his run. He has been fast and consistent all year and even halfway through the season bar mechanical failure it was looking like it was his title to loose. Still he had to go out and do the business which he did by winning every heat and both finals to claim title number three in style.
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| Logan Hoey, Mini,leads the field into turn 1 during the IRX Junior race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Logan Hoey, Mini, during the IRX Junior race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Hugo Loonam, Mini, during the IRX Junior race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Ailish Sexton, Mini, during the IRX Junior race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
Speaking afterwards the laid back Louth man gave his review of the weekend." I am really happy to make it three in a row, it was really tight Saturday and survived some big slides to take the win. Sunday was a bit easier but still had to fight for it. Thank to all my sponsors and dad for all his hard work during the year."
The next Rallycross meeting is the big one with the FIA European Championship coming to town on July 18th and 19th where the locals will take on their European counterparts for the first time in 30 years.
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| Sam Bovill, Ford Escort Fiesta, during the IRX Modified race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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| Derek Tohill, Peugeot 208, during the Supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg |
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| Gary Donohue, Honda Civic, leads the field off the line during the supercar race. IRX Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. Picture: Barry Cregg. |
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