Drought and McGrath Share The Spoils At Bishopscourt

Nicole Drought leads Jonathan Taylor during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

Building on his success in the opening two rounds of the Bill Griffin Motors Irish Stryker Championship, Kildare man Kevin McGrath took home a further win in round 3 and maximum points in round 4 at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit this weekend. The Naas man certainly is reaping the awards for his hard work over the winter. Rebuilding and upgrading a few things on the car have benefited him massively this season. Former series champion Jonathan Taylor and a guest drive by Nicole Drought who usually competes in the UK Trackday Championship joined the grid for this weekend and would bring stiff competition to the meeting. The Bishopscourt track is a fast and flowing one and gives the drivers a chance to really stretch the legs of the Ford Zetec powered cars. 

Kevin McGrath leads Niall McFadden during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

The weather could not have been any better with high temperatures and barely a cloud in the sky as qualifying began. It was a close run affair as the top 5 were covered by one second. Taylor grabbed the pole position spot by 0.2 of a second from McGrath with Drought impressing in third. 

As the lights went out for race one of the weekend it was Taylor who got the best start and lead the field into turn one. Drought though gained a place straight away by moving into second place ahead of McGrath. As they all made their way round on the opening laps the first four of Taylor, Drought, McGrath and McFadden began to open an early gap to the rest of the field. It was close and the two chicanes on the back section were the time was going to be won and lost over the race. Even through the second one on the opening lap Taylor was using all and even some more of the road in his efforts to keep Drought at bay. This would cost him eventually.

Jonathan Taylor leads Nicole Drought during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Nicole Drought leads Jonathan Taylor during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Roger Walaratne leads Colin Marnane and Richie Byrne during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

As the race settled down after the opening laps the first four spilt into two with Taylor and Drought battling for first and McGrath and McFadden battling for the final podium spot. Drought made her move at turn one and took the lead from Taylor who stuck to her tail and this gave the onlookers something watch. Both on the limit, one defending the other waiting for a slight gap to open and to make a move. At the final chicane Taylor dove down the inside of Drought and retook the lead. Drought had to give way or risk loosing time to Taylor but still was right in contention. 

A lap later she was back in the lead, but a mistake at the first chicane where she spun onto the grass saw her drop to fourth. This left Taylor off the hook for a wile but McGrath put in some quick laps and began to close in on him and pulling clear of McFadden in third. Time was running out though and Taylor crossed the line first but in his efforts gained a 15 second time penalty for track limits which would drop him back to fourth. This promoted everyone up a place, so in the end McGrath took the win ahead of McFadden and Drought.

Jonathan Taylor leads Nicole Drought during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Colin Marnane during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

Dominic Ryan leads Des Meehan during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

Jonathan Taylor leads Nicole Drought during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

Richie Byrne leads Dominic Ryan during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

Jonathan Taylor leads Nicole Drought during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Jack Cregg.

For race two the top six are reversed so it was Colin Marnane on pole from Dave Reynolds. The pace at the front was as hot as it was in race one from the off so by the end of the opening lap it was the Taylor and Drought show again. Drought lead but Taylor was watching her every move. McGrath and McFadden also renewed there battle from race one for third although briefly joined by Dave Reynolds before he had to retire. Colin Marnane wasn't far away either but all eyes were watching the battle up front.

Taylor retook the lead and defended over the next number of laps and also keeping an on his track limits this time, not wanting to receive another penalty. Drought seemed happy to sit in second and way up where she could make her move. As the laps ran down to the final one she went for it on the inside going into turn one. Taylor hung on the outside and both banged wheels as the rounded the fast left hand corner. Taylor ran wide on to the grass dropping back to fourth. By this stage McGrath had pulled clear of McFadden after battling for most of the race to moved into second. 

Drought just had to bring it home to take the win, which she did with McGrath in second and McFadden third. With Drought not registered for the championship this gave McGrath a maximum score in the points again to strengthen his lead in the championship.

Darragh Evans during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Niall McFadden during the Stryker race at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Nicole Drought takes the chequered flag to win the Stryker race 2 at Bishopscourt Racing Circuit. Picture Barry Cregg.

Speaking afterwards the man from Naas told me how his weekend went, " I nearly didn't make it here as the van broke down during the week but thanks to Andy Dalton and Jonathan Taylor I got here. First was was great I had a great battle with Jonathan but he got a penalty which gave me the win. The second race I was just a spectator really watching the battle up front. It was still a great weekend though, the sun was out, had a few beers and great craic. I'm looking forward to Mondello Park next and hopefully do well there."

A delighted Nicole drought also spoke afterwards " I have a big gap in my racing in the UK at the moment and one of my commercial partners is the Beacon Sports Clinic, so Michael Cullen suggested that I drive his car this weekend. I jumped at it as Strykers are so much fun to drive. The cars are pretty equal with 4 or 5 drivers able to win at a weekend. I was comfortable in race one but made a small mistake at the first chicane and went off but I got the head down and got third and fastest lap. Race two was a thriller with Jonathan with a hectic scrap all the way to the flag and delighted to take the win. Thanks to Michael Cullen and LOH Motorsport and everyone in the Stryker class it was a great weekend."

Double Tops For Cullen To Clinch Third Irish Stryker Title

Michael Cullen leads Roger Welaratne on his way to winning both Irish Strykers races. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. 

For the penultimate round of the Bill Griffin Motors Irish Strykers championship drivers took to the International layout at the county Kildare track. Despite missing the third round, series leader Michael Cullen came into this round with a healthy lead over son Victor by finishing either first or second in all races so far. A similar result this weekend will clinch another championship for the Dubliner, to add to his vast collection of national titles he already has. 

Victor Cullen leads Des Meehan during the opening Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Dominic Ryan leads Andrew Dalton during the opening Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Des Meehan leads Roger Welaratne during the opening Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

The day started off well by taking pole position in qualifying by 1.2 seconds ahead of son Victor and closest championship rival. The immaculately prepared cars ran by Kevin O'Hara of LOH Motorsport sounded crisp and sharp and clearly were doing the job by locking out the front row. However as the lights went out Des Meehan got a great start and got down the inside of Cullen as they went into turn 1. The international track gives drivers more chance to overtake than their normal races round the national layout but Cullen wasted no time in getting past and into the lead by the end of lap one. Not only that but he pulled out a healthy lead in the process leaving little hope to son Victor by the time he got past Meehan dad was too far ahead. Barring mechanical failure all Cullen senior had to do was keep his pace up and bring the car home.

Niall McFadden leads Colin Marnane during the opening Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. 

Brendan Curran leads Darragh Evans during the opening Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Pat Bergin in action during the Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Darragh Evans in action during the Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Michael Cullen on his way to a third Irish Stryker Championship. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

Behind him though Meehan who now was down to third had to battle with Roger Welaratne and Andrew Dalton all race long for the final step on the podium. All three looked to be working hard behind the wheel between understeer and oversteer all would gain and then loose time to each other. It was clean racing though and provided entertainment for the onlookers although Darragh Evans provide that on his own, his car full of opposite lock on the exit of turn three for most of the race and also a full 360 on his approach to the penultimate corner. Niall McFadden and Colin Marnane had a great battle all race long with Marnane coming out the better. Meehan came out on top in the battle for third but ended up eleven seconds adrift of the top two.

Ahead Cullen took his foot off the gas on the final lap to lead home son Victor and to take the title for the second year in a row.

For the second race the top six on the grid were reversed as is normal practice in the championship and Dominc Ryan headed the front row alongside Andrew Dalton. The windy overcast day had began to drop a slight shower of rain ahead of the start but not enough to declare a wet race. Meehan lead the field but just as the opening lap was ending he went off and hit the barriers hard which brought out the red flags. Thanks to the medical team and track marshals in doing their job perfectly and thankfully Des didn't suffer any serious injuries. 

Andrew Dalton lead Roger Welaratne during the Irish Stryker race. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

When the race was restarted time was limited due to the incident resulting in a shortened race. Nonetheless it was entertaining from the off as Michael Cullen sliced through the field on the opening lap and battled with Welaratne early on but once past, like race one he pulled away easily. Sadly for Victor Cullen while in a great battle with Walaratne, Dalton, Marnane and Dominic Ryan his gearbox cried enough and had to pull in. the four way dice was down to three with a couple of laps to go Marnane dropped back but it was a photo finish for second and third with Dalton getting the runner up spot by 0.58 of a second. 

So a perfect weekend again for Cullen taking another double and his third championship with it. It is a great achievement for someone who has won so much over the years to still have the hunger to win and the motivation. 

Michael Cullen on his way to his second win of the day in the Irish Stryker Championship. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare. 

Michael Cullen on his way to his second win of the day in the Irish Stryker Championship. Mondello Park, Donore, Co. Kildare.

"I am delighted to win the Stryker championship again in 2024 and feel very grateful to have had LOH Motorsport prepare and build the fastest and most reliable cars for myself and Victor these last few years. We are going to leave Strykers next year for a couple of different challenges but we hope to return to the class in 2026 or 2027. It has been a fabulous experience racing these exciting cars with a great bunch of other drivers. I have never experienced such friendship and camaraderie in any class of racing over the last 40 years and I look forward to watching the class next year from the sidelines. Before that though there is one more round in October!" 

Cullen Wins at Mondello - Bill Griffin Irish Stryker Championship Round 3

Victor Cullen with trophy after winning the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

For the third round of the Bill Griffin Motors Irish Strykers championship drivers took to Mondello Park's national circuit. The county Kildare track is popular with he drivers as its tight and technical nature gives drivers a challenge when racing on it. 

This round would be missing it's current champion and series leader Michael Cullen so it would be a chance for his rivals to catch up on some points. None more so than his son Victor who lies second in the championship although missing qualifying would not help his cause as he would have to start from the back of the grid for race one. While Cullen was missing his car was not as it would be driven by the man who runs his car for him Kevin O'Hara of LOH Motorsport. 

Niall McFadden leads the field into turn 1 during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

As predicted O'Hara claimed pole position but as he is not registered for the championship the rest only had to worry about each other. With only half a second cover the next three drivers it shaped up to be a good battle for top points. As the lights went out for race one it was McFadden who got the better start and lead the field into turn one from O'Hara and Roger Welaratne. Cullen made a good start gaining a couple of places into turn one, but have to get through the pack quickly to have a chance to battle up the front. 

By the exit of turn three O'Hara was in the lead and already opening a gap. McFadden was in second but also fending off Welaratne, a battle that would provide the entertainment all race long. With the cars built with the same chassis and Ford 1800cc engine it provides a level playing field with drivers skill and setup making the difference. The class is seeing a growth this year with three newcomers Brendan Curran, Richie Byrne and Darragh Evans coming into the class under the guidance of former champion Jonathan Taylor. 

Top: Niall McFadden leads Des Meehan, left, and Victor Cullen, right, during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

Middle: Kevin O'Hara, during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

Bottom: Roger Walaratne leads Niall McFadden during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

After the opening laps it was clear O'Hara was not going to be caught as he pulled away and built a lead of several seconds. That said Victor Cullen began to carve his way through the field and made his up to third by lap four. Cullen was now on a charge and was up to second making light work of McFadden and Walaratne in his pursuit of the leader. 

He put in consistent times over the following laps to pull clear of the battle for third but O'Hara had broke to far away and he had to settle for second but had the consolation of taking maxium points in the championship. However the final podium spot was going down to the wire. Try as he might McFadden could not find a way past Walaratne who opened up a slight gap over the final lap to take third. 

For race two the top six positions are reversed to add an extra bit a spice for the race. Newcomers Evans and Curran would head the front row with O'Hara and Cullen back in 7th and 8th. It was Dominic Ryan from row two who got the best start and lead the field into turn one. Evans ran into brake problems early on as his front brake began to lock up on the entry into corners under braking causing him to run wide and loose time. McFadden made an ambitious move over the grass into turn one nearly colliding with Evans. 

O'Hara and Cullen made their way through to the front by the end of lap three and already had began to break away from the rest of the field. Both car immaculately turned out and driven the same. Ryan stayed within a couple of car lengths of Cullen in the early laps but then dropped back to Walaratne and McFadden and began to battle with them. With oil down from a previous race it made turns one and two interesting on the opening laps and caught some out running wide on the cement dust laid down at turn one. O'Hara was in command at the halfway mark but then began to have gear selection problems. It was intermittent but still gave him enough trouble to drop back to Cullen. 

Cullen not one to turn down an opportunity took over the lead as they turned into turn 1. O'Hara tucked in behind and tried to find a way past again at turns 3 and 4 but Cullen was wise to him. With time running out O'Hara did the switch back on the exit to turn 1 to retake the lead. Despite O'Hara's problem Cullen was driving very well and made his move on the penultimate lap on the final corner. With a better exit he got the drive on to the straight and had just enough to take the lead which he held over the final lap to take the win by 0.062 of a sec!!

Speaking after the race the Cabinteely man was delighted at taking the win. " I'm absolutely delighted to take the win in the second race and maxium points in race one. Due to unforeseen circumstances Michael couldn't be here today which is a shame but you have to be out to win it. The pace wasn't great this weekend but we can make a change before the next round to make that better. Missing qualifying didn't help but that's the way it goes. It was tough to pass with the oil on the track but we did it and I'm delighted to take the win today".

Top: Victor Cullen, left, passes Kevin O'Hara, right, during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

Middle: Race podium, Victor Cullen, centre, Niall McFadden, left, and Roger Walaratne, right, after the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Barry Cregg.

Bottom: Kevin O'Hara, during the Bill Griffin Stryker Championship race. Picture: Jack Cregg.