Barrable is Back- former Mondello Champion does it again- 26 years on!

Having competed in, and won, the Fiesta 6 Hour Endurance Race, with his two sons Robert and Michael at the end of 2019, Dublin Motor dealer Michael Barrable made a return to full time motor racing in 2020. He won a number of races last year and just missed out on the championship win in his comeback season. This month at Mondello Park, Michael clinched the Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec Championship, having led the standings since winning the opening round back in June.
In difficult conditions, it was the Michael Barrable Motors liveried yellow and blue machine which topped the timesheets in qualifying once again in qualifying. Michael led away but immediately came under attack from title rival Alan Dawson, who fought his way by as the pair started lap two. Barrable fought back though, closing the gap down in the closing stages and crossing the line in Dawson’s wheeltracks, the official gap at the flag being less than half a second!
In race two, with the top six finishers reversed to form the front of the grid, Barrable and Dawson found themselves side by side on row three, each wanting to take the win in the final race of the 2021 season!
As Aimee Woods led away, the heavens opened and a few cars spun in the opening laps. Michael Barrable found himself in sixth at the end of the opening lap, but soon disposed impressive newcomer Richie Byrne for fifth. Next on the list was former class champion Phil Lawless, who was usurped with a dive into Southside Motor Factors corner, This left him in fourth and the progress continued, until a challenge for third at Bridgestone went awry, the subsequent half spin dropping him all the way back down to sixth again! Undeterred, the newly crowned champion, lapping faster than anyone else on track, despatched Lawless and Dawson in quick succession, before closing down Ian Fishbourne for third. Having taken the place at turn one, a sideways moment allowed Fishbourne back through again. In a thrilling battle, the pair started the final lap side by side, but when they took the chequered flag, it was Barrable taking the final podium spot in third. Harry McGovern took the win, from Aimee Woods, with Barrable later describing the race as “great fun!”

Michael Barrable, 2021 Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec Champion::’I’m delighted to win the championship. I was only looking at it there and my last championship win was 1995 in the Unos’.
Run by his two sons Robert and Peter, he added, ‘After the car was stripped it was a busy few days for the lads to get ready for this weekend and I am pleased for Morgan Dempsey because it’s his engine. I have to say it’s been a very enjoyable year in the class”.
Asked if he plans to defend his title, he replied, ‘I would like to think I would be coming back, yeah, I think I would like to defend it next year. There is good scrutineering of the cars and that gives you good confidence in the class’..”

Neil Murphy, Siltex Safety: “It has been a great season Michael drove superbly all year and I would like to congratulate him on his championship win. He had some stiff competition though from Alan Dawson and Harry McGovern- and it was great to see the novice drivers progress throughout the season. Roll on 2022!”

Header Image: “Michael Barrable celebrates his Championship victory with Neil Murphy, MD, Siltex Safety.”

Images ICCR/Michael Chester