McBride and Turley Star as Coffee 2 Go Fiesta ST Grids Grow

There are over 20 drivers registered for the 2023 Coffee 2 Go Fiesta ST Championship but for various reasons, not all have been on track together at a race meeting. Happily though, the Leinster Trophy ICCR meeting at Mondello Park attracted the biggest grid in a number of years for the 160bhp tin tops.

Michael Cullen has been the man to watch all year in his immaculate LOH Motorsport tended Beacon Hospital and it was he and son Victor who were fastest for the duration of the qualifying session on the International layout at Mondello. Young charger Max Turley put in a flier in the dying minutes to split them though, and put his Murray Motorsport car alongside Michael on the front row for the opening race. Victor was joined on row two by Darragh McMullen, with the multi coloured car of ex karter John Elliffe and Roy White on row three. Next up were Trevor Farrar and class returnee Shane McBride. Series leader Kian O’Brien was down in an unaccustomed ninth with the much improved Chris Jones alongside.  Newcomer Tim McQuaid had also impressed by eclipsing six class regulars on his race debut, at the wheel of his ex Erik Holstein machine.

It’s unusual for Michael Cullen to be beaten away but Turley made a peach of a start to lead the pack away. A good effort from McMullen saw him beat Victor away and he came within an ace of getting by Michael too at Turn One. In decidedly greasy conditions, Turley immediately began to pull away, with Michael leading McMullen, Victor and the impressive Roy White across the line at the end of the opening lap. Next up were McBride, Farrar and Gordon Kellett, who was relishing the conditions on his return to Mondello! With the track dryng slightly, Cullen managed to stabilise the gap to the flying Turley mid race, but Max’s early charge had done the damage.  Cullen’s increase in pace saw him ease away from the McMullen, Victor and Roy White battle. McBride was all alone whilst behind him Gordon Kellett, bringing O’Brien with him, had closed right up to the back of Farrar’s car.

At the flag then, it was an impressive return to form for Turley with a lights to flag win. Michael Cullen had a lonely run to second, with McMullen completing the podium, despite late race pressure from Victor. McBride had run strongly to sixth meaning he would start the Trophy race from pole position. In his wake, an on form Gordon Kellett had fought his way past Farrar and O’Brien to take seventh.

With the class racing for the historic O’Reilly Trophy in the second race, it was a grid of determined racers who lined up on a much drier Mondello Park grid. McBride and White were on the front row from Victor and Darragh McMullen with Michael Cullen and Turley on row three. McMullen made the best start and tried to split the lead pair but ran out of space. He managed to get by White at Turn One though and was all over McBride on the run down to Turn Three. As the pack approached Bridgestone, Farrar and Kellett made contact with Farrar being spun around. Sylvie Bartlett just  managed to avoid him with a trip through the gravel trap, but the unsighted Christopher Grimes had nowhere to go and the cars made heavy contact. The Safety Car was despatched and once the rescue crew saw the extent of the incident, the red flags flew to stop the race.

With the damaged cars returned to Parc Ferme, the officials decided on a Safety Car restart. Belying his lack of experience, McBride was completely unruffled as he led them across the line for the restart, with Victor and McMullen shadowing them. McMullen  managed to sit around the outside of Victor at Turn one, the pair going all the way to Turn Three door to door before the move was complete. As Victor went to tuck in behind, Max Turley arrived with an armful of opposite lock. The smallest of touches was enough to send Victor wide and Turley was past, somehow getting enough of a run up the hill to draw alongside McMullen for second too! McMullen held on, but Turley had another go into Lola, all this allowing McBride away. As they started the last lap though, the first three were as one, with a slight gap back to the Beacon Hospital duo, with Michael having displaced Victor. At Turn three McMullen took a lunge and slight contact was made with McBride, but the Dundalk man kept the shoe in and held on out front. Turley, ever the opportunist, got the run on both and was up to second like a flash. As they exited 7A for the final time, Turley put a wheel off and McMullen didn’t need a written invitation to take his place back. At the flag, it was an ecstatic McBride taking the first win of his career, from McMullen and Turley with both Cullens, Roy White and Kian O’Brien having chased them right down on the final tour, the six cars crossing the line together.

All this means that Michael Cullen has one hand on the title with just one double header to go. Should he hit trouble though, Max Turley, Kian O’Brien and Darragh McMullen are all still mathematically in with a shout- so it’s all to play for. The 2023 Coffee 2 Go Fiesta Championship concludes at the final ICCR race meeting of the year at Mondello Park, on October 15th.

Images from Marc Quinlivan