McGovern Takes Siltex Safety Zetec Championship Lead with Victory at Mondello

At the third Infinite Energy ICCR meeting of the year at Mondello Park, the action in the Siltex Safety Zetec class, the action began long before race one, with young guns Sean McGovern and Dave Maguire embroiled in a “territorial dispute” mid qualifying! Despite this, they occupied the front row of the grid in that order ahead of Jason O Connell, Alan Dawson, Peter Barrable and series leader William Kellett.  Marc Mulhern grabbed Rookie pole ahead of Sam Doyle and Jordan Flanagan with class newbie Aidan Mulready fourth, the US based Delta airline pilot was, excuse the pun, flying, despite getting used to right hand drive and stick shift!
When the lights went out, McGovern fought off a strong challenge from Maguire to lead the pack down into Turn One. Dawson came out tops of an elbowing match with Kellett at Campion Corner to take third. Kellett took it back though with a superb move at Lola Corner with 2023 Rookie Champion Jason O’Connell following him through.  Next up were Andy Kavanagh, Mick Kehoe, a surprisingly off form Peter Barrable and the charging James Byrne, a switch to the car formerly driven by Richie Byrne bringing back some of the form he showed on the way to the Rookie title in 2022. (Below)

As McGovern began to ease away, Maguire was usurped by Kellett at Lola with O’Connell once again following the Kells man through. Dawson was still on the back of this train, with Kehoe and Barrable having dropped back slightly. In their wake, a great battle ensued with Marc Mulhearn, in his first car race, not just leading the Rookies but taking on some of the regulars. Marc is a technician in the Mondello Park workshops and was driving the Mondello Park team building car, which the staff share for different race and Rallycross events. Meanwhile Eduardo Gonzaga, who started at the back after problems in qualifying was on a massive charge, scrapping mightily with Keith Lenihan and Phil Lawless.

William Kellett, keen to score his first win of 2024, was flying and he smashed the lap record as he closed McGovern down in the closing stages, leaving it at 2:11.970. McGovern had it all under control though and crossed the line to take his second win of the year, just over a second ahead of Kellett, with Maguire in third from Dawson, O’Connell, Kehoe and Barrable with Mulhearn taking Rookie honours and eighth overall. James Byrne and NI Zetec Champion Michael Graham rounded out the top ten.

Sam Doyle was second in Rookies with a delighted Mulready completing the Rookie podium having obviously mastered the Zetec stick shift!
All this meant Mick Kehoe took pole for race two with Jason O’Connell alongside. Row two was Dawson and Maguire whilst Kellett and McGovern occupied row three. As the pack, once again the biggest grid of the ICCR weekend, formed in assembly the heavens opened. When the lights changed, Dawson got a good launch and aimed for the gap between the front row pairing. The gap closed and the resultant contact between all three, although light, delayed them all. Both Maguire and incredibly Mulhern, had made fantastic starts in the wet conditions and Maguire it was who led the pack around turn one and through Campion Corner. Kehoe was second with Mulhearn somehow running third, from eighth on the grid. McGovern got alongside Mulhearn on the exit of Turn three and took the place away into Bridgestone with O’Connell briefly tagging the Mondello car, slowing them both slightly.  James Byrne, seemingly loving his “new” car, was making moves too. Contact with the apex kerb at 7B sending him and Mulhearn wide though as the came back up towards Birrane’s Bends. On the approach to Southside Motor Factors, McGovern took a lunge up the inside of O’Connell for third. O’Connell responded by braking as late as possible and was unable to avoid contact with the back bumper of Kehoe. This spun the polesitter around but thanks to his Autotest Experience, Mick executed a perfect nose throw to get his car out of the way of the following pack and somehow managed to rejoin in eleventh, having done a complete 360 in the process! At the end of the opening lap, in streaming wet conditions, Dave Maguire’s JMC liveried car led by an incredible 4.1 seconds, from McGovern, who had Kellett right on his bumper in the DMC Consultancy car.  Next up were James Byrne, Barrable and O’Connell with Mark O’Donoghoe, Mulhearn,  Kelsey Kirby and Michael Graham all battling away behind them.
At the flag then it was a delighted Dave Maguire  (above) who returned to the top step of the ICCR podium, with McGovern taking fastest lap en route to second and William Kellett taking another healthy haul of Siltex Safety Championship points in third place. Jason O’Connell was fourth, ahead of a disappointed Peter Barrable with James Byrne and Mark O’Donoghue leading Mulhearn, who took a double Rookie win on his podium, across the line. Mick Kehoe recovered to ninth with Kelsey Kirby completing the top ten once again. Mark Daly drove well in his Martini liveried machine to take second in Rookies with Sam Doyle completing the podium in third.

This means that Sean McGovern has moved ahead of Kellett in the title chase with Maguire right there in third. Jason O’Connell and Peter Barrable are fourth and fifth respectively ahead of Alan Dawson and Mick Kehoe. Kelsey Kirby and Mark O’Donoghue complete the top ten in the standings.  In the Rookie Cup, Toby Maguire still leads but has been closed down by Mark Daly in second. Adam O’Mahony is third from  Jordan Flanagan ahead of Sam Doyle, Liv Corcoran and Marc Mulhern. Alex McCann is next up from series debutant Aidan Mulready.

All Images from Marc Quinlivan Photography