Dawson and Barrable Share the spoils as Zetecs thrill the crowds.

We are becoming used to it in recent times, but the Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec competitors had the largest grid of all classes at last weekend’s opening ICCR race meeting at Mondello Park. Better again, the entry list contained a promising number of competitors for the concurrently run Rookie Cup. This caters for drivers in their first two seasons racing, who have never scored a podium finish before.

When the budget tin tops took to the newly laid Mondello tarmac on Sunday morning, they made an impressive sight and it soon became apparentl that competition was tight in both the main Championship and amongst the Rookie runners. Sean McGovern had been fastest in testing, with a comfortable, at least by Zetec standards, margin of a few tenths to the rest. It soon became apparent that pole was anything but a sure thing as Alan Dawson, now running with LOH Motorsport, was matching him to a tenth. When the chequered flag finally waved to signal the end of the session, it was McGovern’s Soft Recruit car on top of the list, with the Sheds Direct machine just over a tenth off!  A back on form Andy Kavanagh was third ahead of Aidan Mulready, in his ex Michael Graham NI Championship car. Row three would comprise Rob Barrable, who was chasing some mysterious electrical issue with his car, which was losing him a fraction, and Mick Kehoe, who was happy with the performance of his newly rebuilt, and immaculate, Donegan Motor Services car. Next up was Kelsey Kirby, again qualifying well inside the top ten, something she made a habit of doing in 2024, and Christian Brennan, who was raising plenty of eyebrows in the ex Dave Maguire car. Fastest of the Rookies was Michael Moynihan, incredibly in 9th overall, from Mondello Scholarship winner Evan Walsh and a massively improved Liv Corcoran, in her newly liveried Corcoran’s Crash Repair car.

When the lights changed, Dawson, having angled his car slightly inwards, immediately moved across towards McGovern who, unsurprisingly, refused to be rattled and the grid made it around Castrol Corner in grid formation. As they streamed through Campion for the first time, McGovern it was who led, with Kavanagh similarly asserting himself in third ahead of Barrable, who had jumped Mulready. As they crossed the line to complete the opening lap, It was McGovern, just, from Dawson, with Kavanagh hanging on. In their wake, Mulready had somehow jumped Barrable and brought Mick Kehoe with him, with Barrable under pressure from Kirby, impressive novice Moynihan and Brennan. A lap later, and Barrable had forged his way to fourth, ahead of a baying pack led by Mulready, Kirby and Brennan, Kehoe having dropped back courtesy of a massive half spin at Turn Three, right in front of the TV cameras! Phil Lawless had clawed his way onto the back of this pack too, bringing Christian Brennan, Phil Lawless and Toby Maguire with him. As the race progressed, the lead duo forged out a strong lead, with Andy Kavanagh in a lonely third. Mulready was fourth, from Barrable and Brennan who had got past Kirby.

With a couple of laps to run, McGovern held the centre of the road on the approach to Southside. Dawson went down the outside, and when the lead car was a fraction late turning in, launched it across the back, executing the perfect switchback to drag race down the main straight and take the lead into Castrol. McGovern immediately fought back, trying a run around the outside of Turn Three, and actually got alongside with the nose ahead on the run back into the main arena. Dawson used his many years of experience well though to just about contain it as the went through Nordic Spirit for the penultimate time.

On the final lap, McGovern absolutely launched his car down the outside the Esses. The resultant four wheel slide, should have cost him time, but Dawson also went in deep and was slow on the exit, giving the young contender one last chance- Southside Motor Factors Corner. He got almost down the inside and as Dawson gave him the squeeze, they made brief contact, sending himself wide. This cost them both momentum and it really was a drag race to the line.

Dawson had the impotus though, and it was he who crossed the line to take the win, much to the delight of his LOH Motorsport crew on the pitwall. Andy Kavanagh was next up, albeit five seconds back, with Mulready a further three seconds away, ahead of Barrable and a delighted Brennan, who would take up pole for race two.  Mondello Scholarship winner Evan Walsh took the Rookie win, by .008 from Michael Moynihan,  with Liv Corcoran a popular third for her debut podium visit.

As ever, the top six were reversed to form the grid for the second race of the day. This put Christian Brennan on pole with Rob Barrable alongside. When the lights went out, Barrable got a slightly better start though and it was the Michael Barrable Motors car that took the lead as the pack streamed down into Castrol. Brennan tucked in behind and that’s how they ran in the opening stages, with Kavanagh in third, constantly rebuffing the attacks from McGovern, who had Dawson and Mulready in his mirrors. Kehoe continued to show his increased pace by joining this seven car train as they eased away from the pack. Next up was Phil Lawless, from Sam Doyle, Josh Browne, Kelsey Kirby and Michael Moyinhan. Barrable gradually began to ease away, but with almost all of the top ten lapping in the 1:11 bracket, the train from second to seventh remained bumper to bumper. Kavanagh was wrong footed when an attempt to wrest second away from Brennan at Southside went wrong and McGovern pounced on the exit.

Predictably, Dawson stuck to McGovern’s bumper to try and get through as well. Kavanagh was in no mood to hand another place away though and having tackled Castrol door to door, eased back ahead as they went through Campion Corner. Brennan, who had starred all weekend, and looked set for a podium position was to have it snatched away though. As  he exited Nordic Spirit Corner, his car faltered. He went to the inside to defend but McGovern and Dawson, just drove by on the way up the hill, with Dawson using the momentum to sit around the outside, coming onto the main straight side by side with Dawson.  The big gain here was for Mick Kehoe, who, having got a run at them all as they scrambled to get by Brennan, went down the outside on the brakes, disposing of Mulready and Brennan and getting level with Kavanagh briefly. Dawson made the move for second stick at Campion but tackled turn three a touch too fast and understeered wide, allowing not just McGovern, but Kavanagh and Kehoe past too.  Out front, Barrable much have been smiling watching the battle behind as he eased away, despite having what he later described as a very slight miss in the car. at the other of the train Phil Lawless, having had a great run, was all on his own and closing fast. Typically though, the laps ran out and it was Barrable who took the chequered flag for an impressive win, with McGovern second and a delighted Andy Kavanagh making his second visit to the podium in third, not a bad day out for the milesPLUS backed driver. Dawson was fourth, but only just, as Kehoe, who was relishing the fact that he was running with the big boys, got a great run out of Southside and was alongside as they took the flag. Mulready was next up, ahead of the luckless Brennan, Lawless, Doyle, Browne and Kirby.

Moynihan this time reversed the positions in Rookies, taking the win from Walsh. Having had issues all day, Nadine Kavanagh was delighted to take a podium on her first day out. Elizabeth Downey was fourth in the distinctive pink machine, from Liv Corcoran, Lola Rose Turley and Freya Burns.

So two great, highly entertaining races from the budget tin tops and what looks like a great season ahead. Is Sean McGovern still favourite for the title? Arguably, but Alan Dawson showed similar pace and he has plenty of experience too. It’s going to be interesting. Christian Brennan won’t be far away too, when he sorts that issue and you can bet your bottom dollar that the race two winning car is either with Morgan Dempsey in Mullingar, or up on a ramp at Michael Barrable Motors as I write this! Mick Kehoe, after all his hard work now has race winning pace, as does Andy Kavanagh. Add in Mulready, Lawless, Kelsey Kirby, who was unlucky to have damage in race one, dropping her back the grid for race two. Sam Doyle, Josh Browne and Mick McArdle will be looking to move forward too.

In the Rookies, Mondello Scholarship winner Evan Walsh was very impressive in what was his first race, as was Michael Moynihan. They need to keep it up though, because there are five ladies, who showed strong Rookie pace at the weekend and one thing is sure, they won’t be getting slower as the season progressed.

Images from Cregor Elliott