Posted April 23, 2025 by leonulty News

Maguire and McMullen Share ST Spoils at ICCR Opener

Dave Maguire Jr was one of the fastest drivers in last years highly competitive Fiesta Zetec grid. Having won in Kirkistown on a one off drive in his Dad’s SEAT Supercup Ireland machine, it was reasonable to assume he would be competitive on his graduation to the Alloy Repair Centre ST Championship.

In Friday testing though, he was generally opined to be top of the pile, having purchased Michael Cullen’s Beacon Hospital car and stayed on with the LOH Motorsport squad. After qualifying, it was the reasonably familiar scene of the blue and white machine at the sharp end, but this time with a different occupant. Any ideas of big gaps at the front were soon banished though, by the pace of Murray Motorsport’s Roy White, who would join Maguire on the front row for Race 1, just two thousandths off! Next up was 2024 Champion Ross Barnes and the ever improving Tim McQuaid was fourth. Brendan Fitzgerald and Trevor Farrar occupied the third row, just ahead of Bobby Turley and Darragh McMullen.

When the lights went out, Maguire made a blinder but was matched by White all the way down to Castrol Corner. In the early laps, White sat on the leader’s rear bumper but Maguire gradually eased the gap out, with the pair well ahead of the rest. At the line, it was Maguire for the first win of the year, from White, with Barnes completing the podium, albeit four seconds back. Farrar was an impressive fourth, from McQuaid with Darragh McMullen claiming the all important sixth, meaning he would start Race Two from pole!

Hayes and Turley door to door at Campion Corner!

McMullen rebuffed a challenge from McQuaid down into Castrol at the start of the second race. McQuaid was right them but crucially, Maguire had made a cracking start and managed to slice down the inside of Barnes to exit Campion Corner already up to fourth. McQuaid took a look up the inside of the leader into Southside at the end of the first lap. As the leader defended, the lead trio were delayed a touch and Maguire was right with them. Barnes meanwhile was under attack from White, Fitzgerald and the flying Gordon Kellett!

Series sponsor Owen Cullen made his race debut in his immaculate Alloy Repair Centre car and, despite a few mechanical issues over the weekend, left Mondello with a huge grin on his face- and two finisher signatures on his licence!

With the top six reversed for Race Two, it was Darragh McMullen on pole, from LOH’s Tim McQuaid, Trevor Farrar and Ross Barnes, then Roy White and Dave Maguire. Then it was Brendan Fitzgerald and Jack Conachy. The fifth row comprosed Charlie McKillen and Gordon Kellett.

As McMullen led away, Maguire made a cracker and by the time they got to Castrol, was already ahead of Barnes and up to fourth. MacQuaid, who had Farrar on his bumper, made a lunge for the lead into Southside for the first time, but the leader had it covered. Initially, the first three eased away from Maguire, who had Barnes desperately trying to get the place back, with White right in there too. Once Maguire got settled though, he eased away from the Barnes’ AutoHouse car and closed down the lead trio.

McMullen leads the pack at the start of Race Two

Gordon Kellett was very much on form in his Murray Motorsport car, evoking memories of his many Saloon car successes in years gone by.

A big effort from Maguire appeared into Southside to have annexed third but Farrar got a good exit and held onto the place. They both got a dose of the “ST Hops” at Castrol and Maguire got a better exit, sitting around the outside of Campion Corner to finally take the place as they approached Turn Three. This allowed Barnes to get a bit closer but Roy White was piling the pressure on him at the same time. Next up, completing the eight car train, were Brendan Fitzgerald and Gordon Kellett, who was having his best run in a while in his Murray Motorsport car.

Jack Conachy tackles Campion Corner while Charlie McKillen and John Elliffe have a territorial dispute in his mirrors.

As they started their last lap, Maguire, who had set a series of fastest laps to close down the leaders, got a run at McQuaid as they came out onto the main straight and took the place away into Castrol. For the remainder of the lap, the Zetec graduate threw caution to the win to close the gap to McMullen, who had controlled the race beautifully from the off. Just a second separated them at the line, with McQuaid completing the podium in third. Barnes was fourth, not the ideal start to his title defence, but no doubt he will come back stronger at the next round. Farrar was fifth from White, Fitzgerald, Kellett, Conachy and Bobby Turley.

As an indication of how close the class is this season, Maguire’s fastest lap was 1:06.145, and five others were within a tenth of the mark! Roll on rounds three and four at the start of June at Mondello Park.

Fitzgerald, McMullen and Conachy scrap for position.

Tim McQuaid’s McQuaid Motors/BYD Galway car leads Farrar, Maguire and Barnes early in Race Two

All this means that Maguire, after a very impressive debut weekend, leads the title chase by 11 points from McMullen, White and Barnes. McQuaid is fifth with Trevor Farrar rounding out the top six.

The Alloy Repair Centre Fiesta ST Championship returns to Mondello Park on June 8th for rounds 3&4.