Posted May 13, 2025 by leonulty Motorsport

Four in a row for Richardson as Junior MINIs thrill at Kirkistown!

The Patch Tyre Equipment Junior MINI Challenge travelled North last weekend to the high speed Kirkistown on the Ards Pensinula in Northern Ireland. A few drivers were unable to make the event, but happily, Megan Daly joined the class in her immaculate Dan Daly Engines machine, meaning that an impressive 17 cars would take to the grid on Saturday morning.

Testing on Thursday was very much a rain soaked affair, not that it bothered our young tin top stars as they happily bump drafted their way around the track for most of the afternoon, giving plenty of indication that the two races, Rounds 3&4 of the 2025 championship, would definitely be worth watching. Come Saturday morning, the rain had not abated and it was a damp and drizzly circuit that greeted the young drivers when the gate opened to release them onto the track for their all important qualifying session. Some decided to team up and work on the all important tow, TJ Taffe and Kyle Irvine being pretty much inseparable, whilst others decided to got it alone, in the hope of getting a clear lap in the fifteen minute session.

Series leader Leo Richardson was confident ahead of the qualifying session. Coming off the back of two strong wins at the opening ICCR meeting of 2025 at Mondello, it soon became clear that his confidence wasn’t misplaced. The Stillorgan Motor Company car topped the timesheets to grab the all important pole position, four tenths clear of a delighted Jayden McBrearty, with Kyle Irvine in third place. TJ Taffe was next up ahead of Logan Hoey and Jack Fildes, with the improving Martin Finnegan in seventh, ahead of Travis Mawhinney in the Mondello Park Scholarship car. Keith Burke was ninth, having moved to POB Racing in the days before the event, and the top ten was rounded out by Joe Richardson. Then it was Daniel Heapes, Harry Dowling, Leah McManus, Alex Watkins, Nathan Sweeney and Megan Daly, with Harry Phayres having to start at the back when his car was found to be slightly underweight at post qualifying scrutiny.

The Junior MINIs were the talk of the paddock all weekend, having being circulating in a slipstreaming train during Friday testing and, as ever, the cars were turned out beautifully. They didn’t disappoint when the lights changed at the start of race one and in the early stages it looked like it was going to be anyone’s race. A great start from Irvine vaulted him to second initially with Hoey right in there too. Richardson gradually began to ease away though, knowing it was crucial not to make a single mistake once he had broken the all important tow. Ironically, his brother Leo Richardson, having made a great start, spun off early on and unfortunately collected Leah McManus as he rejoined, which brought out the red flag, meaning Leo had it all to do again. He managed to lead away but was immediately under attack from McBrearty who was relishing the damp conditions as he flung the Stables car through the chicane each lap.

Irvine was right with the pair and the trio gradually eased clear of the rest. McBrearty then forged ahead but there was nothing in it. Later rueing the decision to go a bit high with his rear pressures, Jayden controlled a huge slide on the last lap, but Richardson pounced to snatch the lead back. At the flag then, it was a delighted Richardson to make it three in a row, with McBrearty right on his bumper, and delighted to be back in the mix after a tough Mondello opener.

A delighted family and POB Racing team congratulate Leo Richardson after his win in Race One!

Nathan Sweeny’s beautifully turned out DMC/Carzone car holds off Leah McManus in the opening race.

Kyle Irvine completed the podium having shadowed the lead pair across the line. Logan Hoey just about came out top of a brilliant scrap with Jack Fildes for fourth and Travis Mawhinney took sixth in a drag race to the line with Daniel Heapes. Alex Watkins was eighth, from Keith Burke (below), both drivers showing vastly improved form from Mondello Park.

By the time Race Two came around, the track was dry and drivers and teams were looking forward to another slipstreaming battle. McBrearty made a blinder off the line to beat poleman Richardson away, with Taffe matching him and further demoting Richardson to third on the run through Debtors.

Before Race Two, the young drivers were treated to a highly entertaining BTCC style Grid Walk and Interviews from circuit commentator Alan Drydale.

When the leader clipped the kerb at Colonial two a lap later though, his car was launched briefly onto two wheels. Jayden held the resultant slide but had to briefly take to the grass to do so, allowing the flying Taffe to grab the lead. Richardson, having rebuffed the charging Irvine, managed to get the lead back from Taffe, but there was no way he was making a break in this one as the leaders slipstreamed each other down the back straight to the delight of the crowd. While all this was going on, Leah McManus was having her best race yet in the series. Starting at the back, she charged past Megan Daly and Alex Watkins early on, then hauled in the battling pair of Harry Phayres and Nathan Sweeney. Having passed them, she closed in on the battle for 9th, chopping almost two seconds off her best lap of the weekend so far. As she approached the group ahead, Harry Dowling, battling hard, had a huge slide at Colonial. He held it superbly but with nowhere to go, Leah had to brake. They were both slightly delayed but it allowed the group ahead to draw away.

Back at the sharp end, it soon became clear that if Leo Richardson wanted to make it four in a row, he was going to have to really work for it. Taffe was all over the back of the Mount Merrion Cars machine, using some very inventive lines through the Crossle Chicane to try at get that all important run onto the back straight! Irvine was with them and McBrearty, having recovered had lost the tow and was all on his own in fourth. Behind him Hoey, with a down on power engine, was battling with Fildes once again, but this time, they had Martin Finnegan, who was flying, right with them too. The Dubliner had been working with Peter Barrable to move closer to the front and the association was obviously bearing fruit already.

Certainly from the spectators’ point of view, it was all over too early, as the chequered flag was unfurled to signal the end of a second brilliant race for the Junior class. Richardson it was, who led when it mattered and he crossed the line fractionally ahead of Irvine and Taffe to maintain his unbeaten record in 2025. McBrearty was fourth, with Hoey just beating Fildes to the line for fifth, after a race long battle once again. Mawhinney was seventh from Daniel Heapes, with Martin Finnegan and Joe Richardson rounding out the top ten.

Two proud Dads from two famous motor racing families. Dan Daly, left and Jonathan Fildes, fathers of Megan and Jack respectively.

Another great weekend for the Patch Tyre Equipment Junior MINI Challenge. Plenty of talent at the front of the grid but interestingly, some drivers further back beginning to find their feet and make some real progress toward the front. It can only bode well for the rest of the 2025 season as the teams and drivers take a well earned break to allow for exams. The Championship returns to Mondello Park for Rounds 5&6 on July 6th.