Posted July 20, 2025 by leonulty Motorsport

McGovern does the Zetec Double Double!

The Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec Championship is widely acknowledged to be one of the most competitive race series in the country. As a result, it is unusual to see a driver managing the double win at a race meeting. This is probably due to the fact that the top six finishers in race one are reversed to form the grid for race two.

At the June meeting, Sean McGovern managed to do it and he left Mondello Park with a healthy Championship as a result. Ahead of the July ICCR meeting, on the full International layout, he was confident of doing the “double double” for the first time in the history of the series.

The weekend started well for the title leader as he was fastest in qualifying to take the all important pole position. Rob Barrable was second but a stellar performance from Kelsey Kirby saw her qualify in a hugely impressive third place.

Alongside her on row two was Kirkistown series leader Aidan Mulready. Row three comprised of Mick Kehoe and Christian Brennan while impressive Rookies Mikey Moynihan and Finn Gillespie occupied row four. They were followed by Phil Lawless and Mondello Scholarship winner Evan Walsh. Title contender Alan Dawson languished way back in 11th, with plenty of work to do. Others of note included Chloe Kellett who qualified 16th overall and 4th of the 8 Rookies for her first race!

McGovern got a perfect start to lead the pack under the Alfa Romeo Ireland bridge for the first time, with Barrable right with him. Kelsey got the jump on Mulready to hang onto her third place and looked comfortable hanging onto the two leaders in the early laps.

As the race settled, McGovern kept pushing to get away from Barrable and set a new class lap record of 2:11.762, eclipsing the mark set by William Kellett last season. Barrable in turn, was leaving the rest in his wake, whilst Mick Kehoe, having nailed both Mulready and Christian Brennan in one go into 7A, had closed Kelsey down for third. Later rueing her choice of tyre pressures in changeable conditions, Kelsey put a wheel off coming out of 7A and that was enough for the flying Kehoe to get alongside on the run up to Birrane’s Bends. Unfortunately for her, Christian Brennan was welded to Kehoe’s rear bumper and followed him through. Dawson, predictably, had made up a few places and latched onto the back of the battle for third, with Lawless also charging forward, at the expense of Aidan Mulready, who appeared to be in trouble,

A typical Zetec battle as McGuire leads Mulready, Walsh, Kellett, Lenihan and Doyle at Campion Corner

Meanwhile, Rookie Championship leader Moynihan was embroiled in a fierce scrap for the class win with Finn Gillespie, just ahead of former Junior Rallycross Champion Toby Maguire, Sam Doyle in the Tara Racing machine, Josh Browne and Aidan Mulready. As Brennan desperately tried to get back ahead of Keogh, Dawson began to hassle Kirby, finally getting the job done with a lunge down into 7A. This put Kelsey sixth, which would mean she was headed for Race Two pole, but Phil Lawless had other ideas and was closing her down.

Keith Lenihan took a break from recording his “Under The Hood” podcast (check it out) to battle mightily with Mick McArdle in both races!

At the flag then, it was McGovern, by almost five seconds, from Barrable, with a delighted Keogh taking his first ever Zetec podium after holding off Brennan in a drag race to the line. Dawson was next up, from Lawless, who had grabbed sixth, and race two pole, from Kirby on the run out of Lola on the penultimate lap. Mulready was eighth, just ahead of the battling Rookie duo of Moynihan and Gillespie, Moyihan getting the nod for another Rookie win by just a tenth of a second after a nail biting face long dice! Behind them was probably the battle of the race, Sam Doyle, Josh Browne and Toby Maguire took the flag three abreast, with Timing.ie using their photo finish camera system to separate them! Browne took the place, by just .008 from Doyle with Maguire just .017 back. Declan Mulready was right with them too and probably would have made it four abreast if the track was just a little bit wider. Proper saloon car racing! Evan Walsh was next up and third Rookie home, while Keith Lenihan just pipped Mick McArdle to the flag after another race long battle.

Next up was Chloe Kellett, the UL student taking P4 in the Rookies in her first ever race, from Alex McCann, who was fifth, then it was Lorcan McGivney and Elizabeth Downey who just pipped her buddy Liv Corcoran to the line, after yet another great Zetec scrap. Newbie Freya Burns, below, was next up, taking another portion of Rookie points in her distinctive green machine.

McGovern, Barrable and a surprised looking Mick Kehoe on the Podium after Race One

Moynihan, Gillespie and Walsh on the Rookie Podium after Race One.

Courtesy of their charging drives in Race One, Lawless and Dawson would share the front row for Race Two with Kirby and Mulready on Row 2. Moynihan and Gillespie lined up alongside on row three, ready to slog it out for Rookie Honours once again, then it was Josh Browne and Sam Doyle.

When the lights changed it was Dawson, doubtless keen to keen his championship challenge alive, who led the pack down into Castrol Corner. McGovern had a run around the outside of everyone at Castrol but had to tuck back into line as they headed through Campion Corner for the first time. Heading to Turn three then, and Dawson already had the head down, no doubt wary that the new lap record holder would be trying to battle his way through. Lawless was next up from Brennan, Kehoe, Barrable and McGovern. Then it was Mulready and Kirby, who was side by side with Moynihan.

McGovern’s first victim was Kehoe, who had tried to go round the outside of Barrable at turn three and found McGovern in his spot when it didn’t come off. Next on his list was Barrable, who was trying to get alongside Brennan. A late lunge into 7A saw Barrable go slightly wide , but he sat around the outside to maintain the position as they climbed back up towards Birrane’s Bends. As they ended the lap, the order was the same, with Gillespie having taken Moynihan for the Rookie lead down the inside at Southside Motor Factors Corner. Into Castrol for the second time, McGovern fired it down the inside of Barrable who sat around the outside and the pair when through Campion door to door.

Chloe Kellett is the latest Rookie to join the series. she is one of a number of impressive female Rookies in the class this year and she opened her account with two superb fourth place Rookie finishes.

At Turn three. McGovern had the inside though and made it stick, as Brennan made contact with the back of Lawless, unsettling him and closing the whole train up. Ever the opportunist, McGovern used his momentum to draw alongside Brennan and took the place at Bridgestone. Just two corners later, another lunge into 7A saw him ahead and up to second and away down the road after Dawson. Barrable managed to follow McGovern past Lawless and tried, for the second time that day, to hang onto him as they began to ease sway. Gillespie, headlights ablaze, had closed in on Kesley, and was bringing Sam Doyle with him, Moynihan having dropped back a few places, with Walsh having taken P2 in the Rookies. Behind them was a great scrap comprising McGuire, Keith Lenihan, Mick McArdle and the impressive Chloe Kellett.

A three wheeling Liv Corcoran battles with Freya Burns!

With ten minutes to run, McGovern was 2.6 seconds behind Dawson and he was clearly pushing as he tried to close the deficit. A massive sideways moment for Kehoe, which he held well, allowed Kelsey through and Gillespie spotted a chance and sat around the outside at Nordic Spirit Corner to further depose the Donegan Auto Services car. Mulready, showing much better pace than in race one, was harassing Lawless for fourth, finally getting it done with a tidy move out of Lola and down into 7A. With a couple of laps to run McGovern had caught Dawson and had the headlights on as he looked for a way through. Coming onto the main straight and McGovern almost got the nose up the inside but Dawson wasn’t going to give it away and McGovern backed out of it. Dawson certainly didn’t appear to be hassled and had every option covered – until Lola on the final lap. Timing it perfectly, McGovern got a run through the fast right hander. Anticipating it, Dawson moved right to defend. McGovern stayed to the right until the last minute before sweeping out to take a full racing line. As Dawson went just slightly wide at 7A, McGovern sliced past for the lead, with just 4 corners to run. Dawson fought back, and McGovern had to go defensive but the job was done and it was a hugely impressive double win, for the second race meeting in a row! Barrable was third from Christian Brennan, who is flying this year, Mulready, Lawless and a slightly disappointed Kelsey Kirby. A delighted Finn Gillespie was eighth overall and took his first Rookie win. Josh Browne and Sam Doyle, again inseparable for the duration, were right on Finn’s bumper. Walsh and Moynihan were 11th and 12th, but took second and third respectively in Rookies, from Lenihan and McArdle who had resumed their Race One battle, joined this time by Chloe Kellett, who took another P4 in Rookies. Next up were Lorcan McGivney, Lola Rose Turley and Alex McCann, who was 5th in Rookies. Declan Mulready was next up from Freya Burns who just beat Liv Corcoran to the line, then Elizabeth Downey and Toby McGuire.

As McGovern and Dawson tussle over the bubby, Barrable exits, stage right!

Gillespie takes his first Rookie win, from Walsh and Moynihan!

Great shot of a close battle in Race Two with Kehoe heading Kirby, Gillespie and Doyle!

Lola Rose Turley retired from race one with damage but a borrowed bumper saw her back on track for race two. LOH Motorsport are confident the Rookie will progress well in 2025.

Moynihan, shown here battling with Gillespie, still leads the Rookie Standings in his Sound Productions and Dogs Trust liveried car.

Doyle, McGuire and Browne hard at it in Race One!

This coming weekend, the Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec Championship heads to the high speed Kirkistown circuit in Northern Ireland. Both the main championship and the Rookie Cup standings are extremely close so it’s all to play for. See you there!