Richardson Clinches Junior MINI Title for POB Racing

Leo Richardson has had an incredible season in 2025. Having run strongly in 2024, he arrived at the start of this season with strong pace and a new found confidence. The stats will show that the Mount Merrion cars backed driver was dominant, taking 8 victories, but Leo would be the first to admit that he had to fight all the way. The odd issue and a tardy start or two meant that he got the opportunity to show racecraft as well as his undoubted pace as the season progressed.

At the final TengTools ICCR meeting of 2025 at Mondello Park, in greasy conditions, it was Champion elect Richardson who clinched pole, an impressive six tenths clear of Kyle Irvine, who was fractionally ahead of recently crowned IRX Junior Champion Logan Hoey.  Jayden McBrearty was next up in his The Stables backed car, ahead of the Mondello Park Scholarship car of Travis Mawhinney. TJ Taaffe’s distinctive metallic blue machine was  further back than usual in sixth, from Jack Fildes, Joe Richardson, Harry Phayres and Daniel Heapes. Nathan Sweeny was 11th, from Harry Dowling, David McAdams and Daithí Kennedy.

By the time the 120bhp machines took to the track for their first race, it was still damp and even on the warm up lap, the MINIs threw up roostertails of spray. When the lights went out, Richardson, not for the first time this season, was caught out at the start and predictibly, his rivals didn’t need a written invitation to forge their way past. Irvine it was then, who led them into Castrol for the first time.  Hoey had made a great initial launch but the gap closed and as they got to Castrol, the red FPS car struggled to get stopped and went very wide allowing Richardson back through for second.  At Turn Three then, it was Irvine from Richardson, McBrearty and Fildes who had got by  Hoey, Taaffe and Mawhinney in just a few corners.  Then it was Mawhinney, Taaffe, Sweeney, Hoey, Joe Richardson and Dowling. Then it was Lenehan, getting used to his new car, Phayres Gavin Browne and all the rest.

Richardson soon began to pile the pressure on Irvine as Hoey began his recovery drive, first displacing Sweeny at Campion Corner before closing in on Taaffe and Mawhinney. A well timed lunge at Turn Three on the second lap saw Richardson slice past to assume the lead, with Irvine immediately fighting back as they came back towards the main arena. When Taaffe got down the inside of Mawhinney at Southside, Hoey got a run on both and eased by the Mondello Scholarship car on the main straight, elevating himself to sixth. Taaffe had closed in on Fildes too but had Hoey already on his back bumper. Up front, Richardson was beginning to inch away with Irvine having to keep one eye on the mirrors as McBrearty tried to wrest second place away from him.  As they came into the Esses, McBrearty fired his Stables car down the inside. In typical Junior MINI fashion, Irvine gave him racing room but then sat around the outside. McBrearty returned the compliment at Nordic Spirit – a brave effort but ultimately had to tuck in behind. Unfortunately Harry Dowling got sideways at Turn Three and when his car dug into the gravel, the Alfa Romeo Safety Car was despatched and the pack was bunched up once again.

The  car was quickly recovered but with another car off, the red flags, and a result was declared with  Richardson taking his eighth win of the season, Irvine second and McBrearty third. The it was Fildes, Taaffe, Hoey, Mawhinny, Sweeny, Richardson and Kennedy.

For race two, it was Richardson and Hoey on the front row. This time Richardson made no mistakes to lead the pack down into Castrol, followed closely by Hoey and  McBrearty with Taaffe diving down the inside of Irvine at Turn Three to take fourth. Then it was Flldes who sliced by Mawhinney with a lovely move into Southside.  At the end of the opening lap, Richardson appeared to slow briefly on the main straight and in a flash, Hoey was by and into the lead. Taaffe though, was on a charge and got by McBrearty at Bridgestone for third. Then it was Irvine, who had Fildes looking for a way by, and Harry Phayres, who was absolutely flying and almost with the lead pack. Then there was a small gap to Joe Richardson and Travis Mawhinney with  Nathan Sweeny right there too.

As they approached Southside for the third time, Richardson got down the outside of Hoey and managed to sit around the outside for the lead.  Hoey took it back though on the brakes into Castrol with Taffe now all over both of them, just to add to the excitement! McBrearty was trying to hold off Fildes and Irvine, while Phayres had closed the gap even more, setting fastest lap as he drew himself up to the lead train!

So it was Hoey leading a seven car train in what was fast turning out to be the race of the weekend. Richardson managed to make the switchback work to grab the lead with Taaffe almost squeezing through too, Hoey having to be brave and sit round the outside at Campion to hang onto second. Unsurprisingly, McBrearty Irvine, Fildes and Phayres were all looking for a gap too. Phayres tried a dive past Fildes into Castrol but as Fildes turned in, they made slight contact and Phayres backed out of it. It had finally calmed down a touch out front, but nobody had the pace to make a break.

At the flag then, it was Richardson who crossed the line first, but only just! Unfortunately for him though, a jump start penalty dropped him well down the order allowing a delighted Hoey to take the final win of what has been an incredible season for the Junior MINI class. Taaffe was just two tenths behind to take second with McBrearty completing the podium in third.  Irvine was next, from Fildes and Phayres (below) , who many considered to have been driver of the day as he caught and stayed with the lead pack, setting fastest lap in the process.

All this meant, of course, that Richardson had taken a well deserved title win for POB Racing and  Mount Merrion Cars, in what was the closest and most successful season since the series’  inception. Logan Hoey takes second, to add to his recently win Junior IRX title, with Kyle Irvine and TJ Taaffe third and fourth. Jayden McBrearty placed fifth from Jack Fildes, with Travis Mawhinny climbing to seventh and first 2025 novice after a strong finish to his Mondello Park backed campaign.

Happily, all technical inspections are now complete and the results are official. Prizes will be presented at the ICCR Night of Champions in January at Lawlors Hotel in Naas.

 

Images from Cregor Elliott