Abarth Thrills and Spills at Mondello Park

On its 40th anniversary weekend, Mondello Park hosted the next instalment of the Fiat Punto Abarth Championship, which continues to gather momentum into an exhilarating competition for 2008. Undaunted by the all-star cast at the race meeting on Sunday 18 May (including Formula Fords, Historics, Vees and Libras), the Abarths gave their all during the evening session to steal the show and win the hearts of spectators. The drivers used every ounce of the relatively modest 170 bhp available inside the Punto shell and gave the crowd a race that was packed with drama from start to finish.

At the front of the field, Nigel and Clive Pratt left brotherly love behind in the pit lane and fought tooth-and-nail for the full 15 minute session. Clive qualified in pole position, but after being outmanoeuvred in the early stages by Nigel they tussling for the duration of the race, with Nigel eventually sprinting home to victory by less than 0.4 seconds. Gordon Kellett kept the Pratt brothers honest, harrying them right up to the finish line, coming home in 3rd place a further 0.5 seconds back. Noel Greene had a relatively uneventful race, bringing his car home in a comfortable 4th place. Andrew Stewart proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with, by bringing his car home in 5th position in only his third outing on the racetrack. Andrew is adapting rapidly to track racing following a long career in rallying, and if he continues to show this type of form will be challenging for a podium position before the end of the season.

David Pratt qualified a disappointing 13th after suffering electrical problems, but nevertheless managed to scythe his way through the field to a respectable 6th position. Liam Denning suffered a set-back in his championship campaign, failing to finish on this occasion following an excursion over the kerbs which left him with a holed sump and he left a trail of oil around the track which proved challenging for the other competitors for the balance of the race. However, John Denning carried the torch home for the family name, finishing 7th and earning some well-deserved points. Paul Copeland finished 8th and continues to quietly gather championship points as the season progresses. He was followed over-the-line by Leo Nulty (who was having his first outing of the season in an Abarth, and taking a break from his usual position in the commentary box). He was followed by Roger McMahon; Roger had an excellent race that saw him win his first points of the championship, with the promise of more to come. Roger claimed the last points position by less than 2 seconds from PJ Lawlor and Darragh Brennan.

The competition crosses the water to Anglesea for the next round on 5th/6th July, where the excitement is sure to continue as the series reaches the halfway point. Watch this space for reports of each race or go to www.irishabarthracing.com for details. Races are televised on Setanta Sport – go to www.onthelimitsports.com for details and listings.