The Abarths returned to Kirkistown on the Ards peninsula last weekend for another double header and they produced some fantastic racing with all the times closer than ever and some old names returning to the sharp end of the timesheets!

As the 1800cc cars were released onto the old airfield based circuit for qualifying, the clouds were gathering and it was apparent that any times would need to be set early on in the session before the rain fell. Clive Pratt was quick immediately setting provisional pole with a 1:10.2 and then eclipising it with a  1:09.838 to annex pole position for race one. Noel Greene, his AMF car having having been completely rebuilt since Anglesey, was second quickest some six tenths off, with Gordon Kellett and Alistair Kellett next up from Gary Miller and Arthur McMahon. The rain came down towards the end of the session but the only driver who suffered was the BT Racing car of Barry-John McHenry in eighth. “I had no testing as the car is just finished”, he said, “so I did two laps to check everything was ok and then came in. As I rejoined, it started to rain!”

When the lights changed, poleman Clive Pratt was swamped. “I just couldn’t get it off the line”, he said later, “and I lit up the fronts with wheelspin” The rest didn’t wait for an invitation from the Carlow Fiat dealer and Clive was swamped on the run to turn one! This left the AMF car of Noel Greene in the lead with a resurgent Gordon Kellett in second and series leader Alistair Kellett in third. Gordon closed in on Noel Greene by mid-race. “I saw Gordon coming and began to make mistakes”, said Noel later. Gordon soon moved into the lead with Alistair following him through. Meanwhile, Clive Pratt was running in fourth but was soon displaced by the charging Barry-John McHenry, from eighth on the grid in his newly rebuilt car.  Clive got into his rhythm though and displaced McHenry, whose clutch was beginning to slip, before closing in on the leading trio towards the end. Up front, unlike Ferrari, there were no Kellett team orders, and Alistair was piling the pressure onto uncle Gordon. Gordon though, is known as one of the best defensive drivers in the business and it seemed that Alistair would have to settle for second until Gordon made a mistake at the chicane. “I came in a little bit too quick,” said Gordon “and it was either have a big off trying to hold it, or lift and lose a place to Alistair!” He chose the latter but was obviously delighted to be back on the ultimate pace. At the flag then, it was Alistair Kellett, just, from Gordon, with Clive Pratt having displaced Greene for the final podium spot towards the end. McHenry hung on for a fine fifth, right on Greene’s bumper, despite the slipping clutch. “I’m delighted to finish fifth”, he said, “considering the car was only finished yesterday and we didn’t even get to test!” Nigel Pratt, who spent much of the previous week fixing McHenry’s car, spent most of the race staring at its back bumper and came home sixth after a good battle. An unusually subdued John Denning was seventh after a hectic battle with reigning Punto 1400 champion Gary Miller who had brake problems in his M+D backed car. Arthur McMahon charged up to finish on brother Roger’s bumper after an early off, the pair entertaining the crowd at the chicane with their two wheeled antics!

Alistair Kellett was on pole for race two and predictably, he made no mistake to lead away. Gordon was second but was under pressure from Greene immediately. Unfortunately, Noel was trying so hard to get past Gordon, he didn’t notice Clive Pratt in his mirrors and with a last minute dive at the chicane Clive was up to third. Alistair was not having it all his own was up front, as he had uncle Gordon on his bumper and had to stay on the inside defensive line on the back straight each lap as Gordon tried to slipstream past. Gary Miller, his brake issues sorted, had displaced Nigel Pratt for fifth with a last minute dive into Colonial and was lapping quicker than fourth place man Greene. As the lead trio battled, Clive Pratt got a run at Gordon Kellett out of the hairpin and they crossed the line side by side. As they went through the flat out Debtor’s Dip doorhandle to doorhandle, Clive squeezed ahead to take second and immediately began to attack leader Alistair Kellett. A few laps later, Pratt replicated the manoeuvre on Alistair and the pair were side by side all the way to Colonial. Clive had the inside and was late on the brakes, taking the lead….momentarily it transpired, as Alistair braked earlier, came across the back of Clive and was alongside and had the inside line for the short run to Fisherman’s where he reclaimed his lead. This really was tin top racing at its best with the racing at the front being hard but fair and the vocal crowd at the chicane being hugely appreciative. This allowed Gordon to close right up to Clive’s back bumper and with 4 minutes to run, it was a three way battle for the lead again! Clive had a go down the inside at the hairpin but got two wheels on the grass and went wide. “I have been testing new pads” said Clive afterwards, “ and am only getting used to them. I chucked it down the inside of Alistair but put two wheels on the grass on the inside and couldn’t get it stopped!”  By the time Clive had sorted himself out, Gordon has retaken second and Noel Greene wasn’t too far away. At the line then, after an action packed race, it was Alistair Kellett for the double, from Gordon Kellett with Clive Pratt in third. Greene was next up ahead of Miller, Nigel Pratt and John Denning, who crossed the line together. Arthur McMahon beat Roger to the flag in this one, but the crowd at the chicane reckoned that Roger was far more entertaining, his antics prompting one paddock wag to suggest that the “Russian judge has given him a 9.2!!”

Anglesea race reports

The Dunlop Abarth Cup made its annual visit to the Ty Croes Circuit on Anglesey last week for the Leinster Motor Club  “Irish Motorsport on Tour” meeting.

12 competitors crossed the Irish Sea and testing on Friday soon showed that the four races would be close fought affairs.  After first qualifying, it was former champion, the Carlow Fiat dealer, Clive Pratt who topped the timesheets, but only just. The ever improving John Denning was next up just ahead of Noel Greene with series leader Alistair Kellett back in an unaccustomed fourth in his self run car. Such was the pace of the less experienced drivers, that the entire grid was covered by less than two seconds!

Clive Pratt duly led away in the first race but immediately came under pressure from John Denning, who seemed buoyed by his recent maiden win at Mondello in his Steve Griffin Motorsport run machine. Alistair Kellett was right with the leading pair but all eves were on Barry-John McHenry who was uncorking a great charge up through the grid after a bad start. McHenry’s BT Racing team had rebuilt the engine on his Tom Kane supported car during the week and he was replaying them with a great drive. Having displaced Gordon Kellett and Simon Quinn, he closed in on the leading group, setting a fastest lap just four hundredths off Pratt’s fastest race lap. Unfortunately on the approach to Rocket hairpin, Nigel Pratt, his mirror folded in from a previous incident, was unsighted and McHenry and he made contact. Pratt was spun off and McHenry was unable to stop, contacting heavily with the AMF car of Noel Green who was running just ahead of the pair. With McHenry’s car badly damaged and on the racing line, the officials took the decision to stop the race. As over two thirds distance had been completed, a result was declared, and Clive Pratt had opened his race winning account for 2010 with Denning second and Alistair Kellett third.

With McHenry out of action for the rest of the weekend, it was Gary Miller who lined up on pole for race two, the reigning Punto 1400 Champion having already won an Abarth race earlier this season. Alongside him was the experienced Gordon Kellett with Alistair Kellett and Clive Pratt next up. When the lights changed Miller appeared to get too much wheelspin and was swamped by the pack, whereas Alistair Kellett made his trademark perfect start and led the field as they completed the first lap. Gordon Kellett was second from Clive Pratt with Nigel Pratt having made a great start to climb to fourth. Miller soon displaced Nigel, with John Denning following. By lap nine, with the Kellett duo still out front, John Denning had ousted Clive Pratt for third as Barry McMahon passed Nigel Pratt to move into the top six.  Up front Alistair had pulled clear of uncle Gordon, but John Denning was on a charge, setting fastest lap by a considerable margin as he closed the gap to Gordon. At the flag it was Alistair from Gordon with Denning completing the podium. Miller continues his impressive 2010 form as he displaced Clive Pratt for fourth in the closing stages.

For race three, the AMF team had worked late into the night repairing the considerable damage on Noel Greene’s car and he lined up on the front row alongside Clive Pratt. Unfortunately, Greene’s car dropped out almost immediately with engine problems, and will most likely need plenty of TLC in the AMF workshops before it returns to the track. Unsurprisingly, Clive Pratt led away but once again Miller was on a charge and up to third place by the end of lap one. He wasn’t finished there, however, as he displaced Gordon Kellett for second place on lap three with Alistair Kellett following him through. Clive used all his experience to lead from lights to flag and grab a healthy portion of championship points but towards the end, Miller had slashed the gap and crossed the line just seven tenths behind the winner, with Alistair Kellett right on his bumper. Gordon Kellett was a lonely fourth with Simon Quinn just pipping John Denning for fifth. In their wake, the trio of Roger, Arthur and Barry McMahon kept the vocal crowd at the top of the hill entertained with a hectic battle all race long. Roger it was who got to the line first from Barry and Arthur on this occasion.

The fourth race was non-championship but nonetheless seven of the 170bhp machines donned Dunlop wet weather race tyres and made their way out to the grid. Despite starting at the back, Alistair Kellett was leading on the exit of turn two. If he had expected to dominate in the absence of some of the front runners though, he was badly mistaken.  Arthur McMahon, proving to be a real rainmeister, hauled Alistair and soon began to pile on the pressure. Alistair used all of his experience to hold back the impressive McMahon to the flag despite some spectacular attacks around the outside into Rocket corner. Behind the battling pair, Clive Pratt just beat brother Nigel with Roger and Barry McMahon having swapped placed with them for the duration.

All in all, a great weekend’s racing from the Abarth Cup competitors, although Messrs McHenry and Greene might disagree. Already though, the BT Racing and AMF teams respectively have begun repairing these cars for the next championship round on 24/7/2010. Alistair Kellett looks like he will be hard to beat to the title but with the resurgence of Clive Pratt and the new and improved John Denning hot on his heels as well as Noel Greene, it won’t be an easy finish to the season for them as there is plenty of close racing to be had over the final rounds!

The Punto Abarths paid their first visit of the season to Mondello Park for the May 8/9 meeting, qualifying taking place on Saturday afternoon before two races on Sunday. Setting the pace was John Denning who stopped the clocks on 1m05.938s, a mere .007s ahead of series leader Noel Greene, who was in turn just another fraction ahead of Alastair Kellett. Paul Copeland and Gordon Kellett were next on the grid with Barry McMahon sixth fastest. Nigel Pratt, Barry John McHenry, Arthur McMahon, Gary Miller and Simon Quinn were the last five qualifiers. John later attributed his first ever pole position to Steve Griffin, who pulled his driver into the pits for new slicks in the dying minutes of qualifying!

Race 1

For the two races, the Abarth drivers started behind the Strykers and some 30 seconds later, the tin tops set off with Denning taking up the running from Greene, Alastair Kellett and uncle Gordon, while Simon Quinn grounded himself in the gravel at Dunlop corner. The safety car was deployed but before long racing resumed with Denning again assuming control at the front of the Abarths. Greene and Alastair Kellett were close behind and keeping the pressure on but unable to find a way past Rathfarnham driver Denning, who came home for a superb win after 10 laps. Greene and Alastair Kellett came across the line in a photo finish with Greene just getting the verdict, while Gordon Kellett was a relatively lonely fourth from Gary Miller, who charged through the pack in the early stages. Copeland, after an early strong showing, was right on Barry-John McHenry’s tail over the line with Pratt not far behind this pair. Barry McMahon had a fight to the end with brother, Arthur McMahon for last place.

Race 2

Greene turned the tables on Denning in race two and this time made sure he kept John behind him throughout. It wasn’t quite as close as the first race as Greene managed to pull out a lead of over a second as the 15 lapper continued. Quinn made amends for dumping his Abarth in the kitty litter in the first race by ensuring he had the measure of Alastair Kellett for third place. Meanwhile Copeland was some way behind the leading quartet with Pratt next chased hard by McHenry. Gordon Kellett pipped the McMahons, Barry and Arthur, for the final positions.

With four rounds run Greene leads the series with 68 points, six points clear of Denning. Alastair Kellett is currently third in the championship with 58 points and these three drivers each have a win apiece along with Gary Miller. It’s all to play for as the series moves to Anglesea on July 3rd and 4th.

Dunlop Abarth Cup

Kirkistown 27^th March 2010

The 2010 Dunlop Abarth Cup kicked off at Kirkistown in County Down last weekend. In Friday testing, Alistair Kellett and Noel Greene, two hot tips for the 2010 title, were setting the pace before Alistair suffered an engine failure. The testing times were the talk of the paddock, not because of the pace, but because of how close they all were, with the newcomer’s right up there with the experienced campaigners.

Race 1

Alistair Kellett drew first blood in qualifying with pole position, by less than two tenths from Noel Greene’s AMF car, with an impressive John Denning in third. The big surprise was the pace of Barry McMahon, who qualified in fourth place, less than half a second off pole. Unfortunately, Paul Copeland, who had been going well in testing, lost the back end of his car on the fast entry to Colonial Corner and spun off the track. His spin brought him back onto the track just in front of Gordon Kellett who had nowhere to go. The resultant contact destroyed the back end of Copeland’s Kellett Motorsport run car but Paul emerged unharmed. Gordon’s car was also badly damaged but all credit to the Murray Motorsport team who somehow managed to patch the car up and fit a new gearbox just in time for race one.  There was some confusion in the assembly area when three competitors, who will remain unnamed (!), were late arriving and missed the grid assembly. They were released from the pit lane though and managed to regain their grid spots by the time the pack came around to form up on the grid.  When the lights changed, Alistair Kellett made a cracking start and as they swept through Debtors he was leading by a couple of lengths. The big mover though was Barry-John McHenry. Having lined up 8^th, his Tom Kane Motors backed car somehow arrived at Colonial in second place! As Alistair Kellett eased away, Noel Greene was on a charge after a bad start, displacing John Denning before finding McHenry a tougher prospect. He found a way by though, and eased away as he began to close down Alistair’s lead. With both drivers visibly trying, Greene set fastest lap and with two laps to run, he was on Alistair’s bumper Try as he might, though, he couldn’t find a gap and that’s how they crossed the line. In their wake, Denning had displaced McHenry for the final podium position whilst McHenry graduated with honours in defensive driving by holding the experienced Gordon Kellett off in the closing stages. Behind this group Barry McMahon came out best in the tussle of the McMahon brothers, while Gary Miller retired with a broken gearbox on lap 7.

Race 2

With the top six grid positions reversed for race two it was Roger McMahon on pole, with Gary Miller alongside, having replaced his gearbox in the intervening period. Miller made a great start to lead through Debtors. Somewhere in the middle of the pack there was contact and Alistair Kellett was spun around, rejoining last and well back. Greene had made a great start and immediately worked his way to third place. He had trouble getting past Roger McMahon for second but finally made it stick after a fraught moment at Fishermans. Miller had got the head down in the early laps however and the reigning Punto 1400 champion was obviously not going to hand this one over without a fight. Greene closed right up but could not find a way past, despite several lunges that almost got him alongside at Fishermans. Meanwhile McHenry was uncorking a superb drive up through the field and by half distance was up to third and closing on the leaders. He dispatched Greene at the chicane with a few laps to run and closed right up to Miller on the last lap but the Ashbourne man held on for an impressive win in only his second race! “I thought the chequered flag would never come but it’s been a dream debut weekend for me in the Dunlop Abarth Cup” said an elated Miller afterwards. McHenry was equally delighted with second place, “The car was fantastic”, he said afterwards, “the guys at BT racing did a great job and I am ecstatic with this result!” Noel Greene took the final podium spot and with it the championship lead but admitted to being a little disappointed that he had not taken a win at the County Down venue. Barry McMahon once again led home the McMahon brothers and took an excellent fourth just ahead of Roger with John Denning next up. Alistair Kellett charged back up to seventh by the flag, setting the fastest lap in the process. Arthur McMahon had been having a good run until a mistake at the chicane saw him slide off into the tyre wall. He managed to regain the track and continue at the back of the field when he eventually lost out on eighth place to Gordon Kellett by just one second. Gordon had experienced brake problems in mid race following an off track excursion which dropped him to the back of the field and he managed to regain one place before the chequered flag.

So it looks like some of the old hands might have to work harder than they had bargained on to fight off the young chargers in the Dunlop Abarth Cup 2010. It is shaping up to be another exciting year for the championship.

The next round is in Mondello on the 9th of May 2010.

Leo Nulty