Dunlop Abarth Cup

Rounds 1 & 2

Mondello

26^th June 2011

Qualifying

Five cars lined out for the first rounds of the 2011 Dunlop Abarth Cup. Qualifying started at 9.00am and on a dry track John Denning was quick to stamp his authority on the opening session by setting the time which would put him on pole position on lap 4.  He was joined on the front row by Barry John McHenry, who was looking for a change of fortune having moved teams to Kellett Motorsport where he is being run by last years champion Alastair Kellett. This new combination was already paying dividends as Barry John enjoyed his best qualifying since moving up to the Abarths. Row two was taken up by Noel Greene and Gary Miller who set times just one tenth of a second apart. The final place on the grid was taken up by Gordon Kellett, who was suffering a misfire for most of qualifying and was well off the pace as a result. He hoped to get this sorted out for the race.

Race 1

When the lights went out for the start of race one there was a charge to the first corner. Barry John McHenry made the better start from the outside of the front row to lead into the first corner, with John Denning in close pursuit. Behind them Noel Greene slotted into third place with Gary Miller fourth and Gordon Kellett next. Gordon was putting pressure on Gary for fourth spot when he made an uncharacteristic error at Dunlop at the end of the first lap, which gave Gary some breathing space. Gordon then spent the rest of the race chasing down Gary to try and get the fourth spot, setting fastest lap in the process. Up front things had become a little spread out, Barry John had eased out a slight advantage over John which he was able to hold to the chequered flag, giving him his first victory in the Dunlop Abarth Cup. Noel Greene crossed the line in third place with Gordon Kellett fourth having passed Gary on the last lap, with Gary taking up the rear. However, both Noel and Gordon were subsequently penalised for passing under a yellow flag and had 15 seconds added to their time, which moved Noel down to fourth and Gordon to fifth giving Gary the last podium position.

Race 2

The grid for race two, which was taken from the second fastest qualifying time, was the same as for race one with John Denning again on pole with Barry John McHenry along side. The question was could Barry John make another lightning start or would John close him out to hold first place going into the first bend. When the lights went out both men charged off the line, but again Barry John made the better start and moved across to lead into the first bend. Thereafter he was able to control the pace for another lights to flag victory, setting fastest lap along the way. Behind him John Denning maintained his second spot and eased out a gap on Gary Miller to take a comfortable second spot. Gary Miller got the better of Noel Greene to slot into third place on the opening lap and held this to the finish. Behind him Noel and Gordon Kellett were involved in a tussle for fourth spot when Gordon passed Noel on the third lap. However, Noel was not one to give up easily and harried Gordon for the next few laps to finally retake fourth on lap ten, when he was able to open up a three second gap and hold this spot to the flag.

Championship table*

Name                                                   Points

1. Barry John McHenry                      40
2. John Denning                                  34
3. Gary Miller                                    28
   

* Only three of the competing drivers are registered and eligible for championship points.

Alistair Kellett wrapped up the 2010 Dunlop Abarth title with a great weekend at the showcase Leinster Trophy meeting in September.

Alistair made the best start to the final leg of his championship challenge by topping the timesheets in qualifying, ensuring that he started from the coveted pole position for race one. His closest championship competitor, Noel Greene was third and crucially, Clive Pratt was second. “ I am not involved in the championship showdown said Clive, I’m just here to try and win and have some fun!” Next up was Nigel Pratt from Gordon Kellett, John Denning and a disappointed Barry-John McHenry.

Alistair has made a name for himself in Abarths as the master of the standing start and he confirmed this by leading away when the red lights went out as the Puntos headed toward Honda corner. Man of the moment Clive Pratt was right with him however as they rounded Honda corner, the Carlowman having missed a few rounds earlier in the season and not being in the running for the title. Many wondered if Alistair might let Clive past and take second place, which still would seal the 2010 title but the Kells based preparation expert had other ideas! Clive challenged for the lead almost every lap, many times getting alongside on the long back straight before the double righthanders, 7a and 7b, but each time Alistair had him covered. Gordon Kellet had made a great start and ran third in the early stages, right with the leading pair, with Alistair’s main title contender Noel Greene shadowing them in fourth. Greene, no doubt seeing his title hopes slip away, put on a charge, displacing Gordon and closing up on the lead duo. Nigel Pratt, meanwhile, was driving superbly and was closing in on the top four. As the race progressed, it seemed Alistair was controlling it all from the front but Clive never gave up, challenging at every opportunity, even taking to the grass on occasion in his efforts to take the lead. Greene, in turn challenged for second each time the leader rebuffed Clive’s attempts but Clive was driving with one eye on the mirrors and kept the door firmly closed. That’s the way it stayed to the flag, with the jubilant new champion weaving in celebration as he crossed the line to become only the second driver in history to capture titles in all three Fiat Classes. Clive shadowed him across the line, with Greene, Kellett, Nigel Pratt having retired late on with an unusual and spectacular engine failure at turn one. Best of the rest was Gary Miller in fifth.

In race two, with the usual grid shuffle to spice things up, it was Nigel Pratt starting on pole with Noel Greene alongside. Clive Pratt was third with the newly crowned champion Alistair Kellett alongside in fourth.

Greene it was who made the best start when the red light went out, with Nigel slotting in behind, from Clive and Kellett. Down into 7a on the international loop on lap one, Clive tried to unsuccessfully wrest second from his brother as the fast starting Gary Miller barged by Alistair on the exit. As Greene pulled away, Nigel slowed on the run to Birrane’s Bends to allow Clive passed before closing the door on the following pair of Miller and Kellett. A lap later, however, Miller got alongside Nigel on the exit of Mazda. In the ensuing contact, Nigel took to the grass and lost the place but immediately fought back. With Alistair right in there too, this is the battle that everyone was watching! When Nigel got alongside again on the main straight, the pair again swapped paint, allowing Alistair past Nigel. Up front Clive Pratt was pushing hard but Noel Greene was in the groove and controlled the gap beautifully. Miller’s car didn’t seem to be handling too well as the race progressed and when he got out of shape through the quick Lola right hander, Alistair didn’t need a second invitation and drove by on the exit. At the flag then, it was a delighted Noel Greene who won the coveted Dunlop Trophy, awarded anuallly to the winner of the second Abarth race at the Leinster Trophy Meeting, from Alistair with Gordon Kellett completing the podium in third. Gordon had the attentions of Barry John McHenry for the duration, McHenry continuing his recent good run of form.

Without doubt though, the happiest man in the paddock was Alistair Kellett “ I’m delighted. It has been a long season and Noel pushed me hard. I would also like to thank Nigel Pratt and Paul Copeland for helping me after my accident at the penultimate round; without them I might not have made it onto the grid this weekend!”

Leo Nulty

The Dunlop Abarth series continued to entertain on their most recent visit to Mondello Park on August 22^nd.  Noel Greene’s AMF run car made the running in qualifying, grabbing pole position with a time of 1:05.723, just two tenths ahead of series leader Alistair Kellett Former Champion Clive Pratt and Gordon Kellett were next up from a back on form John Denning and Barry-John McHenry.

When the lights changed to green, Alistair made his trademark cracker start to lead the pack down into Honda Corner for the first time. Noel Greene held onto second but was soon under pressure from the charging Clive Pratt, who moved up to second on lap four, taking the place on the main straight. Pratt then closed on Kellett but found him a more difficult prospect. Alistair held on until the approach to Dunlop corner on lap seven. “I had the door half closed because I didn’t expect Clive to make a move there!”, said Alistair afterwards. Clive dived down the inside and took the lead, Alistair fighting back on the main straight but unable to regain the lead.  Clive kept the lead until the chequered flag, Alistair right with him all the way, with Noel Green just over a second adrift. Gordon Kellett had a lonely run to fourth having lost contact with the leaders after contact with Gary Miller on the first lap. Nigel Pratt was next up from Roger McMahon, Miller and Arthur McMahon. Barry-John McHenry recorded a non finish when a soft brake pedal sent him into the kitty litter at Mazda corner whilst running mid grid, whilst John Denning’s disastrous luck continued with another mechanical failure.

With the top drivers in the championship standings frantically calculating points between races, it was obvious that some would be driving with one eye on the title chase, rather than the outright win. Series leader Alistair Kellett was one of these but unfortunately it all went wrong for him inside a lap. Clive Pratt and Alistair rounded turn two together with Alistair coming off the worst, taking to the grass on the outside and dropping back. As the pack rounded turn three, Nigel Pratt’s car broke away on cold tyres and spun across the track, collecting the hapless Alistair as he rejoined the tarmac. With severe damage to both cars, the race was stopped and neither would take any part in the restart. At the restart, pole man John Denning made no mistakes to lead away for the second time, from Clive Pratt and Noel Greene. Denning seemed composed in the early stages as Greene attacked Clive, the trio just ahead of a fantastic battle between Gordon Kellett and the charging Barry-John McHenry, reveling in the handling of his recently rebuilt car. Clive Pratt was determined to do the double and took the lead on lap three with a replica of his earlier manoeuvre on Alistair at Dunlop corner. As Clive pulled clear, Denning came under pressure from Noel Greene with Kellett and McHenry right there too.  Greene tried a move round the outside of Denning at Dunlop corner but ran wide, allowing Kellett and McHenry through. McHenry appeared to have more pace than of late but his every move was covered by the experienced Kellett

At the flag, it was Clive Pratt who took his second win of the day, from John Denning, with “Gordo” just holding off McHenry, the pair embracing warmly in parc ferme after what they both described as a fantastic battle! Greene was next up, rueing his chances to take more points whilst his title rival Alistair Kellett was watching from the pitwall.

Driver quotes

Clive Pratt: “I had to work hard for that second one but the car was great. I don’t figure in the title race but it’s great to get two wins”

John Denning:“I couldn’t believe it when the red flag came out and I had to do it all again. Clive did well to get by me and then I was under huge pressure from Noel Greene and then Gordo, I was never so happy to see a chequered flag!”

Gordon Kellett: “Great race! Barry-John was all over me from the first lap to the flag, but we never touched. I couldn’t relax though, he did a great job. I really enjoyed it!”

On a weekend when many expected Alistair to have wrapped up the title, it all went wrong for the former Uno and Punto 1400 Champion. It’s not over yet though, and even with a decreased lead in the series, It would be a brave man to bet against the guy who is quickly getting a name as the saloon car specialist!  Next round is at the Leinster Trophy meeting on September the 11^th and 12^th.

All of the action above was captured by the Frame It Productions TV crew and should be broadcast on Motors TV soon. Keep an eye on this website for the exact dates. The Leinster Trophy Abarth races will also be covered by the TV crew so don’t miss it!

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!!”