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