MCCULLOUGHTAKESNI FORMULAFORDBRACE
Matt Round-garrido has led the Northern Irish Formula Ford 1600 Championship since the first round.
But while his pace in the Bernard Dolan-run Medina has never been in doubt, the Midlander has encountered several bumps along a road which he hopes will eventually lead to a place in the Mazda Road to Indy Shootout.
One of those bumps appeared just yards after the start of the first of two races last weekend in the shape of Ivor Mccullough’s rear wheel, which he climbed over on the way to retirement.
Meanwhile a very on-form David Mccullough, unhindered by the fracas developing around him, romped off into a lead he was never to lose. Behind him Alan Davidson, who started back in the pack after losing a front wheel during qualifying, engaged the recovering Ivor in wheel-to-wheel combat, eventually pulling clear to claim second spot and Pre-’90 honours and, just for an hour or so, moving to within 10 points of Round-garrido in the championship standings.
Ivor Mccullough had to settle for third in his first race for almost a year, just ahead of the battling Van Diemens of Will Herron and Scott Finlay. Further back, Swiss visitor Gislain Genecand monstered Paul Mcmorran’s 47-year-old Crossle 20F into the top 10 in the early stages and, although eventually passed by some much younger machinery, took Pre-’82 honours.
The Mccullough brothers staged a repeat performance in race two, but this time it was Round-garrido keeping them apart on the results table. Davidson eventually placed fifth behind Herron, but remains RoundGarrido’s closest rival for the title with two rounds still to run.
Elsewhere in a very busy day, there was a win for Eamon Matheson’s MM Honda turbo in BOSS Ireland from the mighty Mclaren M10B of Swiss visitor Alain Girardet. David Parks won the concurrent Formula Sheane encounter by a nose from Richard Kearney, clinching the title in the process.
Matheson led race two as well, but was despatched by an errant backmarker at the Hairpin bringing out the red flags. The restarted race fell to Barry Rabbitt’s Tatuus Frenault from Sam Mansfield’s Radical SR8.
Saloon excitement was provided by the battling SEAT Leons of Eoin Murray, Shane Murphy and Barry English but it was Murray who took the spoils. He might well have won the second too, but mingled with the Hairpin tyre barrier and caused red flags to fly again. There were no Leons in the restarted race, which was won by the Hondas of Stephen Potter, Stephen Traub and Ciaran Denvir.
Further tin-top fun came from the solitary Fiesta race where Ricky Hull emerged victorious from Malcolm Mckeown and Paul Stewart, while the Mondellobased Legends entertained as always, two victories going to Paul O’brien and the third to veteran Ivor Greenwood.
Mike Johnston and Jim Larkham renewed their rivalry in two Roadsports encounters, taking one win and one second place apiece.
Like the Fiestas, the Formula Vee contingent had just one race this time, which was won by Anthony Cross by the considerable (for Irish Vees) margin of eight seconds. Lee Newsome and Ken Brown were the placemen.