TOHILL CONTINUES HIS HOT FORM AT MONDELLO SHOWDOWN
British and European Rallycross champion Derek Tohill marched on in a quest for a record eighth Irish Rallycross Championship crown as the 2024 campaign passed its midway point.
Leading the standings entering the latest Mondello Park event, Tohill led from the front in the opening heat races on Saturday, while his closet challengers in the form of Murray Motorsport teammates John McCluskey and Michael Leonard, and rallycross stalwart Tommy Graham, battled to be next best.
In heat three, Tohill was collected by Leonard at the joker merge, the latter subsequently excluded for the move.
In the Supercar final, McCluskey jumped the start, before contact between McCluskey and Graham slowed both and Leonard behind, giving Tohill clear air to win.
The Superfinal was a similar affair, albeit without a joker lap in use and the race being red flagged for Graham’s stranded Ford Fiesta on the outside of the first corner.
In the restarted encounter, Tohill led from the front, but came under pressure from McCluskey late on as the race leader cleared backmarkers, and ultimately crossed the finish line on the grass while lapping his father George, racing his Modified class BMW.
On Sunday, contact between Tohill and McCluskey in heat one put Tohill out, but he returned to win heat two and three.
In the Supercar final, McCluskey squeezed
Tohill into the wall inTurn 1 and would later receive a three-second penalty, while Leonard took the win. However, the
Supercar final winner would run wide in the first corner of the Superfinal, allowing Tohill through, before both Leonard and McCuskey spun following contact, putting Leonard out.
Tohill won, while Darragh Morris finished second in his Subaru and Peter McGarry completed the podium.
Results
Irish RX Mondello Organiser: Irish RX/Mondello Park When: March 2-3 Where: Mondello Park, Ireland Starters: 72. Round 3: Super Final: 1 Derek Tohill (Ford Fiesta) 4m07.029s; 2 John McCluskey (Ford Fiesta) +0..499s; 3 Michael Leonard (Ford Fiesta) 4 Andrew Morris (Subaru Impreza); 5 Wayne Keogh (Subaru Impreza); 6 Derek Lenihan (Toyota MR2); Supercar: Tohill. Modified: Peter McGarry (Vauxhall VX220). Open Clubman: Oisin Keane (Ford Zetec). Rally Cars: Wayne Keogh (Subaru Impreza). Junior: Cody Mohon (BMW Mini). Super Buggies: Jack Newman (Speedcar Wonder). Round 4: Super Final: 1 Tohill 3m56.118s; 2 Darragh Morris (Subaru Impreza) +4.925s; 3 McGarry; 4 McCluskey; 5 Kieran Curran (Opel Corsa); 6 Lenihan. Supercar: Leonard. Modified: McGarry. Open Clubman: Christopher Grimes Jr (Ford Fiesta). Rally Cars: Thomas O’Rafferty (Opel Corsa). Junior: Mohon. Super Buggies: Newman