Like so many other activities, motor racing at Kirkistown Race circuit in County Down, has been non-existent this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, that is about to change on Saturday 25th July, 2020, when an eleven race event will happen. Unfortunately, spectators will not be allowed in, for social distancing reasons. Hopefully, these restrictions may be eased in the future as the R-number continues to fall. There is a way that enthusiasts can be aware of what is going on, as it happens. All cars and karts must have electronic transponders and these interact with a web app…
Author: Donal O'Neill
Sunday 5th July saw a very successful day enjoyed by most people, with a couple of notable exceptions. The Virgin obviously wasn’t but her heart must have been in the right place, as the track did dry quickly after each heavy shower. With new drivers making a return, the group system was in use. Four groups were created, three for experienced drivers and one for the Newbies. Groups 2 and 4 were heavily populated with second drivers. Neil McGreevy was one of the first on track in his Clio. He went well for most of the day until, later in…
The weather gods looked kindly on Kirkistown, as the final car race meeting of 2019 took place on Saturday 28th September. Sunshine and blue skies dominated the day. Gerard O’Connell had the only GT car present and he joined the NI Saloons grid. Circulating almost 3 seconds faster than anyone else, he put on a great show in the first race of the day, lapping everyone bar the NI Saloons winner, Downpatrick’s Ciaran Denvir. Peter Baxter, from Lurgan, was debuting his Seat Leon Cupra and he was the second saloon home. Third was Lisburn’s Greer Wray, fractionally ahead of Derry’s…
Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August sees the biggest car racing meeting of the year at Kirkistown Race Circuit in County Down. As well as the four domestic championships, we also have rounds from major visiting championships including BOSS Ireland, Formula Sheane, Ginetta Junior, Formula Vee, Irish Seats, Fiesta Ireland and the National British Avon Formula Ford 1600s. The Ginetta Juniors will only be racing on Friday. Matthew Nicholl, from Limavady, will be trying to reverse his bad fortune from the July meeting. If good luck prevails, he should be at the front of a small field. The first of…
The car race meeting at Kirkistown on Saturday 27th July 2109 was marred by the death of a popular competitor, Dr Paul Conn, in the second Roadsports race. However, partly as a tribute to Paul, here is a synopsis of the races, prior to the fatal incident. The first race of the day was for the Dawson-WAM NI FF1600s and what a race it turned out to be!It naturally divided into two groups.At the front were Ballymena brothers, Ivor and David McCullough, Lisburn’s Will Herron and The Randalstown Rocket, Alan Davidson. Ivor and Herron had locked out the front row…
The racing was superb at the 500MRCI’s combined car and Superkart meeting on Saturday 22nd June 2019. The first race of the day was for Kirkistown Fiestas and Mazda MX5s. Nutt’s Corner’s Eórann O’Neill was on pole in her MX5 but Ballyhalbert’s David Cousins got the better start and led into Colonial 1. In the Fiestas, Belfast’s Paul Stewart got the jump on his brother, Mark. Strangford’s Megan Campbell and Belfast’s Desi McGlade were in close attendance. Cousins and O’Neill swapped positions on laps 2, 3 and 4. In fact, O’Neill spun going into Maguire’s Hairpin on lap 4 but by…
Sunday 9th June turned out to be a grand day at Kirkistown for the Trackskills track day. A great selection of cars were there and the weather was kind. Unfortunately, a number of red flag incidents slowed up the first part of the day. Most were for cars stopped in dangerous positions but two were for fairly large accidents. Gavin Kilkey had an uncharacteristic off at Debtor’s Dip, in his Evo. It is unconfirmed but at the moment we believe that something broke, causing the car to turn sharp left and into the barriers. Thankfully, Gavin was shaken but not…
What a difference six days makes! On Easter Monday a massive crowd enjoyed beautiful, hot and sunny weather, while watching some great motorbike racing at Kirkistown Race Circuit. On Saturday 27th April, the sun and heat had been replaced by torrential rain and high winds. However, the common factor was great racing! It was car racing this time. The first race of the day was a combination of two classes, Kirkistown Fiestas and Mazda MX5s. Seven Fiestas and four Mazdas took the start. In the Fiesta class, 2018 Champion Paul Stewart, his brother Mark and close friend Desi McGlade, all…
The April car race meeting takes place at Kirkistown Circuit in County down on Saturday 27th April 2019. The Kirkistown Saloons do not have the Irish Touring Cars with them this time but the Future Classics may be on the same grid, to provide another mega-line-up! Belfast’s Stephen Traub (Civic) heads the entry in his Honda Civic, while Legenderry’s Gavin Kilkey will be hoping to repeat his double victory in the BMW 330i class. The GTs run concurrently with the Saloons but, to date, only Gerard O’Connell, from Dungiven, has entered, with his amazing 2.8 Ford Escort silhouette. However, even…
The Northern Irish car racing season got off to a wonderful start at Kirkistown Race circuit in County Down, on Saturday 30th March. The gate receipts were being donated to the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland and that, coupled with a reduction in entry fee to £10 per person, led to a large spectator attendance. Good weather was also in attendance. The first race of the day was for Roadsports. Jim Larkham, from Newtownabbey, was the fancied runner but Paul Conn, from Lisburn, and the evergreen Ivor Greenwood, from Dundrod, had other ideas. Greenwood put his Radical Prosport on pole, ahead…
This Saturday 30th March sees the beginning of the motor racing season at Kirkistown Circuit in County Down. The Five hundred Motor Racing Club of Ireland, who own and promote Kirkistown Circuit, have dropped the entry fee to a donation of £10 per person, over 15 years old. All of the gate receipts will be given to Air Ambulance Northern Ireland. This meeting is unique in that Touring Cars or Saloons, as they are sometimes known, will take central stage. The ITCC are visiting and will combine with Kirkistown Saloons. At the time of writing, 27 cars are entered for 2 races. The maximum…
Saturday 25th August saw one of the most packed car racing programmes in a long time play out, in good weather, at Kirkistown Race Circuit. Originally there were seventeen races scheduled but this was deemed unworkable and two were postponed until the final meeting of the year on 29th September. The opening race was for Roadsports. The big rivalry all season has been between Dromara’s Mike Johnston in his Opel Tigra and Newtownabbey’s Jim Larkham in his Radical PRO6. However it looked as if this would be thwarted, as Larkham had a major problem in qualifying. His car only managed…