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Anglesey Circuit
Historic Championship
Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July 2009
By Gary Fox
Fans of historic racing enjoyed a bumper weekend of action at the Anglesey circuit.
Jackie Cochrane was once again the man to catch, returning across the Irish Sea with two clean victories but he was made to work hard for results.
Challenges from Ed Cassidy, Stephen Doyle and Alan Kessie all ensured victory for the man from Armagh was less than straightforward.
Alan Kessie had the eye catching Gryphone C73 on track for the Welsh meeting and it was a massive crowd pleaser. Blistering around the Coastal track, it was difficult for fans for keep their eyes away from the yellow Gryphon.
The Historic class was one of the best represented classes over the course of the weekend, strolling through the paddock; spectators were able to cast an eye over Sunbeam Tigers, Lotus Elans, MG Midgets and the eye-catching Davrian Imp belonging to Leo Nulty.
Nulty is best known to racing fans as the voice of the Irish motorsport commentary from Mondello and circuits across the country but his performances over the weekend indicates he clearly knows his way around a race track.
Speaking after race three, Nulty reflected on the weekend overall, he said “It’s a great weekend – the track is very well looked after – there’s a brilliant party atmosphere”
Only an electrical problem prevented him for challenging from top honours, forcing his withdrawal from race one, but he recovered well in races two and three to be involved at the sharp end for podium positions.
The Imp displayed incredible pace around the challenging Coastal circuit and will certainly be one to watch back at Mondello.
Gleaming in brilliant white, the Davrian drew admiring glances all around the track and paddock.
Misfortune struck the promising Stephen Doyle early in the meeting, he explained what went wrong after the race, he said ““First race of the weekend, we snapped a throttle cable and retired from the race.”
Ed Cassidy and David Kelly were left to battle it out for second and third spot respectively after Cochrane sealed victory.
Vinny O’Reilly bought home his Austin Healy Sprite in fifth spot after a very entertaining performance; O’Reilly is a driver who never fails to give everything once he sits behind the wheel.
The second race of the meeting looked destined to be all about Alan Kessie as the pace of the Gryphon simply blazed through the pack and posed all sorts of problems for Jackie Cochrane.
Sadly for both Kessie and the spectators who were enthralled by the battle, the rear left panel began to rub on the tyre, forcing the Gryphon into the pits for rapid repairs before he rejoined the field to take third spot overall.
Stephen Doyle took up the mantle for second spot and drove a peerless race but was unable to reel in the yearning gap opened up by Cochrane following Kessies demise.
Doyle said after the race, “We have had a mixed weekend really, all in all – the first race today (Sunday) we had a good challenge from Jackie Cochrane, we got him off the line but he got the good run on us out the straight and this circuit its very hard to hold him off.”
Race three was missing Jackie Cochrane but the entertainment value never dropped and it became a keenly contested battle to see who could snatch their first victory of the weekend.
Yet again it was Kessie, who despite starting from pit lane, was soon battling for top spot with Stephen Doyle. Doyle who had already recorded a second place was eager to earn some very valuable Championship points and was never going to relinquish top spot easily.
Bernard Foley, Doyle and Simon Doyle enjoyed a tight three way contest on the opening laps to see who would emerge in top spot.
Further back in the main field, Orla Cassidy and Barry Smith were having a proper tussle, Smith leading away from Cassidy who was making her Midget work to force an angle past Smith. Cassidy caught the eye of spectators over the course of the weekend for her consistent performances and is undoubtedly going to move through the Historic field as her career progresses.
Ed Cassidy found Colin Rooney in no mood for an easy afternoon, but the straight line speed of Cassidy’s Sunbeam soon saw him ease past the Hillman Imp on the long straight stretch which runs parallel to the dramatic coastline.
It was late drama again in race three as just when Alan Kessie looked like he may clinch the pole position, smoke began billowing from that troublesome left rear wheel. Over the course of the race, the Gryphon had picked up damage to the tyre as spectators looked on in amazement as Kessie coaxed the Gryphon over the line down the pit lane with the back tyre in pieces and barely holding on.
A victory and second place for Stephen Doyle sees him very much still in the hunt for Championship honours and he outlined his plans for the rest of the season, he said “(I am) A little bit under pressure for this Historic Championship, we would need a lot of wins, which would be a tough achievement, we will hang in with it and hope for the best, we certainly wont give up.”
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