Leinster Trophy Preview 2009
A season high fourty four Formula VEE’s have entered the Leinster Trophy
Races at Mondello Park Sunday September 19th, and while some are serious contenders to lift Irish Motorsports most prestigious prize most are more hopeful than confident. The reality is anyone could win.
The Leinster Trophy was first raced for in 1938 and won by Faye Taylor, it has since had some the names of Mort sports most famous sons added to it. Eddie Jordan (78), Mika Hakkinen (88) and most famously Ayrton Senna (82) are previous winners.
Formula VEE is Irelands biggest racing class and has been running for over forty years. They regularly have 30 competitors out on a race weekend there are three separate championships (National, Intermediate, and Novice) so all levels of racing driver are catered for. The cars are all designed and built in Ireland, Leastone in Kildare and the Sheane’s, which are built in Wicklow. The cars run an air-cooled 1600cc VW Beetle mildly tuned but restricted engine. This puts the emphasis on driver skill to win races.
Current championship contenders Stephen Kershaw, and Robbie Allen lead the charge of current racers. Kershaw leads the Championship and has won three races this season; he is racing better than ever this year. Allen hasn’t won a championship round more down to bad luck but did win the prestigious Phoenix Park motor races. Paddock opinion is that he has the fastest car. Brian Kelly will be hoping for rain during qualifying, he is the current rain master of VEE’s and if he gets in front he’ll be hard to overtake. Dan Polley, Robert Casey, and Dave O Brien should all be watched.
Former Champion Ken Elliott heads the list of former racers entered for the event. Elliott was the 2007 champion who now heads the successful KERS Motoropsrt team. He was second to Allen on the Park this year. He also holds the lap record for Mondello Park’s International track on which the race will run. Paul Sammin, and Ray More are also serious contenders. Moore is a former Irish and UK Champion who knows how to win. He’s only just returned to racing this year. Sammin has finished on the podium in this race before in both Formula Opel, and Formula Ireland.
He will race the green car of Alan Whitty that was so fast last season. Keep an eye on Shane Ringwood, Robbie Parkes, and Owen Purcell too.
There will be two Championship races on Saturday that will decide this year’s title followed by a paddock barbeque. Sunday will see two qualifying sessions and a heat before the big race goes off at 3.30.