Ray Moore wins the Leinster Trophy in a Leastone

Two lads, a transit and....a lilo??

We’ve never been much for numbers. This, combined with the traditional last minute preparations for the upcoming season almost resulted in a noteworthy statistic slipping by. This time 15 years ago, Paul Heavey was busy putting the finishing touches to Ray Moore’s UK spec JH002. Trevor Harding had campaigned a JH002 at selected events in ’95 but this was the team’s first assault on the other side of the water...and for a brief moment it looked like a disastrous move.

With the car decked out in what was Moore’s trademark at the time, Kermit the frog green, Moore arrived in a chilly Silverstone, minus the team boss who was busy finishing customer cars for the Irish market. Work that was interrupted by a phone call from Silverstone informing HQ that the gearbox ratios were out of synch with UK regs. A simple oversight resulted in Moore being informed that he could race, but if he took the chequered flag, he would be docked 2 best results for the technical infringement. Moore managed to run in the top five before heading to the pits on the penultimate lap. Hmmmm...not the most encouraging of starts to a campaign.

At the time, the team used a high roof Ford transit to ferry the car across the length and breadth of the UK. It’s red body and white roof paintwork rendered it somewhat a cult icon in the paddocks of England as it also served as the team accommodation. As the boys pulled up between numerous kontiki’s, winnebago’s and state of the art Brian James trailers, the paddock afforded themselves a little snigger. Funny enough, that all stopped when Moore stuck the car on the front row for only his second event in the car. The Irish were here and meant business.

The team weren’t quite sure what to expect before embarking on this endeavour but it was clear that the JH002 enjoyed the fast sweeping English tracks as much as Moore enjoyed driving them. A number of wins and podiums during the mid part of the season saw Moore establish himself firmly in the run for the championship.

As the season entered the closing stages, Moore found himself embroiled in a 3 way battle with multi champion Andreas Serrano in his US built Predator and Martin Eyre in the Scarab. Serrano tested Moore’s JH002 at the Nurburgring earlier in the year, lapping half a second quicker than Moore and leading Serrano to remark; ‘If I’d a car like that, I’d have Moore’s ass every weekend’ in his laid back Ecuadorian drole.

Eyre fell out of contention prior to the final round at Snetterton in Norfolk, and with Moore enjoying a dominant mid season run, he arrived at Snett just needing a 10th place to win his first title. Moore was effectively handed the title when Serrano had his appendix removed the week before and was forced onto the sidelines.

The season was rounded out the in perfect style, with Moore winning the race after a typical race long slipstreaming battle with Ian Jordan. During the season, Moore built up a great rapport with Serrano and in a nice display of sportsmanship; Serrano brought Moore and Heavey out for dinner to celebrate the win.

With that, Leastone became the first Irish constructor to win a UK championship* which opened the floodgates for a further 3 UK championships and 4 Irish titles to boot. Such was the feat; both Moore and Heavey were invited onto ‘The Late Late Show’ to discuss their success. Anyone to have seen the interview will recall Paul Heavey’s horrendous jumper as much as the amusing tale two Irish boys travelling the length of England in a transit with a lilo strapped to the roof.

Fitting that Moore enters this year defending champion, albeit a little closer to home....

*There has been some confusion over this statement with some folks thinking that Crossle were the first to achieve the feat. No slight on Crossles tremendous success, but a quick look at their tax returns can lay that argument to bed.

Next Event: Mondello Park