Dillon and Gillespie share the spoils

Mondello Park 23-7-6

After the problems suffered during the opening round, the Formula 5 championship had much better fortune during the 3rd and 4th rounds at Mondello last weekend. Kevin Gillespie and Dominic Dillon came away with wins and while Gillespie still leads the championship, he does so at a depleted margin after a non-finish in race 2.

2 cars failed to make it to the grid after failures in Saturday testing, dropping entries from 7 to 5. David Heavey was the first to withdraw when he managed to overheat his engine while Kevin O’ Hara snapped a chain towards the end of the day which destroyed his altenator and starter which he elected not to repair.

Stephen Kershaw snatched pole for the opening race with Kevin Gillespie lining up 2nd. Kershaw converted his pole into an early lead but with Gillespie in close attendance. Meanwhile, after a scuffle with a stalled car at the start and an altercation with a kerb, Dominic Dillon suffered some terminal suspension damage.

Gillespie took the lead from Kershaw around the mid way point and never looked back. His easy run to the flag was helped when Kershaw’s pursuit faded in the latter stages of the race. Ronan Healy and Paul Heavey were left battling for the final podium slot. Healy got the better of the Leastone constructor in the final few laps to grab third and strengthen his second place in the championship.

The second race was a fraught affair with the lead changing a number of times. Gillespie was again, the force to be reckoned with but an electrical fault sidelined him early on leaving Kershaw, Dillon, Heavey and Healy to fight among themselves. During the 15 lap encounter each driver had a stint at the front but it was the wily Galway man Dominic Dillon who came away with the laurels as he picked his way to the front in the closing laps, hitting the front at just the right time. Ronan Healy continued his solid run by coming home a hard fought second while Kershaw secured the final podium slot. Paul Heavey pulled off on the last lap when his engines expansion bottle became detached.

The next championship round takes place at Mondello on August 27th before which the Formula 5’s will tackle the infamous Phoenix Park on August 12/13th.