Keohane’s dramatic return

MICHAEL KEOHANE made a dramatic return to the British Formula 3 Championship at Thruxton where he claimed a podium place in the first race and drove a sensational race

Having missed five races and the test at Thruxton, the Cork driver well deserved his third row qualifying in race one. Pole sitter, Bruce Jouanny was overtaken by the in-form Heikki Kovalainen on the first lap. The safety car was deployed to allow the removal of Stefano Fabi’s car and when racing resumed Kovalainen held off Jouanny, but the Frenchman then spun out of the race with a puncture.

On the next lap, Shinya Hosokawa was launched into a huge barrel role and the race was stopped, luckily, the Carlin Motorsport driver escaped serious injury.

At the re-start, Keohane, who had picked up two places on the previous laps, moved into second overtaking championship duo, Robbie Kerr and James Courtney.

Keohane went on to claim the runner up spot behind Kovalainen with Stefan de Groot third.

England also won the Junior class but had to yield to a dominant Scottish outfit in the Rotax Max, Gerard Tohill’s second place spearheaded the Irish team to third in the category.

England won all the remaining classes - Cadets, 100 Libre and Formula 125 to claim overall victory. In the 100 Libre, Northern Ireland’s, Ronayne O’Mahony took a splendid race win leading from lights to chequered flag ahead of Scottish duo, Paul Wilson and David Gregory.

Eamonn Boland (Subaru) duly won the Dick Bailey Wexford Rally, his fifth win in his local event. On the first stage, eleven spectators were injured after a car overshot a junction. A spokesperson for the organisers stated that there were no serious injuries.

Boland led all through the 16 stages and his victory margin of three minutes and two seconds reflected his superiority. Steve Hendy (Escort Cosworth) and fellow overseas driver, Bob Fowden (Mitsubishi) were second and third.

Stevie Whitford had 17 seconds to spare over Eugene Donnelly in the Lakeland Stages Rally organised by the Enniskillen Motor Club. Glen Allen was third - a further four seconds behind. Denis Biggerstaff, Kevin O’Kane and James Gillen all retired during the eight-stage event.

In Mondello Park, John O’Hara won the final Formula Ireland race from champion, Robbie Coleman while Alan Dwyer won the Ford Zetec race finishing ahead of Charlie Donnelly and Paul Dagg, who secured the 2002 championship with victory on Saturday’s race.

Johnny Whelan won the Dunlop RT2000 race where the chase for runner-up spot constantly changed before Rod McGovern and Robbie Bolger secured the remaining podium places.