McDonnell is runner up in 500 MRCI Winter Championship

CDMC (Kart Section) “Young Guns” team attended the final round of the 500 MRCI winter series championship with an outside chance of second in the championship for young driver Sam McDonnell (left) from Coleraine.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Feb 2013, 08:42 BST

His main rivals for the podium positions were Dunloy’s SeOGg Martin and Carrick driver Jack Irvine.

The team were taking this event very seriously, with a full testing programme the week before, they arrived at the track full of confidence but their young driver needed to have a faultless day to stand a chance of the Championship.

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Things got off to a fantastic start when Sam put his kart on pole position by three tenths of a second after timed qualifying from Championship leader Jack Irvine.

In the first race Irvine and McDonnell each set the fastest lap as the diced for the lead and slowly pulled away from the pack. This continued until the last lap when Irvine took the win by one hundredth of a second over McDonnell to secure the championship.

The team now knew that Sam would need to win the final two races of the series to secure second overall and again it was Irvine and McDonnell who broke away with the lead changing on a lap by lap basis,

In the final lap McDonnell passed Irvine in a brave move under braking at the end of the main straight and held his lead over the line to win by less than a second. In the final race again McDonnell and Irvine set the pace and McDonnell again secured the win and second overall in the Championship setting the outright fastest lap of the day.

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In the Senior Max CDMC Club Champion Stuart Coey secured the Championship in his last race in this class before moving to the 125 GP class. Robert Devenny secured the World Formula title and Dylan Tuite the Mini Max title.

The North of Ireland Karting Association are running a Kart Experience Day at Nutts Corner this Saturday for anyone interested in starting the sport to get a chance to drive some race machinery.

Non-Gearbox and Junior sessions commences at 9.30am, priced at £20 and Gearbox Sessions start at 12.30pm priced at £50.

All equipment will be supplied and drives will be subject to attending a full briefing session and driving assessment. There will also be a “Kart Boot” sale of used equipment for anyone interested in starting. Contact 07718876385 between 6.00pm and 10.00pm for details and booking.

Related topics:Coleraine