All tied at the top as SEAT Supercup resumes at Mondello
After a long Summer break, the exciting new SEAT Supercup Ireland returns to action this weekend at Mondello Park and things could not be closer at the top of the standings going into Rounds 7 & 8. With the opening 6 rounds of the 301bhp SEAT Leon Supercopa based series having produced four different winners, Niall Quinn and Rod McGovern are tied on points. Shadowing them is the latest race winner John Farrelly who is just a single point adrift while double race winner Michael Cullen is only a further 3-points back with a maximum of 23-points on offer for Sunday’s double header. The inaugural season of SEAT Sport’s world reknowned Leon Supercopas racing in Ireland, the grid for the Leinster Trophy meeting is also set to include a new addition in Hugh McEvoy who will become the 10th driver to contest the SEAT Ireland backed race series.
Going down as the SEAT Supercup’s first ever race winner when he took victory at the season opener in Bishopscourt, Quinn goes into the weekend with high hopes. On the previous outing around Mondello’s 3.5km long international circuit, the former A1 Grand Prix driver took victory in Race 1 and from the back of the reverse Race 2 grid, worked his way to the front to back that up with a podium finish. After overheating issues at Rounds 5 & 6, traced to a radiator issue discovered after the event, the Randridge backed driver will be looking to strengthen his title aspirations ahead of the season finale at Kirkstown on October 3rd.
Registering his first series win around Mondello’s National circuit, having also secured his first pole position at the fifth round, MM Motorsport’s Rod McGovern will be hoping for a repeat performance on the longer circuit. On a track which plays to the SEAT Supercopa’s strengths, fellow former Irish Supercar driver John Farrelly will be hoping he can pick up where he left off with his Sean Woods Racing example. Farrelly put in a superb drive in Round 6 to see off the challenge of 2013 Motorsport Ireland ‘Young Racing Driver of the Year’ Niall Murray for his first win, having impressed since the cars’ introduction to the country.
Having made his SEAT Supercup Ireland debut at Rounds 3 & 4, when the series had its first outing on Mondello’s International circuit in June, Murray put his Murray Motorsport car on pole position. Victory however has eluded the series’ youngest competitor and he is more determined than ever to put that right this weekend. In contrast, Murray’s elder team-mate and Irish motor racing veteran Michael Cullen is a double race winner. The Supervalu backed driver went into the third event of the year as the series leader but a bad Round 6 when he finished 7th behind Quinn saw him relinquish that points lead but the multiple motor racing champion will be out to make amends on Sunday.
Running on Yokohama tyres, qualifying for Round 7 of the SEAT Supercup Ireland is scheduled for 09:00 on Sunday morning followed by Race 1 at 11:00 and Race 2,with the top 8 finishers of Race 1 reversed to form the starting grid, due to get underway at 17:30.
