Michael Barrable clinches the Siltex Safety Ford Fiesta Zetec Title!
After one of the best seasons in the history of the Fiesta Zetec Championship, North Dublin Motor dealer Michael Barrable has once again taken the title in his POB Racing prepared car.
As ever in the championship, the battle went all the way down to the last lap of the last race of the season, at last weekend’s final round of the ICCR series. Barrable, who is massively experienced, battled all year with the equally experienced Alan Dawson, with young chargers Dave Maguire and Sean McGovern always right in the mix too.
Last weekend, Barrable arrived at Mondello Park for the final ICCR meeting of the year with a ten point lead over Dawson, with Maguire also in with a mathematical chance of stealing the title, should the other two hit trouble.
Guesting GT4 driver Alex Denning grabbed pole position but crucially, Barrable was first of the title contenders in third place, with Maguire less than a tenth off in fourth. Dawson meanwhile languished down in eighth, giving himself a lot of work to do if he was to close the points gap to Barrable.
In race one, Denning led from lights to flag to take the win, but Barrable crossed the line in second to put one hand firmly on the championship trophy with a race to run. Maguire was fourth with Dawson in sixth.
Having done all the permutations and combinations, Barrable knew exactly what he had to do in race two. With the top six, as ever, being reversed to form the grid for race two, the champion elect would start back on row three, with Denning for company. Dawson, on the other hand, would start from pole position, giving him an opportunity to get a top result.
Dawson it was, who led the capacity pack under the BMW Bridge and down into Turn One. With McGovern challenging on the outside though, Dawson appeared to misss his braking point and, inside front locked, slid wide, allowing Rob Barrable and McGovern by. To add insult to injury, Maguire slotted down the inside of him itno Southside, with Denning taking the opportunity to get by too, meaning the Sheds Direct car completed the first lap in fifth place. As he fought back though, he briefly tangled with Keith Dawson, the resultant moment allowing Barrable by at the Esses. As Denning eased his way to the front to take an impressive double win on his return to the Kildare Circuit, Barrable had an uneventful run to the flag, bar a brief tangle with Keith Dawson at Campion Corner, taking fifth place and sealing the 2023 title. Alan Dawson was sixth, but crucially Maguire was third and, having claimed the point for fastest lap iin both races, moved up to second place in the final championship standings.
Barrable, who also won the Zetec title in 2021, adds this 2023 title to his long list of motorsport achievements, both on the circuits and on the rally stages. To top out a fantastic year for the Dublin family, Michael’s son Peter clinched the 2023 Irish Legends Championship last weekend too!
Image from Marc Quinlivan Photography.
Michael Barrable celebrates with the latest generation of the motorsport family- his grandson Bobby!
