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Melia and Mawhinney - Mondello's Men | Formula Vee Round 6 Review

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By Evan Dalton Conor Melia takes turn one en-route to a front row starting position | Photos by @RaceDayDori It has been an up and down year for Irish Formula Vee. While there have been highs, there have been a lot of lows. More often than not, perplexed faces fill parc ferme. The drivers will mostly leave Mondello however with damped race cars, and not damped spirits, as Ireland’s largest single seater class enjoys one of its most successful weekends to date.  Wicklow’s Jack Byrne enters Round 6 as the man to beat. Byrne put up some phenomenal performances in the opening rounds of the championship to race into a comfortable series lead.  His nearest competitor is Conor Melia, who returns to Mondello more melancholy than most. It is no secret that SM Racing haven’t hit the ground running in 2026 with Melia. A plethora of issues has plagued the No.56 driver, but his ability to drive a race car certainly hasn’t disappeared, and the team have worked tirelessly to get their man ba...
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Byrne back on top with third win in four races - Formula Vee Round 5

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  Byrne back on top with third win in four races  Jack Byrne at the front and flying in Bishopscourt | Photos by @RaceDayDori   The sun returned to the Mourne mountains ahead of Round 5 of the Irish Formula Vee Championship. As per tradition, the grid was set by drivers’ second fastest lap in qualifying. Nothing here was unusual, the irregularity could be found by casting eyes on who the pole sitter was. The returning John O’Hara.  O’Hara first tackled Formula Vee 29 years ago, winning ‘Most Promising Newcomer.’ His absence from the grid certainly wasn’t one that went unnoticed, as O’Hara found himself in headlines across the world. Inside the cockpit he won various titles across national and global single seater classes, and in the directors office of Pinnacle Motorsport, he won the Macau Grand Prix. The field may have been surprised at a returning driver taking pole position, but most weren’t perplexed solely due to the resume of the competitor who did it.  C...
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Kelly crowned a winner once again in brilliant Bishopscourt display - Formula Vee Round 4

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By Evan Dalton Jordan Kelly slides through the chicane ahead of Oliver Devlin | Photos by @RaceDayDori   For a circuit located near the sea, wet weather is not too common in Bishopscourt. The fastest circuit on the island typically enjoys perfect conditions for Irish Formula Vee’s one trip there each year, but this weekend normality was likely to change.  Qualifying took place on Saturday, with Round 4 and 5 of the championship being held on Sunday. Continuing on his impressive form, Jack Byrne took pole position for Round 4, joining him on the front row was John O’Hara. The 1997 ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ was set to not just make his return to Formula Vee, but to potentially fight for the race win.  Championship leader Gavin Buckley would be forced out of racing action for the weekend after a frightening crash in qualifying. His car aquaplaned, sending him into the wall just before ‘Ringawaddy.’ Buckley was unfortunately injured in the contact, but remained at the circui...
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Jack Byrne Does The Double - Formula Vee Round 3 Review

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Jack Byrne leads Gavin Buckley and Sean McClements | Photos by @RaceDayDori   By Evan Dalton It was back to back for Jack Byrne as the Wicklow native took his second race victory of the season during his clean sweep of Mondello Park.  Byrne was victorious in both races, marking his first multiple win season since 2024 and putting himself in championship contention early on. “It’s unbelievable really. It’s a big shock to the system,” Byrne noted.  The grid for race two was set by each driver's second fastest lap in qualifying. Gavin Buckley started on pole position alongside Dunloy’s Sean McClements, with Byrne and Conor Melia sharing the second row. All four were in contention for the victory earlier on in the day, in race one.  McClements got the better launch and was half a car length ahead of Buckley down the main straight, but the champion held his nerve, kept the car on the inside and maintained the lead exiting Campion Corner. Melia was a fast starter once agai...
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Byrne Baby Byrne! - Round 2 Victory for Wicklow’s Jack Byrne

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Jack Byrne and daughter Eabha on the podium, alongside Gavin Buckley | Photos by @RaceDayDori By Evan Dalton  After failing to make the start in the season opener, Jack Byrne bounced back immediately to take his first Irish Formula Vee victory of the season on Saturday in Mondello Park.  The No.97, now racing in his 13th season of Irish Formula Vee completed a commanding drive from the front in the Kildare sunshine, after earning pole position in a qualifying shootout for the ages.  “It feels great,” said Byrne post race. “Had a tough one in Kirkistown, so it’s great to get back out and get running.” Qualifying was hotly contested, with the fastest lap honours being traded throughout the session. Jack Byrne ended up snatching pole position from defending champion Gavin Buckley and the latest race winner Sean McClements. Only 0.022 seconds separated Byrne and Buckley.  Lights out saw Byrne lead into the first corner, but a flying start from SM Racing’s Conor Melia off...
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