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Melia wins Silverstone race of attrition - Round 9 review

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By Evan Dalton  An emotional Conor Melia kisses his race winning machine | Photo by @RaceDayDori The temperature on Sunday morning in Silverstone had slightly eased for Irish Formula Vee. As had the nerves. The daunting paddock building and menacing grandstands were now home, as the drivers prepared their weapons for battle.  The grid for Round 9 of the national championship was decided by the second fastest lap set by the drivers in Saturday morning’s qualifying session. This awarded pole position to Kieran Hannan, who was joined on the front row by Conor Melia.  Paddock assembly is a hive of activity when the Irish Vees come to town | Photo by @RaceDayDori  As 32 cars stretched around the final corner in their grid positions, it was the pole sitter who got the best launch into the first corner, closely followed by Saturday’s race winner Garry Newsome.  The powerful slipstream down the ‘Hangar Straight’ was the best friend of the third place man however, as Mel...
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Garry Newsome wins the first ever Irish Formula Vee race at Silverstone - Round 8 Review

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By Evan Dalton, with thanks to Rory Cummins Garry and Lee Newsome post race | Photos by @RaceDayDori A handful of weeks ago, the newly upgraded £27 million ‘Silverstone Wing’ pit building played host to the world’s most famous auto racing championship, Formula 1. Intense rivalries oozed through the building as Monaco’s Charles Leclerc ended his winless run in fine fashion, over home hero George Russell.  Garage 7, to be precise, was the humble abode of the reigning constructors champions Mclaren over the course of the Grand Prix weekend. A residence to Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber’s pre-race briefing, Lando Norris’ meetup with various television personalities, with a constant ambience of Zak Brown’s slightly painful PR statements.  Just over a month later, the new tenants moved in. 33 Irish Formula Vee drivers and their teams.  Even just walking down pitlane at the famous venue was enough to raise hairs. There are certain times in sport where competitors stand back and a...
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The Success Stories Of 2026 Formula Vee So Far

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The class may have had five winners stand on top of the rostrum so far, but winning in Formula Vee is defined by so much more than 20 points. By Evan Dalton From Left To Right : Baby Eabha, Jack Byrne, Kevin O’Hara, Kieran Hannan, Emerson Hannan | Photo by @RaceDayDori Jack Byrne It would be a bit silly to start this piece with anyone other than Jack Byrne, who has undoubtedly been the standout driver of this year's championship.  On Friday afternoon in Kirkistown, team Byrne left the circuit with a mechanical problem, ruling them out of contention in the season opener. The bad luck and misfortune was swiftly put in the back of the mind, and Byrne excelled in Mondello a handful of weeks later. Two wins from two, followed up by a dominant performance in race two at Bishopscourt, propelled Byrne into the championship lead. With Melia chasing Byrne, and getting a win over him in June, the Wicklow native has looked unphased. With the right tools, and the confidence and composure gained...
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Kevin O'Hara on top in Mondello showstopper- Irish Formula Vee Round 7

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By Evan Dalton   O’Hara leads Byrne, Hannan and Melia| Photo by Shane O’Neill With the sun beaming across county Kildare, the Irish Formula Vee grid prepared for their first outing on Mondello Park’s International layout. Stretching just over 3.6 kilometres, the tight twists and long sweeping corners posed a different challenge to that of the national variation.  Wicklow’s Jack Byrne entered the weekend as championship leader. His form in 2026 has been remarkable, even with a slight bump in the road last time out, losing the victory to Conor Melia. Melia was the challenger for this weekend once again, with Gavin Buckley still out of action. The track was extremely pleasant in comparison to the previous round’s oil-filled nightmare. Qualifying took place just before the main heat of the day, and 17 cars hit the circuit as the clock struck 11.  Returning to action for the weekend was the experienced Kevin O’Hara. His three outings in 2025 were extremely fruitful, taking one...
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