Jack Byrne Does The Double - Formula Vee Round 3 Review

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 again, and himself and Byrne were side by side on the new tarmac down towards turn three. 


Gavin Buckley and Sean McClementts lead the field to turn one | Photos by @RaceDayDori 


Buckley and McClements created a small gap between themselves and the rest of the field, with Byrne and Melia having to keep one eye in front and one eye on Kieran Hannan behind. Hannan kept himself steady all day and was waiting to pounce if something happened in front. 


The race however was neutralised just as the second lap got started, due to a fuel fire for Pat Sheppard. Orange flames smoldered out the back of the James Friel run entry and Sheppard was forced to stop for it to be extinguished. The excellent Mondello Park marshalls controlled the situation, and safety car running was limited. 


A Mondello Park marshall looks on  | Photos by @RaceDayDori 


Buckley got restarted excellently, with McClements following. He kept the double champion honest until turn four. McClements, still a rookie championship entrant, missed a gear on the run back up the hill on the final corner and killed his momentum, allowing the front runners to shoot past him. He eventually returned to racing speed in 8th position, behind Fergal Begley. 


Meanwhile, Leastone Racing’s Harry Fagan encountered mechanical problems and was running well off the pace for multiple laps. 


These earlier issues would soon be the least of the two young drivers worries however. As the field approached to lap the Selco Scholarship driver, a misjudgement of the closing speed between McClements and Fagan caused the No.47 to run into the rear of the trundling Fagan, sending both careering across the circuit into the barrier on the opposite side. A horror accident. 


Unfortunately for Fagan, he suffered severe injuries, fracturing four vertebrae. The Delvin native has been discharged and is in good spirits, looking forward to a racing return. 


McClements was excluded from the meeting by the race stewards.


The race was red flagged as the clear up began. This put Buckley and Byrne on the front row with Melia and Hannan behind. 


A poor restart for Buckley saw Byrne charge into the race lead. Melia and Buckley both broke late into turn one, with Melia trying an audacious move around the outside. It didn’t work out, and Buckley remained in second.


Further down the order, the remaining rookie driver in the race was RTA Virtual Motorsport Formula Vee Scholarship winner Kamto Chukwureh. Simply finishing the race would be enough for Chukwureh to take rookie honours but he wanted to prove his worth. With a move around the outside of turn five on last year's rookie champion Brian Cowan, followed by a move on Simon Rudd put him into eight place. A stellar showing for someone who only first drove a Vee on Friday.


Kamto Chukwureh and father Emeka Chukwureh embrace post race  | Photos by @RaceDayDori 


At the front, Melia still pressed on and went for a move on Buckley around the outside of turn three. With Melia running wide, Hannan snuck through and onto the podium. Melia also fell into the clutches of his teammate Niall O’Mara.


Byrne controlled the remainder, and took his second win of the day. Buckley just about got second, ahead of Hannan, who had a go on the run to the line. A valiant late race effort from the Tim Murray Racing car. 


“A massive thanks to Kevin Sheane, who did some work on the car for me.” commented the race winner. “We’re back where we want to be.. Hopefully we keep this going for the rest of the year.”


Melia was pushed to the line by teammate O’Mara, who was named Tyredoctor.ie B Championship victor for the second time in a day. Begley and Colin Lewis followed behind. 


On the podium, Jack and Eabha Byrne, Gavin Buckley and Kieran Hannan| Photos by @RaceDayDori 


Full Top 10 : 

  1. Byrne

  2. Buckley

  3. Hannan

  4. Melia

  5. O’Mara

  6. Begley

  7. Lewis

  8. Chukwureh

  9. McCallion

  10. Rudd 

Fastest Lap : Sean McCallion [1.01.885]


Tyredoctor.ie  B Championship Podium

  1. O’Mara

  2. Begley

  3. Lewis


Rookie Championship Podium 

  1. Chukwureh

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