Melia wins Silverstone race of attrition - Round 9 review

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 Melia took the race lead starting the second lap. He was interlocked in battle with Jordan Kelly, who was attempting to right the wrongs of Saturday. 

Kelly, who was slightly down on power on Saturday, was feeling much more 'racey' on Sunday as he tried to fend off Melia and Newsome. Everyone survived the opening lap, but Tim Murray had a quick rotation around at the opening corner of lap two, and kept going. 

The race ran a very similar theme to the weekend’s opener, as slipstreaming and moves into ‘Stowe’ became very prevalent. Hannan, Kelly and Melia took turns in the lead.

Kelly and Melia side by side into the Vale chicane, followed by Hannan | Photo by @RaceDayDori

The pole man Hannan hit the front again, with an exemplary move around the outside of both Melia and Kelly. Melia was able to retake the position, and a handful of corners later Hannan got too eager through the fourth corner and spun out, beaching his No.22. The dream of a win at Silverstone was over.

Suddenly, the constant hot temperatures of the weekend, mixed with two of the longest straights on the calendar, started to impact the 1600cc Formula Vee engines. Paul Sammin was also marked down for a DNF on lap four, and was joined by both Sean McCallion after contact with Paul Lewis and Karl O'Sullivan. Mechanical issues also plagued race leader Jordan Kelly. The Buncrana man ground to a halt on the Hamilton Straight, before the car eventually restarted. The win however, was long gone.

A race ending crash for McCallion and Lewis | Photo by @RaceDayDori 

With the assistance of multiple retirements within a matter of moments, Harry Fagan found himself in second position. The newly turned 18 year old from Delvin was in a national championship podium place for the first time in his brief Vee career. Another beneficiary of the drama was Jonny Hollywood, who was now the Tyredoctor.ie B Championship class leader via an overtake on Fergal Begley. 

There isn’t really a point in a race car where you can take a step back and have a think about your current situation, but if there was you wouldn’t blame Melia for doing so. For the first time this weekend, he had a comfortable lead at the front and now just needed to control his pace and manage his car until the finish. 

But then of course the safety car came out half a lap later to clear debris and put the field right on his gearbox once again. 

After a few laps snaking around behind the safety car, Melia was handed the responsibility of restarting the race. In theory, he might have been able to wait long enough for a chequered flag to be shown, but real racers don’t do that. Real racers do exactly what the Dubliner did. Foot flat to the floor and send it through ‘Farm’ and ‘Abbey’. 

It was a perfect restart, and the keen INDY500 fan leaned on knowledge gained from all the hours in front of the television set by weaving his way down the straight on the last lap. Fagan was not able to defend from Newsome, who took second place into ‘Stowe’ on the last lap. 

Through screams and a some tears, Melia took the chequered flag for the second time this season. Newsome returned to the rostrum, with Leastone’s Fagan behind for his maiden podium in remarkable fashion. On the anniversary of his podium at the Irish Kart Grand Prix, Fagan was collecting more silverware. 

Harry Fagan in his Leastone ahead of Byrne and Buckley | Photo by @RaceDayDori 

With defending champion Buckley taking a steady fourth, and current championship leader Byrne down the order, a result which would unfortunately turn into a disqualification, the championship is wide open. 

Fagan’s podium wasn’t the only maiden achievement, as for the first time in the Tyredoctor.ie B Championship, Jonny Hollywood took the victory. The No.88 has taken a national podium in the hands of Travis Mawhinney this year, and two rookie podiums in the hands of Jack Wynne and Kamto Chukwureh, and now back in the hands of the name on the log book, the winning continues. One of the finest drives in Hollywood’s career. 

Jonny Hollywood, Fergal Begley and Niall O’Mara on the Tyredoctor.ie B podium | Photo by @RaceDayDori

Christy Morrin, team boss of SM Racing exclaimed ‘we’re back’ after Melia’s Mondello win, but now it’s confirmed. SM Racing are definitely back in the hunt for the title. 

With three championship rounds to go. May the best man win. 

Melia hugs teamboss and pit-wall photographer, Christy Morrin | Photo by @RaceDayDori

Full Top 10 - 

1. Melia

2. Newsome

3. Fagan

4. Buckley

5. Hollywood

6. Begley

7. Murray

8. O’Mara

9. Thornton

10. Fleming

Fastest Lap - 1.17.621 [Newsome]

Tyredoctor.ie B Championship Podium

1. Hollywood

2. Begley

3. O’Mara

Rookie Championship Podium

1. Fagan