The Mondello 24 Hour Race for 2CVs
With apologies to those insisting on mainly Italian car content,the rest of you
may like to know about one of motor racing's better kept secrets. It took place
July 1/2 at Mondello Park, 20 miles s.w. of Dublin, in lovely Irish race horse
breeding country. This was the 6th running of the event for the diminutive and
vaguely eccentric cars.
I took a break from Alfa racing because I like the long distance stuff and the
more unusual and classic events. This is rapidly becoming a classic and this
year drew several people from British Touring Cars..Robb Gravett, Alan Gow(TOCA
boss),Eugene O'Brien, Geoff Kimber-Smith,Jeremy Rossiter. I had been trying to
get a drive for months and a local effort foundered when we couldn't find an
existing race car, the Autosport cars didn't go, so on the Monday I rang
organiser Simon Tanner and he said there was a possibility but Paul Radisitch
was up for the drive. To my surprise, he told me on Tuesday that I was in and
on Thursday we were in Ireland.
On Friday we built the car! and qualified on Friday evening. We had no
instruments..no rev counter..change gear by ear and feel. I was a little
tentative. Partner Dave Woodward, a kart racer and I did our laps, and Simon
qualified it midfield. Saturday morning we got some more laps in and I felt
better about the shift...it is something like a masonic handshake. However, I
started and on lap 1 found you couldn't snatch a gear...it got neutral and
stayed there so I lost 9 laps. After 2 1/2 hours we were up to 18 out of 28 and
Dave did the gear 'thing' again. But the car itself was great fun to drive and
puts the lie to all those who mock 2CV racing. This was seriuos stuff, with all
the teams extremely committed, and the racing very hard all the way. Our
teammates Gravett,Gow and Jon Rushton lead at one stage but dropped back with
numerous troubles including a blown engine which was changed in 12 minutes!
We charged on for 24 hours..not counting the hour at 6 AM when the race was
stopped in mist and fog after I flew into the gravel not being able to find the
apex and then reversed into the Clerk of the Course while trying to find the
pit entrance...it was VERY misty...!After 2 1/2 to 3 hour stints and no
mechanical troubles we pulled ourselves back to 11th ahead of the illustious
and upset teammates. Some teams changed engines 6 times..that's dedication. The
atmosphere was great...the circuit is superb and run by an extremely helpful
team.Definitely want to do this again.. Oh yes,Eastwood, Dalton and Sparrow won
from Higson, Higson and Thompson. The 3rd place car seems to have been
disqualified and we finished 10th. There was 1 ....yes 1...non-finisher.
Ed McDonough, Chairman, Alfa Romeo Owners Club UK
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