As ever, the Siltex Safety Fiesta Zetec grid was the biggest in the TengTools ICCR Paddock at the opening meeting of the 2026 season. Incredibly, with a host of newcomers, it had soared up over the 30 mark and, but for a few fallers during the week prior to the meeting, would have been dangerously to the National Circuit’s permitted maximum numbers.
Having won the title convincingly in 2025, Sean McGovern signed up for the Civic Cup in the UK for this season. The ultra competitive one makes series supports the TCR Championship and many Zetec drivers were keen to support their fellow competitor on his UK campaign. He couldn’t stay away from the Zetec class though and was registered for the series and entered for the opening round early on. It was no surprise then, to see his JOLT machine on pole position after an action packed qualifying session. He really has to work for it though as Christian Brennan, newly painted black machine was less than a tenth off and would start alongside on the front row for the opener. Andy Kavanagh was right there too, both he and fellow second row occupant Mick Kehoe just a fraction off the pole time as well. Class returnee Keith Dawson was next up from a disappointed Ian Fishbourne who had been flying in testing on his return to the class. Alan Dawson was an unaccustomed seventh, with top Rookie Gareth Phayres in eighth. Jack Duke was second Rookie on his debut with Mondello Scholarship winner Philip Moloney in third. The second Mondello Prize car was fourth Rookie with Paddy Fitzgerald aboard, from Barry Murphy, Will Humphries, Hannah Berry, Freya Burns, Jason O’Brien, Dylan Jones, Jack Beggy and Tom O’Callaghan. Plenty of Rookies then, always a good sign!
McGovern made a great start and led into Castrol as live stream viewers jumped aboard with Sam Doyle who, carrying the new live onboard camera in his Tara Racing machine, very quickly earned the nickname SamCam! He was battling with Kelsey Kirby’s beautifully turned out machine as they rounded Campion corner and headed off towards Turn Three. at the end of lap one, the sharp end of the field was pretty much in grid formation as they all tried to stay out of scraps and hang onto the lead train. As Keith Dawson came under pressure from Fishbourne, keen to move forward, Alan Dawson and SamCam closed them both down. Kelsey Kirby was next up, and she had another beautifully reliveried car, that of Mick McArdle in her mirrors.
Sam managed to displace Alan Dawson with a lunge into Southside and, despite what looked like a slight straight line disadvantage, managed to make it stick onto Castrol. The wily Dawson wasn’t done though, and say around the outside of Campion, allowing him to retake the place into Turn Three. Undeterred, Sam executed the Mondello Switchback, slipping up the inside on the exit of Southside in a perfect move to once again take the place.
Up front, Sean McGovern was flinging the car around as if his life depended on it, but wasn’t able to shake off the attentions of the impressive Christian Brennan. Kavanagh had fallen back slightly but had opened a similar gap from Kehoe, who had Fishbourne, who had slipped by Keith Dawson charging up to him. Gareth Phayres had been leading the Rookies but earned himself a Track Limits penalty, dropping him back and handing the Rookie lead to Jack Duke, from the Mondello Scholarship duo of Philip Moloney and Paddy Fitzgerald.
Brennan may not have been able to launch a challenge to leader McGovern, but he was showing great pace and still, the leader was unable to open a gap. Similarly, Kavanagh and Kehoe were running well in third and fourth respectively. As the clock ticked down though, Brennan began to close the gap and as they exited Southside for the final time they were almost as one as they headed to the flag. Kavanagh completed the podium from Kehoe, Fishbourne, Keith Dawson, Alan Dawson, Sam Doyle, Kelsey Kirby and Marc Mulhearn in the Mondello Park staff team building car rounding out the top ten. Phayres took Rookie honours, having overcome his penalty but subsequently fell foul of the scrutineers in post race checks meaning Duke took Rookie honours in his first motor race, from Moloney and Will Humphries!
A much improved Freya Burns was fourth Rookie home from Barry Murphy, Jason O’Brien, Patrick Fitzgerald, Dylan Jones, Jack Beggy, Tom O’Callaghan and Hannah Berry.
As is the norm with Zetec Fiestas, the top six were reversed to form the grid for race two, which meant Keith Dawson and Ian Fishbourne shared the front row from Mick Kehoe and Andy Kavanagh. Row Three comprised of Christan Brennan and race one winner McGovern.
Unsurprisingly, Dawson made a great start with Kehoe immediately challenging Fishbourne into Castrol, through Campion and eventually taking the place into Turn Three. Kavanagh had fallen behind McGovern and Brennan with Alan Dawson in seventh from the fast starting Mulhearn, Samcam and Kelsey Kirby. Next up was Finn Gillespie, struggling with a lack of power, Lorcan McGivney, McArdle, Duke, Roy Tobin, and Freya Burns.
As they came onto the Birrane Straight to complete the opening lap, Fishbourne got the nose of his Murray Motorsport car up the inside of Kehoe and outdragged him down the straight to annex second into Castrol corner. Just as he had the job done, McGovern, right in their wheeltracks, launched it down the inside, emerging side by side with Fishbourne, with Kehoe dropping two places. It looked like McGovern might sit around the outside of Campion Corner but Fishbourne wasn’t having any of it and the reigning champion was despatched onto the grass! Kehoe grabbed his chance and took third back as McGovern recovered with Kavanagh, Brennan and Alan Dawson now right with them. In their wake, Phayres, charging through from the back, collecting Freya Burns into Castrol Corner. He was given a ten second penalty for the incident but Burns was out on the spot, with considerable damage to her car.
This triggered a Safety Car intervention which immediately wiped the advantage Keith Dawson had eeked out, and put Fishbourne right on his tail, from Kehoe, McGovern, Kavanagh and Brennan. Once they went green, Fishbourne was latched onto the back of Dawson’s A1 Tiles and Bathrooms machine, getting alongside on the main straight. Right behind them, McGovern displaced Kehoe for third with a lunge down the inside into Southside, as battle rageed all the way down the pack. McGovern then got the head down and, lapping not far off lap record pace, closed down the lead pair, leaving Kehoe fending off a racy Andy Kavanagh, with Brennan and Alan Dawson in their too. Just behind, Doyle had displaced Mulhearn but they were still scrapping which delayed them.
With a couple of laps to run, Fishbourne replicated his earlier move, getting up the inside of the leader to nip past on the main straight. Dawson, with a great run out of Turn Three, got back alongside but McGovern, right with them, then launched an attack on Dawson. They ran side by side all the way through Nordic Spirit and Southside, allowing Kehoe to catch them as they came out onto the straight. Brennan, meanwhile, had got by Kavanagh and was up to fifth. As they approached Castrol for the final time, Kehoe launched it down the inside of McGovern. McGovern gave him space but then ran wide on the exit, rejoining behind Brennan, with Kavanagh right on his rear bumper.
At the flag then, it was a delighted Fishbourne from Keith Dawson with Kehoe completing the podium. Brennan was fourth, McGovern fifth from Kavanagh, Alan Dawson and Sam Doyle, with Mulhern and Kirby completing the top ten. Jack Duke did the double, claiming Rookie Honours, from Philip Moloney and Phayres, despite his penalty.
All this means that McGovern leads the title chase, but his last lap grass cutting exercise on the final lap of Race Two means that it is extremely tight at the top! 
In the Rookie Championship, Jack Duke has got off to a great start and with two wins, already under his belt, leads the title chase. Scholarship winner Philip Moloney is second, from Jason O’Brien, Barry Murphy and Patrick Fitzgerald.
