17 September 2002: Once again the Dunlop RT2000 Championship race at Mondello Park turned out to be one of the highlights of last weekend, the final championship round of the year being run over 18 fast and furious laps with former champion, Johnny Whelan (Naas) claiming the final honours of the year to consolidate second in the series.

Double Champion, Jonathan Fildes (Clonee), set the pace in Sunday's qualifying on the National Circuit, the Dunlop-backed driver being the only one to record a sub-one minute time with a 59.81s lap. Whelan was just .35s behind to line up alongside Fildes for the race, with Rod McGovern (Sandyford) and Noel Dunne (Naas) behind on the second row.

Whelan made a flying start to lead away as Dunne shot into second ahead of Fildes but into the second lap, Jonathan had demoted Dunne as McGovern, Robbie Bolger (Walkinstown) and Pat Donegan (Kells) formed a line behind. McGovern also made a move by Dunne and then set about challenging Fildes for second.

Whelan began stretching away and by the third tour the next five, headed by the Mazda-sponsored car of McGovern, circulated in a train. Bolger found a way past Dunne as well and was hot on the heels of Fildes as David Kidd (Blessington) left the track rejoining at the back of the field.

Once clear of Fildes, McGovern set off in pursuit of Whelan, while Bolger kept the pressure on Fildes. Dunne continued to hold off Donegan, with David O'Brien (Leixlip), David Donegan (Navan), David Collier (Clonee) and Bob Copeland (Dunboyne) holding station behind. Whelan had his lead whittled down by McGovern and by the sixth lap the first four were back in a train, each looking for the advantage.

McGovern piled the pressure on Whelan, these two breaking away slightly from Fildes and Bolger but with six laps to run they were back in line astern before Fildes shot by McGovern a lap later. Whelan found some breathing space between himself and Fildes as Jonathan fought to keep McGovern and Bolger behind him, then on the 15th lap Fildes was demoted back to fourth.

Donegan, Dunne and O'Brien were having their own separate race with Copeland and Collier having a similarly close dice further back. Whelan again pulled away as the laps ran out, McGovern finishing second with Bolger right on his tail at the chequered flag. Fildes came home a lonely fourth from Donegan, Dunne, O'Brien, Copeland and Collier, John Keaney (Leixlip) finishing an even more distant 10th.

Without doubt, the Dunlop RT2000 Championship provided some of the most spectacular racing seen this year, Fildes successfully defending his title for the second year in the CAM Racing car with five wins and 128 points. Whelan's two victories and consistent points finishes kept him just ahead of McGovern (one win and five second places) in the title chase with 90 points to Rod's 86. Bolger (63) managed to snatch fourth place from Collier by just one point, with Copeland rounding off the top six with 45 points.

Dunlop RT2000 Championship Round 10 results:

1 Johnny Whelan 18m 25.52s (67.99mph)

2 Rod McGovern 18m 28.18s (67.83mph)

3 Robbie Bolger 18m 28.42s (67.82mph)

4 Jonathan Fildes

5 Pat Donegan

6 Noel Dunne

7 David O'Brien

8 Bob Copeland

9 David Collier

10 John Keaney

11 David Kidd

12 George Rogers

13 Jack Sleator

14 Des Cahill

David Donegan DNF

Fastest Lap: Jonathan Fildes 1m 00.33s (69.22mph)


 

Dunlop RT2000 Championship final positions after 10 rounds:

1 Jonathan Fildes 128

2 Johnny Whelan 90

3 Rod McGovern 86

4 Robbie Bolger 63

5 David Collier 62

6 Bob Copeland 45

7 David O'Brien 35

8 David Donegan 33

9 Pat Donegan 27

10 Brendan Donegan 23

11 David Kidd 22

= John Keaney 22

13 George Rogers 10

14 Noel Dunne 6

15 George Crozier 3

16 Jack Sleator 1