Cashman triumphs at Birr & District Motor Club

Birr & District Motor Club hosted rounds 5 and 6 of the Partsworld Munster Autotest Championship on May 25 and 26.

There were three tests per day for the drivers to tackle. There were beginners and experts both taking part, with the experts freely giving tips and encouragement to the less experienced. Throughout the weekend, rain showers made the grip difficult at times, but it kept the competition interesting!

When the last test was completed, it was Liam Cashman from Cork who had taken overall victory for Round 5 in his Opel Corsa. This is his first overall victory in the Championship this season.

In the classes, Birr & District Motor Club member Eoin Longworth won Class H and Adam Farrelly won Class K. In Class C, Mark Guerin won from Don Giles and Eoin Noonan. Class B was won by Patrick Power from Mike Mulcahy. Rob Fenlon won Class D ahead of Adrian Tobin. In Class E, Liam Croston took victory ahead of Michael Cashman. In Class F, Patrick O'Leary won from Ciaran Dwyer and Kieran Garahy, all of whom are members of Birr & District Motor Club. Class G had Declan Sheehan finish ahead of Scott Sheehan in their shared Nissan Micra.

After the prizegiving, it was a quick clean-up and off to The Castle Arms Hotel, Durrow for a meal, music, and chat, where a great night was had by all.

Sunday morning had competitors gather for Round 6 where three different tests set by Ian White awaited for the drivers to learn. Again there was close competition throughout the day. Once the last times were logged and the pylons cleared away, the results showed Liam Cashman had topped the timesheets again.

It was a great weekend for Liam in the Championship points race, as his maximum points haul from the weekend propels him up the points table to second overall. The Partsworld Munster Autotest Championship has now passed the halfway mark, but with 5 Rounds of the Championship to go and dropped scores to be taken into account, the Championship is still wide open!

The large group of competitors then gathered for the prizegiving where Birr & District Motor Club Chairperson, David Forde on behalf of the Club, thanked everyone for coming. He congratulated the Clerk of the Course, Ger Conroy and all his team for a well-run and organised event, from the catering to the layout of the event. He thanked the McCabe family for the use of their premises and noted that it is a phenomenal set-up to have.

In the Class results, Mike Mulcahy claimed the win in Class B. In Class C, Don Giles led the class from the start to take the win ahead of Mark Guerin, Anthony Freeney and Eoin Noonan. Class E, Liam Croston edged ahead of Michael Cashman. Class D was won by Adrian Tobin from John McAssey. Class F, saw Birr & District Club members Patrick O'Leary and Kieran Garahy swap the lead all day, but it was Patrick who by a whisker got the win. Third was Padraic Shiel from Ciaran Shiel.

James Mansfield won Class F1 and in Class G, Declan Sheehan finished ahead of Scott Sheehan. In Class H, Birr & District Club Members David Forde, Ciaran Dwyer and Eoin Longworth were battling it out, but it was David Forde who took the class win ahead of Ciaran. Class K was won by Derek Maher. Class L was well-supported and Birr & District Motor Club member Becky Hollinshead competing in her first Autotest won the class from Laoise Shiel with Sophie Marry and Caoimhe Shiel taking third and fourth respectively.

For a full list of the results: www.stopastride.live

There were a number of spot prizes for the event kindly sponsored by; The Castle Arms Hotel, Craigavon Chemicals, Freshford Garages, Oliver Stanley Motors, Roadmaster Building Systems and Surehaul Commercials where over the course of the weekend each of the competitors received prizes. Birr & District Motor Club thanks all the Event Sponsors for their support.

The next Club event for Birr & District Motor Club is their Summer Autotest on July 7. Details for the event will be posted on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X) and the club website (www.birrmotorclub.com).