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Fildes Stuns Mondello Park Regulars With Double Victory |
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Monday, 09 April 2007 |
Irish motor racing star Jonathan Fildes enjoyed a very happy Easter at Mondello Park yesterday, Sunday, 8th April, after recording a brace of pole positions and scorching to a double race win during his first ever outing in his father’s Ralt RT4 Formula 3000 car.
As part of a busy Easter Sunday race meeting, the event marking the beginning of the 2007 Irish circuit racing season, the 31-year-old from Co. Meath stunned the entire paddock with his outstanding performance in a car he had never driven prior to the first Formula Libre qualifying session of the day.
Although Jonathan’s father Ken Fildes had planned to contest the
opening Formula Libre event of the season in his glorious Ralt RT4
single-seater, a recent operation on his leg meant he took the wise
decision to sit-out the meeting with Jonathan taking his place.
After securing pole position for both Formula Libre races, the Irishman
scorched to a pair of unchallenged race victories to firmly underline
his talent and ability in a car as different as you can imagine from
the Renault Clio Cup he normally races in the UK.
Winning the first 15-lap encounter by over four seconds and going on to
claim a dominant 12 second victory in the second 13-lap race, success
at the wheel of the 2.5 litre F3000 machine comes as a major boost for
Jonathan ahead of the second round of the ELF Renault Clio Cup season
which is just a fortnight away.
“The weekend was absolutely fantastic”, he said, “My dad didn’t want to
risk banging his leg after his recent operation so I went out in the
car without any testing and put it on pole for the first race which was
a great boost.
“To be so quick in the car having never driven it before was a great
feeling and to go on to qualify on pole for the second race and to then
win both was incredible. The Ralt is as different as you can get really
from my Clio but it’s a superb car to drive.”
Jonathan’s pace also ensured there was an air of anticipation within
the Mondello Park paddock, his fastest lap of the meeting of 51.106
seconds (80.98 mph) seeing him close to within just two 10ths of a
second of the outright National Circuit lap record.
“We were within four 10ths of a second of the record during qualifying
and after we made a couple of changes to the car I shaved another
couple of 10ths off my best time during the first race”, added Jonathan.
“Unfortunately the backmarkers in the second race meant I couldn’t
quite lap at the same pace but to be so close to the outright lap
record on my first time in the car is a great feeling and has given me
a big boost ahead of the next round of the Clios a couple of weeks from
now.”
Jonathan, who is sponsored by Applied Signs & Display, Asgard
Taverns, Atari Expo and Barry Evans Plastics, returns to the UK this
Wednesday, 11th April, for official ELF Renault Clio Cup testing at
Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire. The second round of the season follows
on 21st/22nd April at Northamptonshire’s Rockingham Motor Speedway.
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