Keohane second at Brands Hatch
Monday, 9 July 2001 17:43Up and coming Irish Formula 3 driver Michael Keohane claimed his eighth podium result of the season yesterday when he finished second in the 16th round of the British F3 Scholarship at Brands Hatch. Starting from second on the grid, the 21-year-old from Cork put in a strong drive to claim 15 important championship points and maintain third in the series standings. Backed by J&B Timber and Building Supplies for the event, the Clonakilty star finished the 15-lap encounter ahead of Brazilian Ernani Judice and Northern Ireland's Matthew Gilmore who lost his lead of the series for the first to the weekend's double race winner Robbie Kerr.
Earlier in the day, Race 15 of the 26 round high profile championship saw Michael start from the back of the grid as a result of technical infringement in qualifying. Setting the second quickest time in the 20-minute session on Saturday, the rear wing of his Toyota powered Dallara was found to exceed the permitted maximum width. A storming performance in the race saw the determined Irishman challenging for third until he was forced to slow due to a punctured rear left tyre. He crossed the line to claim fifth.
Meanwhile, in the British Ford Fiesta Zetec Championship, promising Irish saloon car racer Eoin Murray, from Firhouse, Dublin, won his first podium finish when he took an excellent second in the eighth round at Brands Hatch. Despite starting from his lowest grid position of the season in the competitive one make series, a determined drive by the 18-year-old saw him cross the line just 2/10th of a second behind race winner and series leader Nick Padley.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
