Strong Showing for Girls at MI Karting Championship Athboy

There was a strong attendance of girls from across the island of Ireland at Event 9 of the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship, held at Athboy Karting Centre in Co. Meath, with a number of impressive performances, fastest laps and podium finishes throughout the day.

The competitors first took to the track for qualifying, which determined their grid positions for Heat 1 and Heat 2. With girls competing across a number of different classes, there were plenty of positive results and close battles throughout the day.

In the Tillotson Bambino class, Robyn Fingleton and Georgie Greer both enjoyed a great day’s racing, gaining valuable experience and competing strongly amongst the field.

Ayda O’Brien continued her impressive season in IAME Cadet, securing another podium finish with 3rd place in the final as well as setting the fastest lap of the final. Ayda showed excellent pace throughout the day, finishing 2nd in Heat 1 before taking victory in Heat 2. She was involved in some great battles across all of her races and demonstrated strong consistency and speed. Heading into the Athboy race meeting, Ayda was also leading the championship, making every point particularly important as the season progresses.

In Tillotson T4 Junior, Saoirse McMahon and Emily Stafford competed in a highly competitive class featuring 23 other competitors. Saoirse showed strong pace in Heat 1, setting the fastest lap on her way to a 5th-place finish. She continued that strong form into the final, finishing P5, while Emily completed the final in P21.

In X30 Junior, Sophie Campbell put in another strong performance. Sophie qualified 4th and maintained her pace throughout the day, ultimately securing a fantastic 3rd-place podium finish in the final.

There was also a memorable performance in X30 Senior, where Makayla Harte secured her first X30 Senior podium, finishing P2 and setting the fastest lap in the final. Starting the final from P6, Makayla produced an impressive drive to work her way through the field and finish second. It was a dramatic race and one she said she will not forget. Also competing in the X30 Senior class were Eimear Carey and Clara O’Regan, adding to the strong female representation in the category.

The day’s racing in Athboy concluded with the T4 Senior class, where Eabha McMahon, Tara Cunneely and Kayla O’Sullivan took on another highly competitive field of 23 other competitors. All three girls faced a challenging class and gained valuable experience competing at the sharp end of Irish karting.

Overall, Event 9 provided another great showcase of the growing number of girls competing across the Motorsport Ireland Karting Championship. From podium finishes and fastest laps to strong qualifying performances and hard-fought battles, the results in Athboy highlighted the pace, determination and continued development of female competitors across the different karting categories.