The RCCAOI Irish National Onroad Championships got underway over the weekend in Dublin and for Team Serpent Ireland it was a great start to the 2008 season as their drivers were fastest in both 1:10 200mm and 1:8.

The defending 1:8 Champions, it was business as usual for team leader Clive Connolly who TQ\'d the event with his 960 ahead of team-mate Michael Byrne. In the half hour Final Connolly cruised to victory but it was Graeme Lougheed, making his first appear at the controls of a Serpent, who set the fastest lap of the race on his way to third to give Serpent a podium double. In the end five of the Top 6 places in the A Final were occupied by Serpent drivers.

In 1:10 200mm it was again Connolly who headed the Serpent challenge and despite this being his first 1:10 National campaign and limited knowledge of the class & his 720 he finished a close second recording the fastest lap of the race which was almost 2/10th faster than that of the winner. Also on the podium after yet another great run was Colm Gaffney with his Mega ZX powered 720. Alan Carr and Peter Dempsey made it four Serpent\'s in the Top 6 finishing 5th and 6th respectively.

In the B Final it was again a podium double for the 720 as Chris Lawlor took his Mega MF powered example to victory while newcomer to the sport Eoin McGeough took his similar example to third.

The RCCAOI Irish National Championships is run over six rounds with Round 2 scheduled for May 18th.

[b]RCCAOI Irish National Championships
Round 1, Dublin

1:8 A Final (Top 6)[/b]
1. Clive Connolly (Serpent 960)
2. Austin Elliot
3. Graeme Lougheed (Serpent 960)
4. Sean Doyle (Sepent 960)
5. Michael Byrne (Serpent 960)
6. Darragh Fox (Serpent 960)


[b]1:10 200mm A Final (Top 6)[/b]
1. Eoin Doran
2. Clive Connolly (Serpent 720)
3. Colm Gaffney (Serpent 720/Mega ZX)
4. Bernd Raap
5. Peter Dempsey (Serpent 710)
6. Alan Carr (Serpent 720)


[b]1:10 200mm B Final (Top 3)[/b]
1. Chris Lawlor (Serpent 720/Mega MF)
2. Oliver Pauloin-Valory
3. Eoin McGeough (Serpent 720/Mega MF)