Ireland will host a round of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), one of Britain's premier motor racing events, provided that a £3.5 million refurbishment plan is carried out at Mondello Park by May of next year.
The deal was finalised by Alan Gow, head of the Touring Car Association (TOCA), and is expected to bring between 20-25,000 motor racing fans to Mondello Park on the weekend of August 12-13th next year.
Touring cars have become one of the most popular racers in Britain in recent years attracting high profile drivers from Formula 3000. The cars resemble ordinary saloons with four doors, two-litre engines and a maximum of six cylinders.
The chairman of Mondello Park Sports Ltd, Martin Birrane, has been trying to bring the prestigious event to the Kildare race track for the past six years but safety concerns had stopped race car manufacturers from moving to Ireland.
Track improvements and extra safety features are behind the decision to move the race to Mondello. However, substantial renovations of the pit lane, grandstands and toilets will have to be carried out by May of next year to meet TOCA requirements.
"For us to get a round of one of the premier championships in the UK is a great honour and a feather in our cap. It puts us on the map in terms of motor racing," said Birrane.
"Our track was deemed too short and unsafe, as most tracks are, but when they look at the new track here it's one of the best on the circuit. We have bitten the bullet and spent money improving the track and safety features."
Two touring car races are scheduled as part of the Mondello weekend, one sprint race and one longer race with pit stops. Both are likely to feature 18 cars and eight manufacturers.
The Irish race at Mondello will be one of 14 scheduled events in the British Championship.
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