Motor SportKildare driver John O'Hara has important business to do in today's Formula Three Bahrain Superprix at the Middle East Grand Prix circuit as he takes on the cream of the world's F3 racers in an end of season meeting featuring the best drivers from a number of the class's championships from around the world. O'Hara has meanwhile been named Asian F3 Driver of The Year as the leading points scorer in all Asian F3 races this year.
The outcome of the Asian championship between Christian Jones (Australia) and O'Hara hinges on an appeal to the FIA in Paris regarding the results of round six at Beijing, China. If the appeal goes in favour of O'Hara, he will win the championship, a much-deserved Christmas present for the talented Irishman and his many staunch supporters, led by his father, Luke, from Rathcoffey, Co Kildare.
John McCluskey was narrowly pipped by Dermot Carnegie for the Irish Rallycross championship and finished third in the race for the British title behind fellow Irish drivers Carnegie and Lawrence Gibson.
Next year McCluskey will contest the British and Irish series in the Citroen Xsara WRC, which Kenneth Hansen drove to victory in the 2003 European Championship. The car is currently being prepared for the 2005 season by Hansen Motorsport in Sweden.
Peter Dempsey will drive a works Spirit WL05 in next year's British Formula Ford Zetec Championship. The Ashbourne driver only started racing in July and scored some impressive wins in Britain. His former racing father, Cliff, has obtained the All-Ireland agency for the new Spirit racing cars which should be well represented in the revised Irish Formula Ford 1600 racing in 2005.
Eamonn Byrne, on 140 points, leads Christopher Evans by five points after six rounds of the Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship, with Eddie Peterson third on 125.
That's just the mathematical overview, but just counting the scores misses the real points situation. For the 2004/'05 Hewison series of 14 rounds Byrne has switched from an open or topless Mini Special to a Mini saloon or tin top. The reigning champion, who has equalled Dermot Carnegie's long-held record of 10 Hewison titles won the first round, but Peterson, who missed the opener, has won the last five events.
If he keeps up this phenomenal form Peterson will probably not need to rely on dropped scores to win his first Hewison title, to add to the Northern Ireland championship he has won this year.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday: Carlow CC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Mondello Park, 11 a.m.
Sunday: Carlow CC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Tullow, Co Carlow, 11 a.m.
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