Curragh celebrates

The 50th Anniversary of the first running of The Curragh motor races will be celebrated with what promises to be a very nostalgic Sprint meeting this weekend, organised by Irish Motor Racing Club in association with The Curragh Local History Group and with the co-operation and assistance of the Army.

The Wakefield Trophy (scratch) and O'Boyle Trophy (handicap) races were run over the 4.5 miles Curragh Circuit from 1949 to 1954, and attracted many of the leading names of that time, such as Roy Salvadori and race winners Duncan Hamilton, Peter Whitehead and Ian Stewart, older brother of triple World Championship winner, Jackie Stewart.

The most famous winner was Stirling Moss, double victor in 1951 at the age of 21. Tomorrow at 12 noon, a monument commemorating the 1949-1954 races will be unveiled in The Curragh Camp. Sponsored by Motor Import Ltd., BMW Distributors, the monument features a map of the circuit and the names of all the race winners. Following a parade the timed sprint (tomorrow and Sunday) will be over a `Round-The-Houses' half-mile course through the military camp, over part of the original circuit.

Some rare and indeed quite spectacular racing cars will race around the camp, including the pre-war ERA's of Duncan Ricketts and the ex-Prince Bira car of Bill Morris. A Belfast City Speed Festival, under the direction of motorsport television producer Alan Tyndall, is planned for the Northern Ireland August Bank Holiday 2000. To be run with support from the Belfast City Council and the Millennium Committee, the programme is to have famous racing drivers and motorcyclists in Belfast for the weekend.

With double header races at Oulton Park tomorrow and Thruxton on October 17th, a trio of Ulster drivers are in line for honours in the prestigious Formula Palmer Audi Championship.

The points standings after Round 13 are: 1, Richard Tarling (Henley-on-Thames) 175; 2, Richard Lyons (Hillsborough, Co Down) 172; 3, Damien Faulkner (Moville, Co Donegal) 163; 4, Tim Mullen (Portadown) 161. After his recent Silverstone win, Faulkner is on a high and confident he can take the title.

The British Touring Car Championship Honda Team will test at Mondello Park in early October, in advance preparation for the BTCC round(s) at the Co Kildare track next August.