European stage for Mondello

FEARS that the European Rallycross Championship event scheduled for Mondello Park on June 22nd-23rd would be cancelled over lack of sponsorship have been allayed by the announcement that the event has the support of Barum tyres and Citroen Ireland.

Following negotiations between Mondello Park, the RIAC, Co Kildare and Carlow Clubs and Barum, the event will take place over two days as round five of the 11 round European series, on the weekend after the British event at Lydden circuit.

Sunday's rallycross at Mondello will see Carnegie and Moloney in action in their Escort Cosworths. Both will contest some of the European rounds this year.

Eamon Byrne, who looks after Carnegie's rallycross cars, has won the Hewison Trophy autotest championship for the fifth time. With the final round to run on March 24th, the top three places are filled, with J. J. Farrell second and Christopher Evans third.

The Ulster Automobile Club has announced further details of the AA Circuit of Ireland at Easter. From the 9 a.m. Bangor start on Good Friday, the route will take the cars to Limerick via Dublin, covering nine stages. After service in the RDS there will be "classic stages" south of the city.

From 10 a.m. on Easter Sunday the cars will leave Limerick on the long haul back to Bangor, where the rally will finish at around 3 p.m. on Easter Monday.

The `mud pluggers' take to the hills in tomorrow's sporting trial run by the Garda Siochana Motor Club at Tibradden, Co Dublin.

Tomorrow night's Cavan Drifters Rally, run out of Canningstown, is the penultimate round of the Woodchester Credit Lyonnais National Navigation Rally Championship.

Sunday's MEC Montrose Cup Trial, run over the Sugar Loaf area of Co Wicklow, near Kilmacanogue, is the seventh rounds of the MCUI (Southern Centre) Trials Championship.

The motorcycle road racing season is some three months away, but Justine Noone of Ballinasloe has his plans well in hand. Noone who finished second in the 1995 Irish Road Race Support or Clubman Championship, will race the ex Derek Young Honda in the Regal 600 series and the National 600cc Championship.