Sport

Fildes gears up for a busy weekend on two fronts

Motor Sport News round-up Ken Fildes competes in two totally different motor sporting competitions this weekend

Brian Foley
Fri Apr 07 2006 - 01:00

Motor Sport News round-upKen Fildes competes in two totally different motor sporting competitions this weekend. The veteran racing driver will be at the wheel of his Erskine-Yamaha in tomorrow's mud-plug event at Greenane, Co Wicklow. After showering off the mud and dirt, he will slip into his racing suit to drive a Ralt RT4 at a faster pace in the two Formula Libre races at the Mondello Park season-opener on Sunday.

Fildes will be up against quick opposition from Dan Daly and former saloon champion Bob Copeland in Formula 3000 Reynards, Simon McKinley and Keith Colmey in similar Ralts.

The lively Mondello programme also features races for Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Vee, Porsches, historics, saloons and sports cars. Formula Vee should be particularly competitive with Trevor Delaney, Robert Casey, Gerard and William Callaghan in Sheanes, Ken Elliott, Ray Moore and John Downey driving Leastones. The three pace setters in Formula Ford 1600 are reigning champion Noel Dunne, Neville Smith and Paul Dagg.

Irish drivers in action at Brand's Hatch over the weekend are Damien Faulkner, Gavin Smith (BTCC), Paddy Hogan in Formula Renault, and karting driver Niall Quinn (17), who makes his car racing debut in the two opening rounds of the Formula-BMW UK championship. Faulkner won last year's Porsche Carrera Cup GB and defends his title in the latest Porsche 911GT3.

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Two more Irish drivers racing in Formula BMW are Niall Breen and Daniel Murray, but all the attention will be focused on Nigel Mansell's two sons Leo and Gregg who are both making their racing debuts.

Tom Holton in a Toyota Celica GT4 is seeded number three in Sunday's Roscommon stages rally, splitting the leading Subaru drivers headed by Adrian McElvaney, George Cullen, Seán Devine, Martin Doherty and Noel McCarrick.

WEEKEND FIXTURES - Today: TDC, Irish classic retro trial, starts Kilkenny, 8pm; Friday-LMC, Sporting Trial, Greenane, Co Wicklow, 12pm; Munster KC, Kart Racing. Kiltorcan, Ballyhale, Co Kilkenny, 2.30pm; Clare MC, Autotest, Shannon, Co Clare, 3pm. Sunday - Midland Mc, Stages Rally, starts Roscommon, 10am; Co Kildare MC, Motor Racing, Mondello Park, 12.15pm; Clare MC, Autotest, Shannon, Co Clare, 3pm.