Vivion Daly (Dublin) and Philip Kehoe (New Ross) take their Formula Europa championship battle to Kirkistown tomorrow, with Daly leading by 34 points. Kehoe won at the Co Down circuit in June, taking the chequered flag in front of fellow Co Wexford driver James Murphy and Dubliner Gavin Smith, and is upbeat about taking on the wily Daly over the last three championship rounds.
In the Northern Ireland Formula Ford Zetec championship, George McAlpin has a 25 point lead over Richie Ryans, both driving French-built Mygales. Raymond Knox is third, 20 points down on Ryans. In the Kirkistown Formula Ford championship, Tony Rodgers leads Stephen Colbert by 14 points. The meeting will also feature races for Formula Vee and Metro saloons.
Southern riders feature strongly in the Irish Short Circuit championships, with Roddy Hayes of Rathmoylan, Co Meath leading the Clubmans 600cc class on 172 points from Kilkenny riders Enda Carrigan and John Walsh.
Simon Byrne from Tallaght, Co Dublin has a 66 point advantage over Paul Scullion (Bellaghy, Co Derry) in the Clubmans 200cc class. Byrne also holds third place in the National 200cc Championship, while Barry Gill from Castletroy, Co Limerick is joint fourth in the National 600cc Championship. Round nine of the championships will be held tomorrow at Aghadowey, Co Derry.
Sunday's motorcycle hill climb, over a 1.1 miles course near the fabled "Long Woman's Grave" in the Cooley Mountains of Omeath, in Co Louth, includes a number of `quad' machines from across the channel and features British champion Justin Reid. Robert Dunlop may compete on a 125cc Honda.
On the same day, the finals of the Irish Moto-Cross Championships will take place at Lurgankeel, near Dundalk.
Eamon Boland, Pete Doughty, Gwyndaf Evans, Ray Breen and Gary Midwinter in Ford Escorts and Paul Harris and Gavin Harris in Suburu Imprezas are the top seeds in the Talbot Hotel 28th Wexford Rally on September 18th and 19th which is traditionally well supported by English and Welsh crews and is one of the most popular events on the calendar.
Official news of the cancellation of the Circuit of Ireland in 2000 has come as no surprise, but don't be surprised if the Ulster Automobile Club run a round of the British Mintex National Rally Championship on the traditional Easter date.
