The Irish motor racing season got off to a successful start at Mondello Park last weekend which augers well for the rest of the year. Motorcycle racing gets into gear at the upgraded Co Kildare venue on Sunday with the Leinster 100 short circuit championship races.
Forthcoming major attractions at Mondello include: Euro Boss Formula One Series, May 20th; British Touring Car Championship, June 16th-17th; Thoroughbred Formula One, September 1st-2nd. Circuit-owner Martin Birrane is upbeat about attracting a world sports car championship round on the same weekend as the Throughbred Formula One's.
Rallying has suffered badly as a result of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, but tomorrow's stages event at Bishopscourt, near Downpatrick, will hopefully mark a new beginning.
Rally sport will receive a major boost with the inaugural Punchestown Rally Masters on May 27th and the confirmed Lurgan Park stages on July 7th. The Punchestown event is being run by the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club with the support of Motorsport Ireland. Eighty drivers will compete over a 2.4 mile stage.
Dermot Carnegie (Dublin) and John Moloney (Limerick) lead the British Rallycross championship after finishing first and second respectively in the opening round. They compete in round two at Pembrey, Wales on Sunday.
The Formula Rally Championship starts tomorrow with the Rally of Wirral. The Irish entry is headed by Max McKillen and Tim McQuaid in a Citroen Saxo. A round of the series will be included in the Ulster Rally on August 31st-September 1st.
Steven Kane (Ballynahinch) and Ian Barrett (Maynooth) compete in the British Formula Ford Junior Championship races at Knockhill, Scotland, on Sunday.
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