Championship motor racing at Mondello Park, round nine of the National Rally Championship in Tipperary, a round of the British Hillclimb Championship at Craigantlet near Belfast and the fourth Annual Kells Motorcycle Road Races make for a very busy weekend.
Formula Opel and Formula Ford Zetec return to Mondello with drivers hungry for championship points. In Formula Opel, Jason Pollock, on 28 points, leads Vivion Daly (21), Peter Duke (20), Ken Grandon (19) and Noel Dunne (16). Michael Keohane (28) leads Noel Dunne (26) and Mark Kershaw (22) in the Formula Opel Cup.
While Neil Shanahan anxiously waits for the results of his Leaving Cert exams, the 18-yearold Dubliner has another test on Sunday in round eight of the Ford of Ireland Zetec Championship. Shanahan currently leads the championship on 74 points and has four race wins to his credit with only four races left. Ulsterman Chris Paul (66) and Co Wexford farmer Phillip Kehoe (51) are second and third respectively. Formula Vee drivers will compete for points in three classes. In the A championship Dominic Dillon, on 70 points, leads from Pat Callinan (67). Enda O'Connor and Kevin O'Rourke lead the B series with 75 points each. George Crozier of Enniskillen leads the Dunlop Touring Car Championship in his Opel Astra by just one point from Dubliner Mark Turley (Honda Civic), with Gordon Kellett (Astra) and reigning champion Ed O'Connor (Renault Clio Williams) in hot pursuit. Kellett also leads the Dunlop Italian Cup by a massive 20 points over Liam Denning.
Reigning National Rally Champion John Gilleece, who has been on vacation, will be back behind the wheel of his Ford Escort RS Cosworth for Sunday's Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally, run out of Clonmel. By missing three events he has lost 24 points to leader Niall Maguire (Monaghan). Dermot Kelly is third on 63, ahead of Daniel Doherty (56), Ray Breen and James Foley (48).
The stones will, no doubt, be flying over the 3x3 stages at Kilmore, Coleman and Newchapel, with Maguire and Doherty in Subaru Legacys setting a cracking pace, challenged by Gilleece, Kelly, P J McGrath, Tommy Graham and John McCluskey in Escort Cosworths. English drivers Pete Doughty and Gabriel Snow and Welshman Bob Fowden will be giving their Escort World Rally Cars a first outing, and Michael Barrable wiil be in a Toyota Celica GT4.
Joey Dunlop took a well earned rest after winning the 250cc Isle of Man TT in June and returns to the saddle on 125cc and 250cc Hondas in Sunday's road races over the 2.1 miles Crossakiel Circuit at Kells. His brother Robert is also entered. The Ulster Speed Weekend starts this evening with a sprint at Kirkistown, followed by tomorrow's British Hillclimb Championship event at Craigantlet and another sprint on Sunday at Nutts Corner.
