Sport

Dempsey a strong favourite

MOTOR SPORT: Peter Dempsey of Ashbourne, who scored a double at Oulton Park at Easter, will be a hot favourite for rounds three…

Brian Foley
Fri May 19 2006 - 01:00

MOTOR SPORT: Peter Dempsey of Ashbourne, who scored a double at Oulton Park at Easter, will be a hot favourite for rounds three and four of the UK Formula Ford Duratec Championship at Donnington Park this weekend.

The biggest rival in a field of over 30 drivers, to the series leader, will be Britain's Nathan Freke.

Meanwhile, Gareth MacHale and Paul Nagle campaign a Ford Focus WRC in the Italian round of the World Rally Championship, which started from Olbia in Sardinia this morning.

Following recent races at Knockhill in Scotland, two more rounds of the Irish Supercars and Fiat Abarth Championships will be run this weekend at the Anglesey circuit near Holyhead in North Wales.

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Johnny Whelan tops the Supercars scoreboard on 72 points, followed by Michael Leonard 61, Karl Leonard 48, Rod McGovern 45 and David O'Brien 44. Reigning champion Derek Graham on 52 points leads the Fiat series from Barry Rabbitt 42, Quentin Smith 36 and Gordon Kellett 32.

There is more rallying in the North-West with tomorrow's Tour Of The Sperrins, run out of Maghera, home town of Irish Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly. The Derryman drives a Skoda Fabia WRC in place of his usual Toyota Corolla WRC, perhaps a portent of things to come.

Donnelly and his team must be close to extracting the ultimate from their seven-years-old Corolla WRC, but the Fabia WRC is really an unknown quantity as far as Irish tarmac rallying is concerned. Cork's Liam McCarthy pitches his skills against the Ulster trio of Glenn Allen, Sean Devine and Kieran Shaw. Biggest attraction of the year at Mondello Park is the British Superbike fixture. Practise runs today from 10.30am with qualifying tomorrow from 10am.

SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE IS: 12.10 - Metzeler National Superstock championship (15 laps); 1.00 - Bennetts British Superbike Championship (18 laps); 1.50 - British 125 GP Championship (14 laps); 2.45 - British Supersport Championship (16 laps); 3.45 - Bennetts British Superbike Championship (18 laps); 4.45 - Metzeler National Superstock Championship (15 laps)

WEEKEND FIXTURES Saturday - Tour of the Sperrins Rally, starts Maghera, 10.00am; County Kildare MC, 4x4 Trial, Dualla, Tipperary, 11.00am; Carrick-On-Suir MC, Autocross, Piltown, Kilkenny, 1.00pm.

Sunday - CKMC, 4x4 trial, Dualla, Tipperary, 11.00am; Mayo & District MC, Autocross, Swinford, Mayo, 11.00am; Kerry MC, Autosolo, Tralee, Kerry, 11.00am; Carrick-On-Suir MC, Autocross, Piltown, Kilkenny, 1.00pm