Ireland's most successful racing driver in 2000 was Co Donegal's Damien Faulkner. The Moville man won the European Formula Palmer Audi Championship and instead of taking up his prize of a fully paid drive in next year's European Formula 3000 Championship he has signed to race in the Indy Lights series in the USA. At 24, Faulkner may be "too old" to break into Formula One, but he could make a good career racing in America, especially if he can get into Champ Cars.

Peter Walsh (20) of Cork took the unusual decision to contest Formula Ford 2000 in the USA, having won the Benelux Formula Ford Zetec Championship in '99. He had a great season winning three races, second in the Rookie of The Year series, winner of the Rookie Oval award (for the superspeedways) and fifth overall. He is now established in America where he will race in 2001. Michael Keohane (20) of Clonakilty looks set to contest the British Formula 3 Championship next year, following a successful test session for the Irish-owned Meritus Team. He completed some 100 laps of the Donington Park Circuit in one of the team's Toyota-powered Dallara F398 cars which campaigned in the scholarship class of this year's British F.3 races. McLaren Autosport Award finalist Matthew Gilmore (Belfast) has also tested with Meritus, which is owned by Wexford-born Peter Thompson.

Keohane competed in this year's Formula Renault Championship, enduring a tough season in which his best result was fifth in the opening European race at Mugello in Italy. After the Donington test, the former karting champion said "the car feels really good to drive and to get a trouble free day of running was great."

Fixtures: Saturday: Leinster MC Le Fanu Cup Sporting Trial, Kilruddery Estate, Bray, Co Wicklow, 11.30; Sunday: Carlow CC Rallysprint, Mondello Park, 08.00. Monday: Trials Drivers Club Production Car Trial.