Motorsport Round-upTomorrow the Republic of Ireland team of Eamonn Byrne, Chris Grimes, Christopher Evans and James Pringle expect to improve on last year's second-place finish behind England in the International Ken Wharton Autotests at Arrow Mill Motel, Warwickshire. Northern Ireland have dominated this annual event over its 46 years; the Republic have won six times.
Eddie Peterson, Simon Echlin and Frank Lenehan are the Ireland reserves, and Lenehan's daughter Joanna is on the international women's team.
Charlie Donnelly (Naas) is hoping for another Irish win in the Formula Ford Festival run over two days at Brands Hatch. Donnelly has won four times in Britain this season and is geared up for the biggest race in Formula Ford 1800 Zetec. The big Irish entry also includes Noel Dunne and Alan Dwyer.
Previous Irish winners of the Festival are Derek Daly, Michael Roe, Tommy Byrne, and Eddie Irvine.
Chris Tyndall (Belfast), who had a recent podium finish at Silverstone, competes in the Formula Ford 1600 Kent class.
County Roscommon has a new sports star in Frenchpark's Emmet Queenan, winner of the Formula Ireland Championship and a finalist in the Young Racing Driver of The Year awards scheme. In only his second season of racing, Queenan (20) scored five wins in 12 races, beating the more experienced Paul Dagg (Drogheda) for the Formula Ireland title by nine points.
Barry Waugh (Dublin) and Dwyer (Cork) were runners-up. The first four will undergo fitness and on-track assessment before a winner is selected for a test drive with a leading Formula Nippon team and a possible drive in next year's Japanese championship, which is considered a leading Formula One feeder series.
The six finalists in the Young Racing Driver of The Year scheme are Donnelly (April), Eoin Murray (May), Queenan (June), Richard Kearney (July), Patrick Hogan (August) and Mark Sheahan (September).
The winner will be announced - and presented with the Dunlop Sexton Trophy and a prize worth 30,000 - at the Awards for Excellence in Irish Motorsport function, sponsored by Alfa Romeo, in Dublin on November 30th.
Dundalk driver Noel Roddy had two wins, a fourth, a pole position and a fastest lap driving for the French L'Ecole de la Performance team in recent Coupe de France Formula Renault racing at the Vale De Vivienne circuit in midwest France. He was unlucky not to finish higher in the final but did exceptionally well on worn tyres.
It was a great boost for Roddy after a frustrating half season racing in Formula Ireland on the original shoestring budget. He has been offered a drive in French Formula Renault racing in 2005, if he can find the necessary sponsorship.
WEEKEND FIXTURES: Saturday - MEC, Sporting Trial, Glenmalure, Co Wicklow, noon. Sunday - GSMC, Stage Rally, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, 10 am; Mayo & District MC, Autocross, Kilkelly, Co Mayo, 11 am.
