Sport

Lucrative test drive chance

MOTORSPORT: In most sports sheer natural skill and talent open the window of opportunity

Brian Foley
Fri Mar 19 2004 - 00:00

MOTORSPORT: In most sports sheer natural skill and talent open the window of opportunity. This is anything but the case in motor racing, where the major barrier to success at even club competition level is money or the lack of it.

Martin Birrane, Lola Cars executive chairman and owner of Mondello Park, in association with David Kennedy, is offering an important opportunity to one lucky driver from this year's Formula Ireland Championship to prove his talent and capability with an evaluation test drive in a Formula Nippon Lola with a race winning Japanese team.

The prize test in a 550bhp Formula Nippon will be held at a track. "This prize is the biggest driver development scholarship ever awarded in Irish racing and it is my privilege to arrange it for Formula Ireland," said Birrane. "The driver in question will have an opportunity to try for a drive worth in excess of half a million euros.

Formula Nippon has catapulted the likes of Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen to Grand Prix glory and placed former champion Ralph Firman with the Jordan Formula One team in 2003. The precise selection procedure for the test drive will be announced in due course. This year's Formula Ireland Championship takes place over 12 races, starting at Kirkistown on April 3rd.

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Last year's champion John O'Hara and runner-up Emmet Queenan recently completed a successful Formula Three test in Italy. O'Hara is doing Asian Formula Three this year and is currently testing in Japan, while Queenan is again racing in Formula Ireland.

The Irish motor racing season gets under way at Mondello Park on Sunday week with the first of the "clubman" meetings. The first of four designated Super Race Sundays is listed for Easter Sunday (April 11th), followed by June 27th, August 1st and September 19th.

WEEKEND FIXTURES

Saturday: Leinster MC, Sporting Trial, Ballybrew, Enniskerry, Co.Wicklow, 12.0; TDC, International Trophy Autotest, Curragh Camp, Co.Kildare, 10.0; Co.Monaghan Motor Club, Navigation Trial, Lisdoonan, Co.Monaghan, 22.0.

Sunday: Killarney & District Motor Club, Autocross (LS), Cronins Pit, Killarney, Co.Kerry, 12.00; Motor Enthusiasts Club, 4x4 Production Vehicle Trial, Crosschapel, Blessington, Co.Wicklow, 11.00; Carlow CC, Sprint, Pallas Karting, Tynagh, Portumna, Galway, 10.30; Co Kildare MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Toughers, Newbridge, Co.Kildare, 12.0; Midland MC, Multi Stages Rally, Royal Hotel, Roscommon, 10.0.