Motor SportDan Daly and Robert Copeland drive the fastest cars - Formula 3000 Reynards - in the two Formula Libre races at the weekend's motor races at Phoenix Park, but will be competing against other quick drivers such as Ken Fildes in a Formula Atlantic Ralt and hillclimbers Simon McKinley and Frank Byrnes.
Jim O'Reilly, in a Porsche 911, and Jackie Cochrane, in his Sunbeam Tiger, should set the pace in the races for the Historics.
Gary Newsome, Enda O'Connor and Anton Savage are strong contenders for Formula Sheane honours.
Ray Moore, Paul Sammin and Ken Elliott are the ones to watch in Formula Vee. Bill Griffin beat the Fiat Abarth regulars a few years ago, and he is back again to challenge the likes of Quentin Smith, Gordon Kellett, Liam Denning, Richard Kearney, Aldo Marini and Alison Lawford.
Also listed are races for Formula Five/British Formula Vee, Global Lights/Strykers and Uno/Punto saloons.
The busy programme of 18 races and on-track demonstrations is being run by the Leinster Motor Club in association with the "Phoenix Park Drivers" who organised the many sponsorships. Leinster MC's Ann Stevens is clerk of the course.
Admission is free and, in addition to the racing, the paddock area will feature many side attractions, including a static display of World Champion Fernando Alonso's Formula One Renault.
Following his recent first championship rally win in Sligo, Patrick Elliott on 108 points has edged away from Charlie Donnelly (96 points) in the Dunlop National series.
But on the dropped scores system of best eight out of 10 rounds, Donnelly actually leads Elliott by four points.
With 60 points up for grabs over the last four rounds, third-placed Aaron MacHale (72 points) can come into the reckoning and after three third-place finishes he cannot be far away from his first win - especially now that he has mastered the Ford Focus WRC, also campaigned by his father Austin in Pirelli Tarmac events.
As Aaron competes in Sunday's Tipperary Stronethrowers Rally, his younger brother Gareth with co-driver Paul Nagle is contesting Rally Deutschland, the German round of the WRC, also driving a Focus WRC.
With seven wins out of 14 races, Niall Breen has scored the most wins in the British Formula BMW Championship which he leads by a massive 66 points. The Dundalk driver could actually clinch the title on Sunday at Snetterton.
Also racing at the Norfolk venue are Damien Faulkner who has pulled ahead by three points from Tim Harvey, in their closely-contested battle for the Porsche GB Cup, and Patrick Hogan with a slender two-point lead over Sebastian Hohenthal in Formula Renault.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
Saturday - Leinster MC/P P Drivers, Phoenix Park motor races, first race 11.50am.
Sunday - Tipperary LC and MCC, Stonethrowers Rally, starts Clonmel, 9am; Leinster MC/ P P Drivers, Phoenix Park motor races, first race 10.30am.
Marcus Gronholm believes he can dust off the cobwebs and beat Sebastien Loeb to re-ignite the world championship chase in this weekend's Rally Germany. After a 10-week break between rallies, Gronholm finally gets a chance to build on his Acropolis win and erode Loeb's championship lead further.
