MOTORSPORT COLUMN/ BRIAN FOLEY: The British Touring Cars (BTCC) return to Mondello Park for three rounds of the spectacular saloon racing championship on Sunday. And there is more in store at the Co Kildare track, with two rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup and the Formula-BMW UK Championship, plus rounds of the Formula Ireland, Dunlop Supercars and Dunlop Fiat Abarth Cup in a 10-race programme that is a feast of top-class motor racing.
Vauxhall Astra team's James Thompson and Yvan Muller are locked in an in-house battle as they jointly lead the BTCC. Muller won at Mondello two years ago, but the Frenchman was unlucky last year as Thompson raced to two Irish wins and went on to win the championship.
Of the 12 rounds held this year there have been seven winners, including former champion Jason Plato who scored a first win for Seat. Matt Neal won two races in a Honda Civic, and three first time winners are Honda drivers Tom Chilton and Dan Eaves and Vauxhall's Luke Hines.
They are all racing at Mondello, as are Anthony Reid and Ulsterman Colin Turkington in MG ZSs, Rob Collard and Mike Brentwood in Astras, James Kaye in a Civic and South African Shaun Watson-Smith in a Proton.
Dublin driver Gavin Smith makes his BTCC debut in an Astra, and will have to dig deep into his Mondello knowledge to keep pace with the experienced visitors.
Damien Faulkner won the two Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship races last year and is joined on the grid by fellow Irish drivers Jonathan Fildes and Robbie Coleman.
This is a one-off drive for former Leinster Trophy and Formula Ireland Championship winner Coleman.
He raced in European Formula BMW last year and is desperately trying to build a budget to go Formula 3. Formula BMW makes its Irish debut, for which the Leinster Trophy will be awarded. This is Ireland's most prestigious and historical motor racing trophy, won by three drivers who went on to become World Champions: Mike Hawthorn, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen.
Conrad Schmidt, managing director of BMW Group Ireland, will announce details at Mondello tomorrow of a new Young Irish Driver sponsorship scheme.
After training at the Formula BMW Racing Centre in Valencia, Spain, the lucky winner will compete in the 2005 Formula BMW UK Championship.
FIXTURES
Saturday: Wexford MC, Stage Rally, Scaville Lodge, Duncormick, 10.45 a.m.
Saturday-Sunday: Clare MC, Dunlop Hillclimb Championship, Scalp Hill, Carron, 11.30 a.m. Skibbereen & District CC, Autotests, Kilbrogan, Bandon, Co Cork, 11.30 a.m.
Sunday: Leinster MC, Motor Racing, Mondello Park, first race 10 a.m.; Monaghan MC, Autocross, Rally School Ireland, Scotstown, 10.30 a.m.
