Jacques Villeneuve and former Formula One drivers Stefano Modena and Christian Danner will add glamour to Sunday's Rothmans Phoenix Park motor races, organised by the Irish Motor Racing Club and Leinster Motor Club. There will be a Williams Renault, a Ferrari and other exotic cars on static display in the paddock area.

Although they will not race officially, Modena and Danner will no doubt have fun on the circuit as they demonstrate a pair of international touring car Alfa Romeo 155s.

Unlike last Sunday in Hungary, there will be no lucky victory for Villeneuve at the wheel of a mighty eight-litre Dodge Viper V10 sports car instead of his usual Formula One car. But no doubt he will put on a spectacular show to thrill the expected large crowds.

The main attraction over the traditional two-day meeting in The Park will be the races for the Historic Grand Prix, and fleet two-litre Group sports-racing cars, tomorrow and Sunday. The rear-engined historic Grand Prix cars include 10 Cooper-Climax T43 and T51/3 models from the 19571960 Formula One era, including the actual car driven to victory in the 1959 World Championship by Jack Brabham.

These are anything but museum pieces - they are beautifully maintained, very quick and will both look and sound great in their natural environment on a real road circuit. The strong UK entry also includes examples of Lotus and Brabham cars, and a 1968 BRM to be driven by Dublin's Ean Pugh of Shankill.

For speed and all the right noises, the streamlined two-litre sports cars will rival the "oldtimer" GP cars, especially the Chevron B31/6 of Mike Wilds, and the other Chevron, Tiga, Lola, Osella, Nerus and Lotus cars from the British racing scene.

Three Irish-built Crossle sports racers will be driven by Ian McCullough (Doncaster), Arnie Black (Banbridge) and Ronnie Maybin (Antrim), who is the current leader of the Dunlop Hillclimb Championship.

An RIAC ruling that all Irish races would not carry championship status has led to small entries for Formula Opel and Formula Ford, and forced the cancellation of the Opel race. Mark McKenna, Mark O'Connor, Mark Cullen, Philip Kehoe, Alan Ring and Peter Walsh are the quick drivers entered in Formula Ford Zetec, and in Formula Ford 1600 the two to watch are up-and-coming Neil Shanahan and Michael Keohane.

With over 55 entered in Formula Vee, close racing is assured in this low-budget class. Brian Hearty, Ray Moore and Gerry O'Reilly will no doubt be the pace setters.

For excitement the "tin tops", the two-litre touring cars and Fiat Unos are the real crowd pleasers. Michael Cullen and Gordon Kellett in Opel Astras, Dave Kerrigan and Mark Turley in Honda Civics and Ciaran Greenan in a Peugeot 309 may well have to give chase to the Renault Clios of Ed O'Connor and John Keaney in the touring car races.

Mark Turley won the two Uno races last year, but with over 30 drivers entered he will have to pull out all the stops and more to beat the likes of Eugene Heary, Michael Cullen, Barry Barrable, Liam Denning and Sean Woods - to mention just a few.

There is a big entry of classic sports cars, including Jackie Cochrane in a Sunbeam Tiger, Don Thallon (Oxford) in a Lister Jaguar, and Maurice, Aoife, Edmund and Frank Cassidy. Well-known Dubliner Des Cullen is competing in his 37th Phoenix Park meeting, and, now a veteran, he is still capable of a top three finish in the two Fiat Ritmo races.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Ferrari marque, there will be a big turnout of the famous Italian cars, with a historic racer and the latest F50 supercar on parade.

Roads close at 8.0 a.m. tomorrow, with racing from 1.30 p.m. On Sunday the roads close at 8.30 a.m. and racing starts at 10.0 a.m. Admission is free, but spectators intending to use the paddock car park should be there as early as possible, and enter the Phoenix Park via the Ashtown Gate.

The second annual North Monaghan road races for motorcycles take place on Sunday, over the 2.6-mile circuit at Glaslough Village. Joey and Robert Dunlop, Derek Young, James Courtney, Denis McCullough, Gary Dynes, Adrian Archibald and Owen McNally are entered, and will undoubtedly attract a large following from north and south of the Border.

Weekend Fixtures

Tomorrow: IMRC/LMC, Phoenix Park Motor Races, first race, 1.30.; Galway MC Autocross, Clonberne, near Moylough, Co Galway. 1.0.

Sunday: Phoenix Park Motor Races, first race 10.0; North Monaghan motorcycle races, Glaslough, 12.0; Galway MC Autocross, Clonberne, 1.0.