British Rallycross Round @ Mondello - 27-28 Jun 15

Competitors hoping for 'Luck of the Irish' in Mondello Park double-header

Posted: June 26, 2015 7:00 AM

The MSA British Rallycross Championship in association with the Shannon Group will cross the Irish Sea this weekend (27/28 June), as competitors prepare to race around Mondello Park for the first time in four years in an eagerly-anticipated double-header.

The popular County Kildare circuit last staged British Rallycross in 2011, and its return to the calendar coincides with a resurgence in the series' popularity ' with some thrilling battles in-store across every class.

Following the opening three rounds of the 2015 campaign at Croft, Lydden Hill and Pembrey, Andy Scott leads the way in the MSA Supercar standings, with two victories to his name in his ex-World Rallycross Peugeot 208.

The Albatec Racing ace is hotly pursued, however, by reigning British Champion Julian Godfrey ' who won last time out in his trusty Ford Fiesta ' as well as Andy Grant (Ford Focus), home hero and series sponsor Ollie O'Donovan (Ford Fiesta) and Kevin Procter (Ford Fiesta). Other protagonists in the marauding pack of 600bhp behemoths will include Steve Hill (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10), 'Mad' Mark Watson (Citro'n Xsara T16) and Mark Flaherty (Peugeot 208).

In the bumper MSA SuperNational field, a season-long duel is brewing between Daniel Rooke (Citro'n AX) and Allan Tapscott (Vauxhall Corsa), but Stuart Emery in his Peugeot 206 is also coming on strong having triumphed in the most recent two rounds, and Gareth Wood's Ford Ka can certainly not be discounted.

Craig Lomax is the man to beat in Super 1600 in his 'pocket rocket' Citro'n C2, whilst Tristan Ovenden remains undefeated in Suzuki Swifts, although Darren Scott, Rob Maynard and Jack Brown are determined not to make life easy for him.

The classes are completed by Hot Hatch / BMW Minis, Swift Juniors, the always entertaining Retro Rallycross legends and the single-make RX150 Buggies, which will welcome a special guest entry in the shape of reigning MSA British Rally Champion and current Junior World Rally Championship star Daniel McKenna.

The 28-year-old Irishman will follow in the wheeltracks of young British Touring Car Championship hotshot Tom Ingram when he climbs behind the wheel of the Jelf Insurance-supported buggy on Sunday (28 June), as he evaluates a potential rallycross future.

'I'm really looking forward to Mondello,' McKenna enthuses. 'Ollie O'Donovan has given me a great opportunity to race the buggy. There are a host of young drivers in Ireland that could have been chosen, so I'm delighted to get the chance. I've never done anything like this before rallycross-wise ' I come from mainly a rallying background ' but I did do a bit of racing when I was ten-years-old in junior stock cars.

'I've been watching YouTube clips of the buggies and they look good fun, and I have experience in rear-wheel-drive MkII Escorts, so I should be able to adapt. I've driven the circuit at Mondello in rallysprints and stuff, but I'm sure the rallycross track in a buggy is very different. Hopefully I can get up-to-speed quite quickly and do as well as I can.'

The previous day (27 June), the buggy will be raced by RTE Television presenter John Kenny, who has some prior experience in rallycross having competed in the Stock Hatch class last season.

British Rallycross raiders return to Mondello Park

Posted: June 25, 2015 6:01 AM

Kildare Motor Club and Mondello Park will play to the MSA British Rallycross Championship this weekend and they have attracted a mouth watering entry. The event will consist of 2 separate rounds with round 4 taking place on Saturday and round 5 on Sunday. With British and Irish competitors combined, this weekend will see the largest field of rallycross supercars at an Irish track in over a decade. With over 500 horsepower, 4 wheel drive and flame spitting exhausts, the supercars provide a fantastic spectacle and with drivers like Ollie O'Donovan, Andy Grant, Andy Scott, Steve Hill and Geoffrey Dolan all in the hunt for victory, there will be plenty close racing to keep he crowds entertained.

The RX150 buggy support series has attracted 2 celebrity entries with RTE radio and TV presenter John Kenny getting behind the wheel of one of the motorbike powered machines while reigning British Rally Champion Daniel McKenna will also make a one off appearance in the category.

Tickets for both days are now on sale on the Mondello Park website.

The timetable for the event will be available over the coming days and will also be posted on www.mondellopark.ie along with all of the latest event information.

Event Poster

Posted: June 11, 2015 3:46 PM

Website / Details

Posted: June 11, 2015 3:20 PM

Mondello Park Racing Circuit