Motorsport Show - RDS - 17-19 Nov 00

Posted: November 13, 2000 6:21 PM

Over 100 exhibitors will fill the Simmonscourt Pavilion for the three-day feast of motorsport, along with a plethora of racing and rally cars, karts, motorbikes and powerboats. No less than five current Formula One Grand Prix cars will be on display spearheaded by the World Championship-winning Ferrari, which will be on the Irish Shell stand.

The Jordan and Jaguar cars will be present and two Williams cars will be displayed on the F1 Racing and Castrol stands, while Mobil brings along the McLaren.

Seven of the country's top rally cars will also take centre-stage with the Toyota Corolla WRCs of Austin McHale and Ian Greer, the Subaru Impreza WRCs of Andrew Nesbitt, Kenny McKinstry and '99 RDS Rallysprint winner, Daniel Doherty, the Ford Focus WRC of Frank Meagher and Tommy Graham's Escort WRC. Oil giant, Esso, brings along a Peugeot 206 WRC from the World Rally Championship.

Ireland's leading motorsport celebrities will be available for autographs and interviews on the RPM stand on Saturday and Sunday, while for classic car enthusiasts, the Historic Racing Car Association, and the Porsche, Capri and Wolsley car clubs will have a variety of their marques at the RDS.

Irishmotors.net - the definitive motoring website in Ireland - will be launched at the show, with one lucky visitor having the chance to drive away a new Toyota Yaris on Sunday afternoon.

Ever wondered what it takes to build a racing car from start to finish? Race preparation company, Racetech, intends to demonstrate the procedure from the green light to the chequered flag. Spearheaded by Celbridge's Jonathan Taylor, who raced in the DHL-sponsored RT2000 saloon car this year, a team of four race engineers will attempt to build from scratch an RT2000 in 100 hours!

Racetech would normally take 136 hours to complete such a task, but the project - which will only be carried out by the team during the show's total 22 opening hours - will be logged hour by hour, with a scoreboard detailing the labour input. Racetech is hoping to attract a sponsor for the record-building attempt, and the completed car will be available for sale in, what should be, ready-to-race trim!

There will be competitions and giveaways galore, but for those who fancy themselves behind the wheel, Kylemore and Formula Karting will have a kart circuit inside the Simmonscourt Pavilion. In the Live Action Arena, precision driver, Russ Swift, will be performing two-wheel driving in his Seat, while there will be a demonstration by show-stopping trials bike riders.