On the domestic Championship front a smaller number of more spectator friendly car racing dates, with more races per event, will be run. Classes with smaller grids will run together to free up time and this will also allow entry fees to be reduced for the coming season. To facilitate the event programme, Saturday afternoon qualifying from 4pm– 6pm will be introduced at some events and this will allow Sunday to be taken up almost entirely by racing.
One of the International championships making a return to Mondello Park this season will be the Pick-Up Racing series from the UK and they will be the feature class of a two-day event in July, where it is hoped a UK Pick-Up V’s Irish Supercar challenge race will be part of the programme. In addition to this, initial agreement has been reached to run a Pick Up for double Irish Champion Rod McGovern. A feature race for the Leinster Trophy event in September is also being worked on with a well known International championship which is looking to make a return to Ireland.
Short circuit Motorcycling in the Republic of Ireland will also see some changes in 2010 with the Mondello Clubman and National championship events, which previously ran separately, being combined within a new race day format which will include a Mondello Park championship for the first time.
The big prize money, Mondello Masters, will continue to be a part of the circuit’s calendar in 2010 with a single event scheduled for October. Further information on the Masters event will be announced as the season progresses.
Endurance will be a key word for the circuit during the coming season as three long distance events could potentially feature in the calendar. The Fun-Cup endurance series returns to Mondello Park following a year off and this Europe wide series for VW Beetle look-alikes will hit Mondello in August for a single six-hour event. In advance of that, discussions are at an advance stage between Mondello Park, the IMRC and UK/Irish Historic Competitors with a view to hosting the venues first ever historic long-distance races with the running of a Historic Endurance Car event in April. The first distance event of the season will however be the longest, and possibly the slowest, as an eight-hour charity motorcycle race will open the two wheeled season at the circuit on February14th. The reason the event will be the slowest is due to it being run for standard Honda 50s. Fifty teams of four riders will battle around the Mondello National circuit with lap times in the region of two minutes, double that of a Superbike, expected to be the norm. The Valentine’s Day Mondello enduro will be run as a benefit for the Dublin Rape Crisis centre and with a number of very big names from Irish Motorcycle racing being lined up to take part it should be a lot of fun.
The final new initiative will be the first ever running of Tarmac Multi-Stage Rallysprints at the Kildare venue. Two events are currently scheduled, one in February and one in July and the first of these single venue Rallies will be organised and promoted by The Rallysport Association. February’s event will not only be the first ever Mondello event of its kind, but will also be the first ever Inter-Provincial Rallysprint competition. Competitors will compete for individual glory with the top ten drivers from each province scoring for their team. Awards will be presented for the overall result as well as in a number of classes with the top province also receiving a perpetual trophy.
Fergus Brennan.
