Having achieved its biggest 'Clubman' event crowd for many years at its opening Bike race of the season, Mondello Park is looking forward to similar success with its new Mondello Superbike Championship initiative which kicks off on May 22nd & 23rd. The new series is a joint effort by Motorcycling Ireland's Short Circuit Committee and the County Kildare venue to breath new life into motorcycle racing at the circuit and will feature a new race day format among a number of changes.
The new championship will be open to all grades of rider who will compete together for overall honours as well as a 'Cup' class for which only Clubman and Novice riders will be eligible. The championship will run over seven rounds using both the National and International Mondello layouts and will carry a healthy end of season prize fund. Alongside the championship races for each class the fastest riders at each event will also be invited to race for prize money in the grand final, which will be the centrepiece of each event.
In order to make Motorcycle races at Mondello more attractive to spectators the feature events will be concentrated into the prime early afternoon slot between 14:00 and 16:00. The top classes will be Superbike, Supersport, Sidecar and Two-Stroke's, and along with the grand final these races will form the centrepiece of each event. To improve the spectating experience the featured classes will have longer races, grid interviews, podium presentations and expanded commentary, along the lines of the popular 'Mondello Masters' events.
Mondello Park is keen to get the new series off to a strong start and has introduced a number of special offers to entice bike race fans to check out their new style events. Standard admission is €15 but a special offer concession ticket worth €5:00 is available on the Mondello Park Website. In addition, Motorcyclists with a Pillion Passenger will be admitted for a total of €20 and there is also a special price for a car and up to four occupants for the price of €20.
At each event a particular manufacturer will be targeted with anyone arriving on a bike from that manufacturer being entered into a draw to win one of three prizes. The prize winners will be drawn on the podium after the awards presentation for the Grand Final. For the first event Honda will be the manufacturer and first prize will be a track day voucher, second a half day track day voucher and third prize will be tickets to the 'Mondello Masters' in October.
May 23rd at Mondello Park will be the first of four feature Motorcycle event for 2010 and it is hoped that the new format will prove popular with competitors and spectators alike. Anyone wishing to keep up to date with news of the Mondello Superbike Championship can do so through the Mondello Park web site or by subscribing to the circuits free email and text alert service.
Fergus Brennan.
