End of the race for Japan's hero Priuses

You'd be forgiven for not noticing that the car above is a Toyota Prius, writes Brian Byrne. But to motor racing fans in Japan it is the last of a what has been a hero series of Priuses for a decade.

Its predecessor car made a debut win at the 2013 Fuji 500 in Japan's Super GT Series, the top level of auto racing in that country. It was the first ever win for a hybrid-engined car in the series.

While the hybrid part of the car's powertrain was close to factory standard for the Prius of the time, the internal combustion part was not — it was a howling 3.4 V8. There were to be three generations of the Prius GT, the last with a 5.4 V8 and hybrid electrification.

With many podium wins and places down the decade, Toyota pulled the plug on the car after the 2021 season. From now on, apr Racing who operated the Prius GT for the carmaker, will be running a new car based the Lexus LC 500h.

But a decade of Prius GTs turned road Prius owners in Japan into very proud people, ready to welly the accelerator at every opportunity to overtake other cars in the zones between the speed cameras that keep all other Japanese drivers in an obedient line. 

Rosanna to judge fashion at Naas Races Ladies Day

Model, author, nutritionist and mum-to-be, Rosanna Davison will head up the fashion judging panel for the Lawlor’s of Naas Grade 1 Novice Hurdle and Winter Ladies Day at Naas Racecourse on Sunday 5 January 2020, writes Trish Whelan.

This premier race is the main event on the opening card of the 2020 calendar at the track and offers racegoers a day of racing, fashion and fun. This year’s prize fund for the fashion competition is worth €4,250.

The best dressed lady on the day will win €1,500 worth of hairdressing and accessories from Alan Keville for Hair, a €1,500 voucher from Residence Day Spa in Naas and a luxurious Suite stay at Lawlor’s of Naas Town Centre Hotel. There will also be hair and spa vouchers from the two fashion partners for four runners up on the day as well as a voucher for lunch for two in Lawlor’s Bistro.

Rosanna will be supported in her search for stylish ‘winter glam’ outfits by a representative of each of the fashion sponsors and by Anna Fortune, Commercial Manager of The Kildare Post who is the media partner for the race day. 

The Grade 1 Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle is the first major race of 2020 and is a great indicator of what horses are set to make waves on the racing scene over the remainder of the season. 

Manager of Naas Racecourse, Eamonn McEvoy said the total prize fund will be €90,000. The event also marks the beginning of top-class National Hunt racing for 2020. 

There are seven races on the card on 5 January. Tickets are €15 and a range of hospitality packages are available. 

Road racing maverick Guy Martin at Bikeworld

Road racing favourite Guy Martin will be in Ireland on Saturday next, 25th August, making a special appearance at Dainese's premier Irish dealership, Bikeworld, located at 1 Long Mile Road, Dublin 12.

Fresh from his win at the Ulster Grand Prix on 14 August, Martin will be visiting the store to meet and greet his fans.

Although victorious at the Ulster GP, the Lincolnshire-ace is still awaiting victory at the Isle of Man TT races.

He is looking forward to meeting everyone at Bikeworld when fans will have the chance to speak with him, have a photo taken, autograph signed, and will be able to have a look around the showroom full of Dainese and AGV products.

Martin will be at Bikeworld from 11am - 5pm on Saturday. Les Griffin of Bikeworld says having Guy at Bikeworld will be a real honour.

Special Sunday at Mondello

For the first time ever fans of Irelands premier motor racing series, the Dunlop Supercar Championship, will be treated to three championship encounters in the one event at Mondello Park this Sunday.

The ever popular saloon series will not only race three times in the one day but will also do so with the biggest grid in its history as 17 cars take to the track led by championship leader Rod McGovern. McGovern won two races at the last Mondello Supercar outing and currently leads the series by ten points from Johnny Whelan with David O'Brien and John Farrelly the only other drivers still in contention for the title. The series is bolstered this weekend by entries for returning drivers JJ Riordan and Michael Leonard Jnr.

The unusual nature of the race meeting goes further than the Supercar triple header as it also features the first ever Irish sportscar endurance races. Two forty five minute races are scheduled and entry to these races is limited to open cockpit, closed wheel sportscars. The race format allows for driver changes and re-fuelling with a mandatory pit stop of a minimum length. Each cars pit stop duration will be controlled in order to equalise the performance of cars with one driver to those with two, and those which need to re-fuel to those that don't.

Another new aspect of Sunday's event is that it will feature two historic car classes for the first time at Mondello. The Irish historic racing car class has been expanded to include cars built before 1979 and these cars will compete in separate race from the existing pre 1974 cars. The new class not only admits the younger cars but also allows kit cars, modified saloons and modsports of either vintage to compete.

The nine race programme is completed by the traditional Formula Libre double header and gets underway with the first of the endurance races at 11:10 on Sunday morning. (Mondello Park Media Service)

Schumacher for Race of Champions

Michael Schumacher will take part in the 20th Race of Champions, a charity race that this year is being held in Wembley Stadium.

The December 16 tarmac event will also have many other racing stars performing on a custom-built race track competing against one another.

Schumacher took part in the 2004 event at Paris’ Stade de France, where he beat World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb in a one-off challenge in front of over 62,000 fans, but missed out on the overall title to Renault’s F1-driver Heikki Kovalainen.

the race is run to raise funds for and awareness of the Institute for Cerebral and Medullary Disorders

Already announced for 2007 are Red Bull Racing’s David Coulthard and Honda F1’s Jenson Button, as well as double FIA World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx and 1995 World Rally Champion, Colin McRae. BB.