County Kildare News

Mondello 45, a celebration of 45 years of Ireland's only International Motor Racing Circuit, is set to take place at Mondello Park this Saturday night followed by a full days racing on Sunday.

Saturday night's Birthday celebration will be hosted by Mondello Park owner Martin Birrane and will include a rare interview with Mr. Birrane along with interviews with Stuart Cosgrave, one of the founders of the circuit, and other famous names from Mondello Park's past and present. Prior to the party a guided tour of the Circuit's museum will take place at 19:00 and both the museum tour and the party are free events open to all motorsport enthusiasts.

Sunday's race event will centre around a race for the very impressive, newly created, Birrane Trophy and this will go to the class with the largest entry. At present there is only one championship in the running to take that honour and that is the brand new Patch Tyres Fiesta Championship which in only its second ever race will have almost forty entries.

Alongside the Fiestas another series is set for an auspicious début as GT racing returns with a new set of regulations and increased promotion. Having secured sponsorship from independent Porsche Specialists OPH the new series has attracted a quality field of cars, including Lotus’s, Porsches and RT2000 Supercars amongst others, in a field which now looks likely to top fifteen cars.

Admission to Sunday's event is at its lowest ever level with a special birthday price of €4.50 for adults while under sixteen’s are admitted free. Also admitted free of charge will be anyone arriving in a Mini of any vintage. Those who do arrive will be allowed take part in a lunchtime parade, which will be led away by John Keaney, winner of the first ever Mondello Park race in a Mini and in celebration, John will be driving the very latest JCW Cooper Works MINI when leading the parade. The JCW Cooper MINI is supplied courtesy of Mini Ireland, who are on-site as part of the Mini celebration, with all the current models on display.

The remainder of a busy days racing will be made up of double headers for Stryker Sports Cars, Formula Sheane and Irish Touring Cars, while the Formula Vee and Future Classic drivers will both have a single race. Racing gets underway at 11:30 and if you can’t make the event, you can watch all the action live on Mondello Park's live streaming TV station, Mondello.TV.