Ford Fiestas to the Fore at Mondello Park season opener
The Patch Tyre Equipment Fiesta ST championship and Mondello Park Fiesta Zetec championship head a well supported Car Race season opener at Mondello Park this Sunday, March 19th. Run by the Mondello Park Sports Club the twelve race event will take place on the Kildare Venue’s National Circuit layout.
With just a single season under its belt the Patch Fiesta ST series is already a huge success with the grid stretching to twenty four cars for this weekend and a lot more expected by Round 2. The inaugural champion, David Maguire, returns to defend his title and will face an experienced field including some of Ireland’s top saloon drivers. Michael Cullen, Mark Turley, David Kidd, Michael and Brendan Fitzgerald, John Denning and former Junior Rallycross Champion Simon Quinn are just some of the names on an entry list which is guaranteed to produce close and exciting racing.
The Mondello Park Fiesta Zetec series will also be on the bill this weekend and it is sure to continue where it left off in 2016 by providing some of the best entertainment of any Irish series. 2016 champion Philip Lawless heads the twenty two car entry list which is filled with Fiesta race winners as well as race winners from other classes. Alan Watkins is one of the strongest additions to the championship as he makes the move from the Stryker Class which he has dominated in recent years. The Fiesta Zetec championship and the ST’s will both race twice on Sunday.
Providing the only single seater action on Sunday will be the Formula Vee Championship. Following a couple of seasons in the doldrums this budget championship looks like making a comeback this year with well over twenty drivers entered, making it the biggest field for a season opener for many years. The Vees will kick off proceedings with a qualifying race with a final scheduled for later in the day.
The reminder of the programme will be filled by Irish Sportscars whose grid of fifteen cars will race twice. The Future Classic swill have a single outing while the Legends will as usual run to their own unique format which sees three shorter races run, with reverse grids for races two and three and rolling starts.
Admission to Sunday’s season opener is €12.50 booked in advance on-line from mondellopark.ie or €15.00 at the gate. Under sixteen’s are admitted free and all admission includes a complimentary event programme. For more information and a timetable see www.mondellopark.ie or follow Mondello Park on facebook and twitter.
