Matt Gilmore of Belfast has it all to go for in the final two rounds of the British Formula Three Championship at Silverstone tomorrow, in which he can beat English driver Robbie Kerr in the Scholarship class and lift a cool £125,000 sterling.
Two recent wins at Brands Hatch has given Gilmore an 11-point advantage over Kerr. Michael Keohane from Clonakilty has already secured third in the class, with four wins and some good podium places to his name in his first season of Formula Three.
The Cork driver aims to compete in the 'A' class in 2002. This year's championship has already been won by Takuma Sato, with an all-time record of 16 race wins.
The Irish motor racing season closes with weekend meetings at Kirkistown and Mondello Park. Tomorrow's Kirkistown race programme consists of the usual Northern club classes.
There is more exciting fare on the Mondello menu with races for seven National Championships. In the Dunlop RT2000 Championship, Jonathan Fildes leads on 75 points from the Donegan brothers, Brendan on 59 and David on 54. Derek Cunneely is fourth on 50 points. The points scoring per race is 15-12-10-eight, down to one for 10th place, and with three of the 10 rounds to run, Fildes cannot relax even with a lead of 16 points.
In Strykers it will be a real needle match between Alan Dawson on 105 points and Paul Dagg on 99.
In the Yokohama Fiat series, Andrew McKinney has won the Punto Championship and the Uno Championship is between Quentin Smith and Brian Hade.
The Shell Economy run 2001 takes place tomorrow as part of the Energy Awarness Week.
Weekend motorcycling events are the Clubmans championship races at Nutts Corner, Dundrod, Co Antrim tomorrow; and Sunday's 45th Irish Experts Trial run by the MEC at Kilruddery Estate, near Bray.
Weekend Fixtures
Saturday-Kilbroney Stages Rally, Rostrevor, Co Down, 9.0; Economy Run, starts Shell East Link Service Station, Dublin, 11.0.; Motor racing, Kirkistown, CoDown, 1.0; Motorcycle racing, Nutt's Corner, Dundrod, Co Antrim, 1.0.
Sunday - Irish Experts M/C Trial, Kilruddery Estate, Bray, CoWicklow, 11.0; Motor racing, Mondello Park, 1.30.
