Thirty years after Mondello Park opened for motor racing and other motor sport events, the Co Kildare venue takes on a whole new look and a new dimension in 1998 with an extension to the 1.25 miles circuit. Work is progressing well, the ground has been cut, drainage completed and foundations laid, and the new circuit will be on schedule for a grand opening on May 17th with the spectacular RAC Super Prix.
This round of the British BOSS Championship will attract a quality field of Formula 1 and Formula 3000type cars to Mondello, giving Irish enthusiasts a wonderful opportunity of watching these powerful cars in action.
Rounds of the RIAC/National Rallycross Championship are scheduled for February 8th and March 1st, with a round of the British Championship on April 26th. The Irish motor racing championships revert to the traditional March start. Formula Ford Zetec and Formula Vee will see full grids, also Dunlop Touring Cars and there is a healthy interest in the new Stryker sports-racing class.
Despite fears that Formula Opel might be on the wane, there are now prospects of sufficient entries to sustain the premier class for the 1998 season.
Fiat Auto (Ireland) has withdrawn support for the Fiat Uno class, which is effectively being upstaged by Fiat Punto racing, although there are enough of the racing Unos around to ensure good grids.
The modified Punto racers are not officially Punto models and as such Fiat may insist they are not to be classified as Puntos - just as the Ford Mondeo lookalikes are called Eurocars and do not carry any Ford identity.
That apart, the modified "Puntomobiles" are expected to provide close racing, but unless there is more discipline enforced it could easily turn out to be "Crashmobile" racing.
