MOTOR SPORT: The reigning autotest champion, Eddie Peterson, has a four-point lead in the Hewison Trophy series as the championship restarts with two rounds in Waterford. After seven of 15 rounds, Peterson has 170 points. Early-leader Sam Johnston is second on 166, and Eamonn Byrne is third on 161.
Meanwhile, the open forum for the 2006 National Forest Rally Championship will be held on Sunday (2pm) in Kearney's Castle Hotel, Cashel, Co Tipperary. The championship committee of Motorsport Ireland has negotiated a new three-year deal with Coillte for the forest stages. The series will feature eight rounds as follows: February 10th - Carrick-on-Suir MC; March 26th - Tipperary LC and MCC; April 16th - MEC, Wicklow; May 14th - Munster MC and CC; June 11th - Co Monaghan MC; July 22nd/23rd or October 14th/15th - Cork MC; August 20th - Birr and District MC; September 3rd - Killarney and District MC.
Two young Irish karting drivers have been given a great opportunity to accelerate into the fast lane, Daniel Murray in the Formula BMW UK Championship and Alastair Jackson in Asian Formula Three. Murray is the recipient of the BMW scholarship for 2006, worth €50,000.
The Meath youngster successfully completed two days of evaluation at Valencia in Spain, under the supervision of BMW driver Andy Priaulx, the 2006 World Touring Car Champion.
Aran Racing, run by Noel Thompson and John O'Hara, have signed 17-year-old Ulsterman Jackson for the new Manila-based Irish team in the Asian Formula Three Championship.
Having raced karts successfully for two seasons, Jackson completed two days' evaluation in a Formula Renault at Kirkistown before Christmas. His first experience of a Formula Three car will be at the wheel of an Aran Racing Dallara F304 at Batangas in the Philippines before the end of this month. He will have further testing at Zhuhai, China and Sentul, Indonesia before the championship starts at Batangas on May 6th. Aran Racing will shortly sign a second driver following further evaluation testing.
WEEKEND FIXTURES - Tomorrow: Carrick-on-Suir MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Industrial Park, Brown's Road, Waterford, 11.30am; Co Monaghan MC, Navigation Trial, starts Latton GAA Club, Co Monaghan, 9.30pm. Sunday: Carrick-on-Suir MC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Industrial Park, Brown's Road, Waterford, 11.30am.
