This Sunday sees the Trial Drivers Club, more commonly known as the TDC, stage their first event of 2012, a multivenue autotest in Mondello Park. This event in its short time running has grown in poularity and this is evident in the strong entry of 92 competitors. This sort of event which combines the tarmac race track and loose surface sections of the rallycross track give the drivers a chance to experience tests which are longer than those used at normal autotests plus the changes in surface conditions can catch people out. Amongst the entry you'll find former Fiesta/Clio/Alfa/Seat racer Eoin Murray and his brother Niall who won the Ginetta Junior Ireland Championship in 2010, circuit racers John Denning and Ciaran Timmons swap their Abarth Cup and ITCC cars for a Starlet and Seicento, from the rally co driving seats come Brian Murphy and Joe Downey in a pair of Starlets. With multi venue regulars like Eamonn Byrne, Frank Lenehan, Declan Hendrick, John Nolan and Liam Cashman the competition will be fierce. Cashman, who will use another Starlet, will make the long trip up from Cork with fellow Munster men and regular entrants in Munster Autotest rounds Gerry and Timmy Lynch who will share a Ford Escort. From the Northern end of the country comes a trio of fast Midgets....cars not drivers :) in the hands of Ashley Lamont, Ivan McAteer and Michael Reid, travelling down with the MG campaigners will be Starlet driver Richard Earney and the MX5 duo of Wesley Sloan and Gareth Dillon who will be hoping to swap times with TDC member and MX5 pilot Piers MacFheorais. Also competing this weekend is regular visitor to these shores, Anthony Preston who will share a Starlet with Jonathan Bradshaw. Some of the Cento Challenge competitors will make a welcome return in the little Fiats and will no doubt be providing great entertainment for the drivers and spectators alike.
Another regular to multivenues who has being missing from events for the last few months, due to a slight illness and recuperation from an operation, is multiple Autotest and Rallycross Champion Dermot Carnegie, lets hope the doctors haven't taken away any of the Carnegie magic.
The scene is set for an enjoyable days sport with some banter thrown in for good measure and if your coming down for a look remember to wrap up well, Mondello is not the warmest location to be in
More info on the event can be found on
TDCIreland.com
Start time is 9:30am with drivers briefing at 9:15am, 6 tests to be completed 3 times each
a few pics from the 2011 event
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