Michael Keohane (21), from Clonakilty finished third in the scholarship class of the British Formula 3 championship and has his sights set on making a major bid for the outright title in 2002. He won five races during the season but his championship chances were ruined when he was pushed off the track at Castle Coombe.
Keohane has tested with Carlin Motorsport at Croft and with Manor Motorsport at Pembrey. The Japanese-driver Takuma Sato won the British title driving for Carlin, and to race for the same team would be a great boost for Keohane's championship chances.
Sato has been snapped up by Jordan Grand Prix, signing a two- year deal. Belfast-driver Matthew Gilmore was narrowly defeated by Britain's Robbie Kerr who took the top prize of £125,000 sterling in the scholarship class.
Irish-drivers Matt Griffin (Cork) and Keith Dempsey (Ashbourne) finished joint fifth and eighth respectively in the British Formula Renault championship. While not detracting from Griffin's performance, Dempsey did well to finish four points behind him as he missed the first five races.
Steven Kane had eight wins from 12 starts to win the British Junior Formula Ford Zetec championship. The Ulsterman has the potential to progress to Formula 3 or Formula Renault, but it's all down to budgets for next season.
After four consecutive wins Co Kilkenny-driver John Carroll of Danesfort is looking good to win the Ford Ka Rally championship. With 143 points Carroll leads Barry Barrable (Dublin) on 102 and Gerry Keyes (Crecora, Co Limerick) on 98.
The final two rounds are the Wexford Rally on November 17th and the Carlow Car Club's Rallysprint at Mondello Park on December 2nd.
Graham McClintock and Mark Sheehan made an impressive debut in their newly-acquired Peugeot 106 in the recent Kent Rally. The Irish crew finished inside the top 10 and won the Total Quartz 9,000 award.
"We were right on the pace" said Graham, "but we had a few silly mechanical problems and road penalties. The 106 is a super little car to drive and I am enjoying it so we are now expecting to go really well."
They compete on the Cambrian Rally in Wales next week and hope to upgrade to the Peugeot 206 Cup series in 2002.
Two rounds of the Hewison Trophy Autotest Championship are listed for the weekend - at Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, tomorrow and at Ballinasloe, Co Galway, on Sunday.
Reigning champion JJ Farrell with two wins out of three rounds narrowly leads Eamonn Byrne who has one win. Byrne has won the Hewison Trophy eight times but the record of 10 is held by Dermot Carnegie, who won his first in 1967 and is still very competitive in autotests and rallycross.
