'Mondello Masters' Set to Boost Domestic Racing
A three race ‘Mondello Masters’ championship
is set to boost the Irish domestic motorcycle racing scene
with a €25,000 prize fund and a strong promotional package.
The series, which will run in conjunction with the Kidare
circuit's three Irish Superbike events, aims to attract the
top Irish racers who currently race abroad back to Mondello
along with some of their fellow UK competitors.
Mondello Park has for many years contributed to the prize
fund for the ‘Birrane Cup’, run for national riders
at clubman events, but for 2008 this competition will be dropped
and the prize money absorbed into the much larger fund available
for the Mondello Masters. All three events on the schedule
have been arranged so as not to clash with British Superbike
Championship races and thereby facilitate the growing number
of Irish riders competing in that series and its support races.
The opening event takes place on April 12th & 13th with
a top prize of €3,000 on offer to the winner, €1,250
to the runner-up and €750 to the final podium place.
The second event runs on May 10th & 11th, one week before
the North West 200, and it is hoped that this along with a
doubling of the prize fund to €6,000, €2,500 and
€1,500 for the event, will entice some UK competitors
to stop off on their way North.
The final event on October 4th and 5th reverts to the €5,000
prize fund, but with the addition of a further €5,000
on offer to anyone who can win all three rounds of the series
or €2,000 for taking two wins. These prize funds are
in addition to those available for the Irish Superbike Championship
races, from which the winner could also pocket up to €1,000
per event.
The Mondello Masters will only be open to Superbike and Supersport
competitors, with the top twenty four riders on each day being
invited to compete. The schedule for all three events will
be organised so that the master’s race is the final
race of the day for these riders, making it easier for them
to fit it in with their ISB championship commitments.
Mondello Park Managing Director John Morris was delighted
to be able to announce the new series saying; “The ISB
Championship has certainly struggled in recent years with
many Irish competitors going straight to the UK or choosing
to race on the roads. This triangular championship offers
these competitors a real opportunity to pocket serious prize
money from only three visits to Mondello. A quality entry
should provide a great show and hopefully this will return
significant spectator numbers at these events”.
This new initiative has come about due to the co-operation
of the MCUI Short Circuit committee and the organising clubs
who will run the events. The three race meetings will be promoted
by Mondello and if the inaugural series is a success the levels
of investment and promotion may be expanded in future years.
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