26/04/2007
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Ireland goes into this weekend's A1GP World Cup of Motorsport finale at Brands Hatch with drivers Richard Lyons (right) and John O'Hara aiming for a strong performance in front of the team's 300 VIPs, sponsors and celebrity guests.
After a tough season during which A1 Team Ireland struggled with an uncompetitive car for nine races, the provision of a spare car to the team at the last race in Shanghai, China, produced an instant turn around in performance with Lyons rocketing from 17th place on the grid to finish an eventual 5th in the Feature Race – the team's best Feature Race result since Ralph Firman scored a 3rd placed podium finish in Portugal last season.
The provision of the spare car in China came after qualifying, so this Friday at Brands Hatch will be Reserve and Rookie driver John O'Hara's first opportunity to drive the replacement car in the Rookie Session, the Kildare driver looking forward to the fast sweeps of the Brands Hatch circuit.
For Richard Lyons the Brands Hatch weekend has taken on a new dimension following the result in China two weeks ago, the 27 year old from Hillsborough confident that if the replacement car can continue to provide him with the performance it showed in Shanghai he can net another strong result for the team. Lyons feels that this weekend could be one of the most important of his entire single seater racing career.
"This was already an important race for me and the team, being the closest event to Ireland and on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit which I have raced on before. Aside from that we will have a lot of important guests, family and friends there. Having shown in Shanghai what we can do I think this weekend is a big opportunity and perhaps the most important single seater race of my career. I want to be really competitive all weekend and to race at the sharp end of the field. The team and I have discussed our targets and from the word go we'll be pushing hard. China gave us the momentum we needed coming into this race."
Former Jordan Grand Prix Technical Director Gary Anderson returns to his role as team engineer this weekend and is looking forward to getting his hands on the team's ‘new' car.
On the commercial side this weekend is also important for A1 Team Ireland with up to 300 guests attending the race including a large number flying in on a specially chartered flight from Dublin.
Mark Kershaw, Team Owner of A1 Team Ireland, said: "This weekend is key for the team in every way, not only in terms of our all-important performance on the track but also in showing that from a commercial point of view we have come on leaps and bounds since we entered Ireland into the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. The car will fully sponsored with the logos of key team partners including Harris Hino, LM Developments, BPI Telecom, Manvik, IPB and Palmerstown House, plus the partners of Gumball 3000, but we will also be hosting nearly 300 top level guests – our biggest ever corporate event. The team has worked very hard all season and deserved the result in China two weeks ago. It would be great to have another strong performance on Sunday."
Mark Gallagher, Team Principal, said: "Following the change of circumstances in China and the team's strong showing in that race there is no question we go to Brands Hatch feeling very positive. That it is our closest event to home and a circuit which Richard Lyons and Gary Anderson have successfully worked at before is also good, and in many respects this is probably the biggest, most important event for Team Ireland to date. Twenty months ago we came to Brands Hatch for the start of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport series, and to come back here at the end of season two is an important milestone for the series and the team."