29/04/2009
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Ireland heads to this weekend's final event of the 2008/2009 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season at Brands Hatch aiming to carry off an historic first World Cup title for Ireland.
With the confirmation this morning that the scheduled final event in Mexico has been cancelled due to the current health scare, Ireland travels to this weekend's rendezvous with destiny in Kent holding a narrow advantage in the points' standings.
Ireland is currently two points ahead of Switzerland under the terms of the dropped score rule which will be applied this weekend. Under this rule, each team has to drop its single worst score of the season to date, thereby giving Ireland its slender advantage over the reigning Champions. With a season tally of three wins, six podiums, four pole positions and four fastest laps, Ireland has been the pacesetter for much of the season.
Team Principal Mark Gallagher is looking forward to a title decider at a venue where support for Ireland will be at its maximum.
"Team Ireland has one aim from this weekend: to do what is necessary to win the championship and bring the World Cup of Motorsport home to Ireland. This is a world title and an unprecedented achievement if we can pull it off. We're looking forward to huge Irish support this weekend. We've been in direct contact with hundreds of supporters travelling to Kent and we're expecting that that figure will be multiplied by many more in what promises to be a great weekend of sport for Ireland".
"Brands Hatch is pretty much our 'home' race and the ideal place for us to showcase our abilities. This has been a landmark season for the team but we want to go all the way to take the title for Ireland.
"To do that we have to be on our very best form at a track where Adam Carroll (pictured) and the team have enjoyed success before. It's one of Adam's favourite circuits and the fastest lap and podium he scored at last year's Brands Hatch event indicate that it's a track on which he and the rest of the team is very comfortable.
"Tickets are selling well for the event and Brands Hatch is one of the most popular venues that we travel to with all the teams enjoying the carnival atmosphere of the event, particularly us at the Ireland squad for whom there is always extra support."
Adam Carroll: "Brands Hatch is one of my favourite circuits in world motor racing and I cannot wait to get stuck in to this weekend's races.
"Having been back in Ireland since Portugal with the A1 Team Ireland car I've been really touched by the level of support I've got from everyone at home.
"We've no reason to fear anyone on the grid and every reason to believe that there are many teams that fear the kind of performance that we can produce so we approach the weekend from a position of confidence.
"It won't be easy but if we as a team can put together the sort of Friday morning to Sunday evening performance that we managed in Portugal then Ireland can be champions of A1GP this season."
The weekend action gets under way with the two half hour rookie sessions on Friday morning at 10.45am when Niall Quinn will begin the work of honing the set up of the A1 Team Ireland car before handing over to Adam Carroll for the second hour of practice at 2pm.
The qualifying sessions for the Sprint and Feature Races get under way at 2.15pm on Saturday afternoon while Sunday's race action commences with the Sprint Race at 11am followed by the Feature Race at 3pm. Sunday's races can be viewed live and exclusive on Sky Sports.