Northern Irishman Colin Turkington says he will be going all out for victory when he races in his home rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the Mondello Park circuit on 23 April.
Turkington will arrive at the County Kildare track lying second overall in the BTCC Drivers' standings after driving his Team RAC MG ZS to a fourth and two seconds at Brands Hatch, Kent last Sunday.
The Portadown driver has won at Mondello for the past two years and a repeat performance would help him keep up the pressure on current points leader James Thompson, in his SEAT Leon.
"This is by far the best start I've made to a BTCC season and I can feel from the car that we're in with a genuine shout at the title," says Turkington. "We were on the pace at Brands Hatch in free practice, in qualifying trim and over all three race distances. The car just kept getting quicker each time I drove it. It's a great reward for Team RAC and the WSR crew which prepares the MG. Everyone's worked really hard in the build-up to the new season and the two podium results were really justified."
The 24-year-old adds: "I love Mondello and can't wait to get racing there again. It's a real go-go-go kind of circuit and the racing is always close and exciting. I've been on the receiving end of a few knocks there, but the past two years have been really kind to me. With the MG working so well, I think I'll be in a position to challenge for victories."
At Brands Hatch, Turkington celebrated his 100th BTCC race. But he says: "The team presented me with a cake just before the start, but I didn't want to indulge until later in the day. But after race three I needed to dash off for my flight home so never tasted it. It looked nice, though! Maybe I'll get another cake if I win at Mondello..."
Turkington will be one of the front-runners in three BTCC races at Mondello Park on 23 April. He faces stiff opposition from Thompson plus other superstar names such as SEAT's Jason Plato, Vauxhall team-mates Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tom Chilton and the reigning BTCC Champion himself Matt Neal, in his Team Halfords Honda Integra.
In addition, there will be another four races from prestige manufacturers BMW and Porsche, with their hotly-contested Formula BMW UK and Porsche Carrera Cup GB championships, plus the latest rounds of Ireland's very own Formula Sheane and Dunlop Supercars series.
The event is geared around public entertainment - children aged 15 and under are admitted free and at lunchtime adults and children can walk the Pit Lane and meet the drivers and teams for autographs and plenty of give-aways.
Adult admission on race day is just €27.50/£18.00 if booked in advance via the ticket hotline 0906 780 0585 or the Mondello Park website mondello.ie.
