29/06/2024
Story time. On May 12th 1968, Ireland’s first official race track, , held its first race meeting.
The first race on the schedule was originally planned for sports cars up to 1300cc, but, as one of the competitors (Stuart Cosgrave) was also one of the circuit owners and was tied up with official duties that morning, the saloon car race was bumped up the order with the sports car race rescheduled for later that day.
Cosgrave went on to win that race in his Irish made Mini Marcos and, had the original schedule been adhered to, would have taken the flag in the first ever race at his own circuit. But, famously, that accolade went to legendary Irish racer John Keaney in a Mini Cooper S. A green Mini Cooper S.
Jump 51 years ahead to 2019 when the Team Eire car was being dreamt up, we wanted the car to wear a significant Irish vehicle registration. The oracle of Irish motorsport, Edward Fitzgerald, knew exactly what we needed. A phone call was made to Keaney and the plan was set.
YZI283, the registration number of Keaney’s 1966 Mk1 Mini was ours to use.
The Team Eire car of wears the registration number proudly as a nod to the past and the Mini’s important place in Irish motorsport.
