Roscrea's Nicole makes special Mondello appearance

ROSCREA racer Nicole Drought isn't just Ireland's fastest female racer - she also gets to drive some of the world's most exotic sportscars.

As part of the celebrations of 100 years of the famous Le Mans 24 Hour race, Roscrea race driver Nicole Drought demonstrated the Spice-Hart SE 86C from the Mondello Museum of Motorsport/Martin Birrane Collection at the Mondello Park Historic Festival over the weekend.

The annual event has been a huge success in recent years, with a full weekend of historic racing complimented by other attractions such as a vintage fairground, live music and plenty of attractions for all the family.

Completed in 1986 for the Chamberlain Engineering Team, SE86C 002 is the second Group C car built by the hugely successful Spice Engineering team.

The first SE86 chassis built (works car) went on to claim victory in the C2 class of the World Drivers Championship and win its class at Le Mans in 1987, paving the way for what would be a long and fruitful record in international sports prototype racing for Spice.

The car is powered by a Hart 2.0 turbocharged engine producing 600bhp.

Ireland’s only historic motor racing festival celebrated Vintage and Classic Cars and Historic Motorsport, from the glamour of the roaring 20s through to the swinging 60s.

Over two days the Carole Nash Historic Festival also featured pre and post-war historic car races, a celebration of 100 Years of Le Mans, demonstration runs by cars from the Martin Birrane Collection and displays of classic road and race cars in a show area which was filled with interesting and exciting sideshows, entertainment and refreshment.

Nicole pictured in the pits at Mondello