Roscrea garage owner returns to the racetrack

Despite a long layoff from fulltime motor racing, Roscrea garage proprietor Owain Drought made a stunning return to the circuits at the high speed Bishopscourt Circuit in Northern Ireland last weekend.

Driving his Owain Drought Motors branded VW Golf GTI for the first time since a lengthy rebuild, Owain qualified in 6th place for the Irish Touring Cars Race.

Father of Ireland's most successful and best known female racing driver, Nicole Drought, Owain put on an impressive display showing the younger generation how its done.

A rocket-like start saw him climb to third before the first corner and he maintained that position for the duration, just missing out on second place after a late race charge whilst lapping slower cars.

In race two, his start was even more impressive, the Golf arriving out of the first corner in second place.

Despite being unable to hold off the 2.4 Honda Integra of 2021 Champion Stephen Traub, a delighted Drought crossed the line in third to make it two podiums out of two on his return to motorsport.