Motorsport: Griffin to start in front row

Cork driver, Matt Griffin, will start tomorrow's final race of the 2001 British Formula Renault Championship on the front row of the grid.

Fastest in testing on Thursday, Griffin was pipped for his first ever pole position by five thousandths of a second by his Manor Motorsport team mate, Richard Antinucci.

The 30-minute session on the Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch was dominated by the Manor duo.

In his debut season in single seater racing, Griffin is hoping to clinch fifth in the championship and obviously has his sights set on a podium finish for the 30 lap race.

Meath's, Keith Dempsey, driving for his father's team, CDR Racing (Cliff Dempsey Racing), qualified 16th and will start on the eighth row.

Tom Sisley and newly crowned Formula Renault Champion, Carl Breeze, are on the second row for tomorrow afternoon's race.

In the Sanremo Rally, Irish crew, Niall McShea/Michael Orr, driving a Citroen Saxo, are in sixth place in the Super 1600 category. Overall, the Italian event is being led by the Peugeot of Gilles Panizzi. Sebastian Loeb (Citroen) is second from the Peugeot of Didier Auriol. Marcus Gronholm (Peugeot) and Carlos Sainz (Ford) are next on the leaderboard. Colin McRae (Ford) and Tommi Makinen (Mitsubishi) are just outside the top ten.