Róisín Sweeney will contest the Motorsport Ireland Tillotson T4 Championship title this weekend at the final round in Kiltorcan Raceway, Co. Kilkenny.
The 18 year old Aerospace Engineering student from Naas, Co. Kildare will also look to become the first female champion of the Tillotson T4 Karting series since its introduction in 2019.
For Róisín, it has been a short journey to to get to this point, having only started Karting 3 years ago. A career that started after watching her first Formula one race at 14 years old. A year later, In 2019, she found herself in a Rotax mini max doing some club racing with Tullyallen Kart Club before being introduced to the Tillotson T4 for the first time at a Go Girls experience day in Kylemore Karting.
Having learned more about the T4, a brand new karting class introduced that year which boasts a mono brand chassis, 4 stroke engine and an affordable price tag, Róisín made the switch later that year and never looked back.
“ I made the switch and I immediately had competitive lap times, so it was definitely the way to go for us”
It was a steep learning curve for both Róisín and her family starting out, with no previous background in the sport. Her dad, Dan is an engineer by profession, so while he may not have had all the inside knowledge of Karting or a team of people to help him, his innovative engineering skills allowed him to work as a one man show, transporting, engineering and mechanicing Róisín and the kart all on his own. Dan reflects on the moment they took the plunge into the unknown.
"Sweet Jesus! I had no idea what we were getting into at all. It is a demanding sport and there was a lot to learn for both of us but everything has been worth it, especially seeing her take her first win. Ro is a class act, super cool under pressure and I'm just so proud of her"
A wonderful journey that the team of two started on 3 years ago. A journey of highs and lows, frustration and elation. A journey that has brought them to a Championship title fight this weekend. Róisín heads into the final round of the Motorsport Ireland Senior Tillotson T4 Championship in top form following two wins and two fastest laps in the previous two rounds.
Wishing both Róisín and Dan the very best of luck this weekend.
Róisín is supported by Jones Engineering, Global Rail, GPX and Apex Construction
