Chilton hoping to cast spell on Mondello.

Works Honda British Touring Car Championship driver Tom Chilton took time out from his preparations for this weekend's races at Mondello Park to appear on British television channel ITV's popular Saturday morning show, Ministry of Mayhem.

Tom, the youngest ever winner of a BTCC race, was a surprise guest on the programme and made an instant impact when he drove the Civic Type-R he raced to victory at Silverstone onto the set to the delight of the live audience. But the real treat was reserved for Harry Potter film star, Tom Felton.

Felton, who plays Harry's Hogwarts rival Draco Malfoy in the smash hit movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is a car nut and jumped at the chance to be driven around by Tom in a road-going version of the sporty Civic. Tom gave the actor a once-in-a-lifetime experience, testing the limits of the Honda's tyres with a series of wheelspins and doughnuts in the studio car park.

"He loved it," said Tom. "He wants me to become his instructor at Thruxton. After the cameras had stopped rolling he was shaking so much I had to help him out of his overalls!"

Tom is getting used to the glare of the TV cameras and is set for a starring role in the BBC's Sports Relief telethon in two weeks' time. He will instruct six celebrities at the Rockingham in-field course for a day. At the end of the training Tom will set a target lap time, which the celebs will try to match.

Supermodel Jodie Kidd, who did a stunning job when she appeared in the BBC's Top Gear's 'Star in a reasonably priced car' and out-paced most of the men, will be one of the six. The identities of the other five have yet to be revealed.

But before that Tom has to get back to the serious business of racing in the BTCC, which this weekend makes its annual visit to Ireland, the only overseas round of the championship.

Mondello Park is tight and twisty and the surface is usually dirty as half the circuit forms part of a rallycross track. The temperamental Irish weather is a major factor too and rain is expected for qualifying and could well re-appear on race day.

It rained last year, when Mondello hosted the opening round of the championship. A misted screen caused Tom to drive off the track in race one, but with the heated windscreen working properly, he drove a storming race two
to claim third position, a result he aims to repeat on Sunday.

"I think that we have a really good chance of a podium this weekend, especially in the first race," he said. "It's a track that should suit the Honda, and for
the first race I'm not really carrying any weight [success ballast]. I should be in the hunt for pole and I showed last year that I'm quick around there in the wet."

Mondello Park is Ireland's only international-standard racing track and it has a unique character because of that. Tom reckons the key to a good time is perhaps the opposite of the style required elsewhere.

"Normally you want to get on the brakes early and on the power early," he explains. "But at Mondello, it's best to brake as late as you can and keep your foot on the brake as you turn into the corner. You want to keep as much weight over the front wheels as possible so that you can get on the power without understeering off on the tight corners. There's a real trick to getting it just right."