Following several weeks of testing in the Bar One Racing Dallara Mercedes Formula 3 car, Dundalk's Niall Breen is eager for his first race in the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 Championship with Carlin Motorsport at Oulton Park on Easter Monday, April 9th.

The 2006 Formula BMW UK Champion has consistently been in the top six during most of the test sessions and even topped one of the sessions at Snetterton in the morning on March 6th.

Still combining his career as a racing driver with his final year as a law student at Griffith College Dublin, Breen starts in only his third season of single-seater racing this weekend.

Enthusiastic about his forthcoming year, 20-year old Breen said: 'I feel I've settled in well with the team and I get on really well with my engineer, Jimmy Goodwin, who looked after Anthony Davidson and fellow countryman, Michael Keohane, when they were both in Formula 3.

'I'm getting up to speed now and gaining confidence in the car's ability to handle well and find grip in the corners. Apart from my own team mates, I expect the main competition to come from drivers like Stephen Jelley and Marko Asmer.

'I really like the Oulton Park International circuit and obviously I'm aiming for a good finish in both races on Monday - preferably top four placings - and I definitely have my eye on the rookie award this year!'

Breen who has support from Bar One Racing, Quinn Direct and Motorsport Ireland amongst others, races in the championship class alongside Sam Bird, Mario Moraes, Alberto Valerio and Maro Engel at Carlin Motorsport, the team which has won the British Formula 3 title three times.

The teams have three hours of practice on Good Friday before two 30 minute sessions of official qualifying for the two Easter Monday races, starting on Saturday morning at 11.50. The afternoon qualifying session is scheduled for 15.55. On Monday the opening rounds of the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 Championship take place at 10.45 and 16.00. Live results are shown here