All three finalists will be included in the Team Ireland development programme run by Motorsport Ireland to nurture and support young drivers.
The three finalists were drawn from six candidates who were nominated during the course of the year. They were selected from a range of track racing disciplines and underwent a rigorous selection process in front of a judging panel made up from representatives of the racing community and the media.
This year Cian Carey won the BOSS Ireland championship. Leaving Cert student Jordan Dempsey (16) competed in the Formula Ford 1600 class both in Ireland and the UK, securing several notable finishes in his first year in the car. Andy O’Brien was crowned the 2016 Tool Dynamics Supercar champion on the back of seven wins and four additional podiums out of 14 races.
The Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year award provides a major career boost for its winner. This year the 2013 winner Niall Murray made history by becoming the first driver ever to complete a clean sweep of the three most prestigious prizes in Formula Ford 1600 in one season. Not only was he crowned as the British National Formula Ford 1600 Champion but he also won The Martin Donnelly Trophy, The Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy at the Brands Hatch Formula Ford Festival and the Walter Hayes Trophy in Silverstone. Neil Shanahan himself was a previous winner of the Sexton Trophy’.
Murray demonstrated that achievement drives success and that is what all three finalists of this year’s award will be striving for as they seek to emulate the success of previous winners, who also include Patrick McKenna and Aron Smith?
The overall winner of the 2016 award will be announced at the Irish Motorsport awards ceremony which will take place on Tuesday, December 13th. The award is presented annually and is supported by Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland.
