NATIONAL MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONS
HONOURED AT AWARDS LUNCH
Irish Motorsport today honoured their National Champions of 2005 at a gala lunch held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Dublin. This prestigious gathering of all the Motorsport Ireland National Champions, which was sponsored by Dunlop, was the first of its kind for Irish Motorsport and is now set to become an annual event.
"This unique gathering of Irish Motorsport's Champions is testimony, if testimony were needed, to the outstanding success of Irish Motorsport both abroad in International competition and at home." said John Naylor, Chairman of Motorsport Ireland.
Amongst the many award winners were Gareth MacHale, straight from having finished 17th in the Monte Carlo Rally, who picked up the Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year and Peter Dempsey, who picked up the Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year Award and who has just signed a deal to compete in the British Formula Ford Championship in 2006. Both Young Driver Awards are part-funded by the Irish Sports Council.
Noel Smith, winner of the first four National Rally Championships in a row and one of our most successful Rally drivers of his day, who passed away at the end of 2004, was posthumously inducted into the Motorsport Ireland Hall of Fame.
The International Driver of the Year Award (Manley Memorial Trophy), as voted by the media, went to Eoin Murray for his outstanding achievement in winning the 2005 International Alfa Romeo Challenge. 14 year old Robert Butler from Navan, Co. Meath picked up the Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy and the title National Junior Kart Champion.
In the special awards category, Joe Corcoran from Sligo received the Ivan Webb Memorial Trophy for his outstanding contribution to Irish Motorsport over a number of years. Joe is not only a hardworking member of the Connacht Motor Club, but is also a senior official of the Rally Ireland organising team and a member of the Motor Sport Commission