MOTORSPORT IRELAND NAMES THREE FINALISTS FOR YOUNG RACING DRIVER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022
On Monday, seven hopefuls tackled the interview process for the 2022 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award. After a day of scrutiny under a panel of judges, three names have emerged as finalists for the award. Jack Byrne (19) from Co. Wexford, Alex Denning (23) of Rathfarnham, and Co. Wicklow's Max Hart (21) are the three drivers deemed to represent the best-of-the-best of this year's talent.
The other four nominees (Lucca Allen, Kayleigh Cole, Donal Downey, Morgan Quinn) provided excellent interviews and provided the judges with a tough task at the end of the day when it came to ranking their choices but in the end three names rose to the top and finally a winner was chosen. Both Byrne and Hart are repeat finalists, while Denning secured his spot in the top three in his final year of eligibility for the award.
Byrne enjoyed a thoroughly successful MINI Challenge UK Trophy Class campaign throughout 2022 with ideas of progressing up the TOCA ladder to the Mini JCW Championship and eventually BTCC.
Denning was the 2020 Fiesta ST Champion before heading to the UK to race to the front of the Mini JCW Championship Rookie Cup in front of 30 other competitors, though looks poised for a move to sportscars.
After multiple wins in successful years in the TCR UK series with Hyundai, Hart is now eyeing sportscars or Europe in an expanding programme for 2023 and beyond.
The Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year award and the historic Sexton Trophy are presented to the individual who has demonstrated the most potential to represent Ireland at home and internationally both on the track as well as in the public eye. The winner will receive a €50,000 support package to help develop their motor racing career.
The overall winner of the 2022 award will be announced at the Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards ceremony, which takes place on Wednesday December 7th at the Crowne Hotel Plaza, Santry, Dublin. The award is presented annually and is supported by Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland.