First Sexton Trophy Nominees Announced
The first four 2025 Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award nominees have been chosen. Hailing from all parts of Ireland, the four selections represent the best up-and-coming talent in circuit racing. This year, nominations will come in the form of a monthly selection, as adjudicated by the members of the Motorsport Ireland Race Commission.
April: Victor Cullen
The first to secure their nomination this year was Dublin’s Victor Cullen for his race win in the Seat Supercup at Mondello Park in April. The 20-year-old is currently balancing a racing career with his third year in University College Dublin studying politics, economics, and philosophy. It is Cullen’s first time being nominated for the award.
May: Jason Smyth
The May nomination goes to Jason Smyth for his win in United Formula Ford over at Anglesey in the UK. Smyth finished as a runner-up for the award in 2024 and on top of studying at Technological University Dublin, the 19-year-old from Kildare is working two part-time-jobs.
June: Fionn McLaughlin
The summer days of June belonged to Fionn McLaughlin for an outstanding race win in British Formula 4, where he also currently leads the championship. McLaughlin, who hails from Magherafelt, Co. Derry, is already an accomplished member of the Red Bull Junior Driver programme.
July: Sean McGovern
The final nomination in this group goes to the 20-year-old Sean McGovern from Co. Dublin for a pair of race wins in July in the Ford Fiesta Zetec series. McGovern is a repeat nominee for this award and is studying Business & Sustainability in UCD.
Over the coming months, three more monthly nominees will be selected, with potential wildcards added to the mix at the end for standout drivers who just didn’t quite secure one of the previous spots. The longlist of nominees will then undertake a formal interview process in November with a panel of judges representing Motorsport Ireland, Sport Ireland, the Motorsport Ireland Race Commission, and members of the media.
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. This year, the structure of the award has changed, whereby the winner will receive a €42,500 support package to help develop their motor racing career, but for the first time, monetary prizes are awarded for the first and second runners-up at €5,000 and €2,500 respectively.
The overall winner of the 2025 award will be announced at the Motorsport Ireland Champions Awards Lunch in December. The award is presented annually and is supported by Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland.
