Sport

Quinn, Cronin top youngsters

MOTOR SPORT: Niall Quinn (Dunboyne) and Keith Cronin (Bantry) are the respective winners of the Young Racing and Young Rally…

Brian Foley
Fri Dec 07 2007 - 00:00

MOTOR SPORT:Niall Quinn (Dunboyne) and Keith Cronin (Bantry) are the respective winners of the Young Racing and Young Rally Driver of the Year awards, nominated by Motorsport Ireland and announced this week.

In addition to a cheque for €35,000, Quinn was also awarded the Sexton Trophy.

Runners-up Peter Dempsey and Niall Breen, received €10,000 and €5,000, respectively.

Billy Coleman Award winner Cronin also received €35,000.

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Runners-up Ian Barrett and Daniel Barry received €10,000 and €5,000.

Junior WRC driver and Rookie World Champion Shaun Gallagher of Letterkenny was awarded the Manley Trophy for International Driver of the Year.

The Ivan Web Memorial Trophy went to Rally Ireland promoter Ronan Morgan for outstanding contributions as competitor and organiser over many years.

Quinn (19) was seventh in this year's German Formula BMW series. He drives the rookie test session for A1 Team Ireland at the Australian A1 Grand Prix round of the Motorsport World Cup in February.

Dempsey has won virtually everything in Formula Ford at home and in Britain over the last two years and has his sights set on racing in the American Star Mazda Championship in 2008. He has a test session with Anderson Racing in Florida on December 16th and 17th.

Dundalk's Breen has signed with the Manor Motorsport Team to contest the 2008 European Formula Three Championship driving a Mercedes-powered Dallara.

After dominating the British Formula-BMW Championship with nine wins in 2006, Breen this year finished a creditable fifth in his debut Formula Three season in the British Championship, winning at Oulton Park and taking second at Donington, Bucharest, Thruxton and Croft.

With four wins, including three in a row, Sam Johnston has a three-point lead over reigning champion Eddie Peterson, who has scored only one win in the Hewison Trophy autotest series.

The standings are: Johnston 145, Peterson 142, Robin Lyons 118, Paddy Power 117, Eamonn Byrne 113, Ken Irwin 106, Chris Grimes 105, Daniel Byrne 89, Paul Phelan 85, Steven Bolton 84.

WEEKEND FIXTURES: Saturday: Carlow CC, Hewison Trophy Autotest, Mondello Park, 10.30am; MEC, Sporting Trial, Russellstown, Blessington, Co Wicklow, 11.30am; Midland MC, Navigation Trial, starts Foxfield Community Centre, Fenagh, Co Leitrim, 9pm. Sunday: Carlow CC, Hewison Trophy Autostest, Tullow, 10.30am.