Aron Smith Won At The Motorsport Ireland Awards - Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography
Rally driver Craig Breen, Clio Cup front-runner Aron Smith and BBC F1 pundit Eddie Jordan were amongst the winners at the 2011 Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards in Dublin.
Breen won the International Driver of the Year Award for his outstanding 2011 campaign, which saw him win the World Rally Championship Academy after a spectacular win at Wales Rally GB. Smith won the Dunlop Sexton Trophy for Young Racing Driver of the Year after his strong season, which saw him finish runner-up in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup and make his BTCC debut.
Jordan meanwhile was presented with the Motorsport Ireland Hall of Fame Award for everything that he has contributed to motorsport in Ireland and internationally in the past 40 years. Jordan said: “I am absolutely delighted to be here to accept this prestigious honour. I have had a long association with Motorsport Ireland and it is 20 years ago now since the F1 team started and I am proud that we had so many Irish people centrally involved with the team success.”
Other awards winners included Sam Moffett, who won the Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year, Tm McNulty and co-driver Paul Kiely, who picked up their awards for winning the Irish National Rally Championship and Irish Tarmac Championship, and Tom Walsh, who won the Ivan Webb Memorial award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Irish Motorsport.
President of Motorsport Ireland Joe Corcoran said; “Today is about celebrating the achievements of our young drivers in a sport that places enormous demands on their ability and determination to success at the highest level. All the winners today can be very proud of their successes throughout the year and they are an example for all young people in sport.”
