MOTORSPORT:Motorsport Ireland increased the prize funding for the Young Racing and Rally Driver of The Year schemes from €88,000 to €100,000.
The racing award of €35,000, plus the Dunlop Sexton Trophy, went to Paddy Hogan (23) from Killiney. The runners-up were Niall Breen (Dundalk) and Niall Quinn (Dunboyne), who received €10,000 and €5,000 respectively.
Paddy Hogan tied on points with Swedish driver Sebastian Hohenthal in the Formula Renault UK championship, but lost out on the tie breaker of six wins to Hohenthal's seven. He expects to race in America next year with the aim of graduating to the Champ Car World Series.
Breen dominated the Formula BMW UK championship with nine wins and 16 podiums out of 20 races. Dundalk bookmakers Bar One Racing have put a three-year sponsorship package together for local man Breen, who is likely to go Formula Renault in 2007, although his preference is Formula 3.
Quinn is staying with Formula BMW, and will contest the German championship in 2007.
Owen Murphy (19) from Ovens, Co Cork took the top rally prize of €35,000 and the Billy Coleman Award. The runners-up were Keith Cronin (Bantry) and Ian Barrett (Maynooth), who received €10,000 and €5,000, respectively.
WRC driver Gareth MacHale was the winner of the Manley Memorial Trophy for International Driver of the Year. Dermot Carnegie has picked up two more awards, National Rallycross Championship and the Ivan Webb Memorial Trophy, for his outstanding contribution to motorsport over many years.
The Motorsport Ireland Hall of Fame award was presented to Martin Donnelly, whose promising international career was shattered in a collision during qualifying for the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. He was lucky to survive life-threatening injuries.
