Smith and Moffett land top gongs

TWO young drivers, Monaghan’s, Sam Moffett and Dubliner, Aaron Smith, won the top awards in Irish Motorsport yesterday and a bursary of €50,000 each.

They were the respective winners of the Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year and the Dunlop Sexton Trophy for the Young Racing Driver of the Year, respectively. The awards were presented at the Champions of Irish Motorsport luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

Moffett had a fine season in Irish rallying — winning the Group N category of the Dunlop National Rally Championship along with third in the same category of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

Smith (22) was runner-up in the championship and also secured a championship point on his debut in the British Touring Car Championship.

Craig Breen, a recent winner of the World Rally Championship Academy, won the International Driver of the Year Award.

Elsewhere, Eddie Jordan was presented with the Motorsport Ireland Hall of Fame Award. The Cork crew of Owen Murphy/James O’Brien were honoured for winning the National Forest Championship while the Ivan Webb Memorial award (for the most outstanding contribution to Irish Motorsport went to Mayo’s, Tom Walsh.