Funding hike and expansion of awards boost for motorsport

THE increase in funding and the expansion of both the Young Racing and Young Rally Driver of the Year Awards is good news for motorsport.

Speaking at the Alfa Romeo Award for Excellence in Irish Motorsport earlier this week, Cecil Sparks, chairman of the Motorsport Commission, said: "We must be doing something right" a thinly veiled comment on recent media criticisms of the awards.

This is a new era in motorsport as it is unusual for an official of the governing body to acknowledge comments by the media. No one has ever doubted that both schemes are very positive aspects of Irish motorsport and the support of the Sports Council is to be commended. Recent criticisms surrounded the selection process for both awards.