MOTORSPORT Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year 2010

Motorsport Ireland are delighted to announce that twenty-three year old Patrick McKenna from Swords, Co Dublin has been selected as the winner of the "Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year" title for 2010, and so repeats his 2009 success in the same competition.

From a short list of six drivers who qualified for consideration throughout the season Patrick has shown himself to be the outstanding talent over the past motor racing season.

This year, Patrick contested the US F2000 Championship, driving for the Cape Motorsports Racing Team. He was one of the leading contenders for the title all through the season and finished in second place despite being a complete newcomer to the American style oval racing circuits which made up part of the series.

Patrick scored outright wins at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis and at New Jersey, with the "Night before the Indy 500" event the highlight of his season. He qualified on pole position, despite this being his first ever oval circuit, and scored a clear victory in front of a huge crowd, leading to his being paraded as one of the race winners of the Indianapolis weekend, the biggest single sports event in the United States.

Apart from his two wins during the year, the Dubliner finished in podium positions in six other races at St Petersburg, New Jersey, Illinois and Road Atlanta.

Patrick, like so many others, began his motorsport career in Kart Racing winning both the Irish Open Kart and the "C" Plate Kart Championships before moving on to Formula Ford 1600. In 2009, he was also selected as the "Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year" for his performances in the British Formula Ford Championship.

He has qualified as a Manufacturing Engineer and intends to race in the Star Mazda series in the USA next year, to continue his progression along the "Road to Indy".

The Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year Award is sponsored by Dunlop with additional support from the Irish Sports Council and Motorsport Ireland. The award, the Dunlop Sexton Trophy, includes a supported season in motor racing during 2011 to the value of €50,000.

Other drivers who qualified for the final stages were Stephen Daly, Niall Murray, Andy O'Brien, Kevin Sheane and Gary Thompson.

The formal presentation of awards will take place at the Dunlop Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards Lunch in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, on Tuesday 7th December.