Ulster trio in with chance of a lifetime prize
THREE Ulster drivers have made the final shortlist for the Billy Coleman Award, Motorsport Ireland’s prestigious Young Driver of the Year prize which carries a €50,000 bursary for the winner.
Jason Black and James Wilson, both from Armagh, and Jordan Hone from Londonderry, were selected as the final trio from an original list of eight nominated for their performances across the 2018 season.
The overall winner will be announced at the Motorsport Ireland awards lunch in Dublin on December 4. Another Ulster driver, British Junior champion Callum Devine, was the 2017 winner.
Charlie Eastwood, who is the lone Ulster finalist in the Young Racing Driver of the Year category, is in the Far East this weekend as part of the TF Sport Aston Martin team taking part in the Chinese round of the World Endurance Championship in Shanghai
Eastwood teams up with Jonny Adam and Salih Yoluc in their GTE Aston Martin Vantage seeking their first win of the series following three runners-up finishes.
“We’ve been so close to getting the win on three occasions now, so we need to piece it all together to get the top result,” said the Belfast driver.
“Shanghai is a new track for Salih and myself, so it will be an extra challenge but one I’m looking forward to.”
Heading east, too, will be Wayne Boyd who has been included in the United Autosport’s team for the Asian Le Mans sports car series starting at the same Shanghai circuit on November 24.
Boyd has been part of the Anglo-American UA team since 2016 and this year competed in the LMP2 division of the European Le Mans series. Now he switches back to an LMP3 Ligier for four Asian rounds which take in China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia over the winter months. He will drive alongside Chris Buncombe and Garett Grist.
“I really wasn’t expecting the call-up, but I can’t wait for the opportunity,” said the former UK Formula Ford champion from Templepatrick.
“I’ve never raced at any of these circuits before, but we have a good line-up and I think we have a serious chance.”