Rally New Zealand refines Rising Stars driver development programme
Tuesday 9 March 2010, 12:58PM
By Rally New Zealand
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With the next crop of talented young Kiwi drivers enjoying the benefits of winning one of the sectors of Rally New Zealand’s three-part Rising Stars driver development programme, a few changes have been made to the programme for 2010 applicants.
“We’re extremely happy with the way our young drivers have embraced the opportunities available via a scholarship system like Rising Stars, and our 2009 winners highlight the rallying talent in New Zealand,” says Rally New Zealand chairman Chris Carr.
“We have Hayden Paddon, from Geraldine, using his International Award to help top up his Pirelli Star Driver programme and therefore complete a full Production World Rally Championship schedule this season.
“Development Award winner Ben Jagger, from Whangarei, is using his Development Award funding and mentoring to step up to the Group N four-wheel-drive class in the New Zealand Rally Championship after winning the national two-wheel-drive rally title in just his second full year in rallying.
“And our second Rising Stars Scholarship winner, Hamilton’s Stephen Barker, is preparing for his season driving the Kayne Barrie Motorsport-prepared Ford Fiesta, the provision of which is part of the Scholarship prize, in the New Zealand Rally Championship.”
For 2010 and beyond, Rally New Zealand wants to continue support New Zealand’s talented young rally drivers.
“However economic realities mean we have revised the way the three-part Rising Stars programme will run in 2010,” says Carr.
“Our aim is to support the drivers who demonstrate the ability to take their rallying career to the next level, and ideally, all the way to the World Rally Championship. With this in mind, we may not announce a winner in all three categories – Scholarship, Development Award and International Award; it will depend on the calibre of the entrants. In a similar vein, the amount of funding offered for each Rising Stars category may vary between $25,000 and $50,000, not be a fixed amount for each category.”
This year, the Development and International Award candidates will not need to register to earn Rising Stars points from New Zealand Rally Championship (NZRC) rounds. Instead, they will submit a detailed application after the last NZRC event to highlight their performance, outline their plans for the future and how they aim to achieve these goals.
All applicants must have contested Rally New Zealand in May and the International Rally of Whangarei in July, as well as two other NZRC events in order to be eligible for the Rising Stars awards.
“The closing date for applications for the Development and International awards will be 11 October, and the selection process after applications close will be advised to applicants at the time. It may involve a shootout weekend, it may not; this depends on the number and calibre of applicants,” explains Carr.
“We are delighted with the success gained to date with the Rising Stars programme and look forward to seeing three more young drivers join the Rising Stars ranks at the end of 2010.”
More information about the Rising Stars Scholarship will be provided later in 2010 and details of the Rising Stars programme in 2011 will also be decided by Rally New Zealand within the next six months.
ENDS/