New Rally Talent Unearthed at Superdrive Scholarship Final

Posted: December 3, 2004 2:15 PM

The winner was decided after a full day of assessments including interviews, fitness and reaction tests, rally driving assessment and a press conference with RPM’s Alan Tyndall and Editor of Pacenotes Magazine, Simon Mooney.

Six judges including Managing Director of Superdrive and 2004 Mitsubishi UK works driver, Brendan Crealey, 2000 Rally Scholarship winner and Superdrive instructor David Graham, experienced competitor and instructor Jim Crozier, motorsport fitness specialist, Alan Lucas, Alan Tyndall and Simon Mooney voted 22 year old James as the winner with four votes to two.

Coulter said,
‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity to drive competitively for Superdrive.

‘The competition was really tough today but the real test will be on event at Kirkistown next year. I hope I can shine for Superdrive.’

James will also gain his first MSA rally licence and one-to-one tuition with Managing Director of Superdrive, Brendan Crealey to prepare him for the national rally round.

Crealey said,
‘The standard of the competition today was extremely high and to get to the final is an enormous achievement for anyone.

‘But a rally champion today needs much more than driving talent. The winner today needed to have the desire to win and the confidence to present themselves to a team manager and to the media. James was clearly the winner,‘ he said.

Novice rally drivers from all over Ireland have been competing throughout the year to gain a place in the prestigious Superdrive Rally Scholarship Final.

The Superdrive Rally Scholarship is designed to give novice drivers that participate in any of the Superdrive rally experiences a chance to develop their rally skills and to prove they have what it takes to be a competitive rally driver.

Superdrive’s experienced instructors nominate drivers to compete in a semi-final held once a month. The winners from the semi-finals then go through to the Final at the end of the year to compete for the ultimate prize of a competitive drive in a Group N Mitsubishi Evo.

The eleven finalists from all over Ireland gained a place in the final from more than 1000 drivers and fifty semi finalists throughout the year.

Results:

Winner: James Coulter – Hillsborough, Co Down
Reserve driver: Brian McKeefry – Swatragh, Co Derry
Runner up: Shane McAleer – Omagh, Co Tyrone

Superdrive Rally Scholarship Finalists:
David McAuley - Belfast
David McClure – Crumlin, Co Antrim
Emma Britton – Kilmeague, Co Kildare
Gary Thompson - Antrim
Gerard McAleer – Cookstown, Co Tyrone
Laurence Flynn – Portlaoise, Co Laois
Neal Doherty – Ballymena, Co Antrim
Nigel Spears – Dromore, Co Down

L-R Simon Mooney - Editor Pacenotes Magazine, Brendan Crealey - Managing Director Superdrive and 2004 Mitsubishi UK Works Driver, David Graham - 2000 Scholarship winner and Superdrive Instructor, James Coulter - 2004 Superdrive Rally Scholarship Winner, Jim Crozier - Superdrive Instructor and Alan Tyndall - RPM.

• Superdrive Motorsport Centre

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26/11/04
Novice rally drivers from all over Ireland have been competing throughout the year to gain a place in the prestigious Superdrive Rally Scholarship Final on Friday 26th November 2004 at the Portadown based motorsports centre.

The Superdrive Rally Scholarship is designed to give novice drivers that participate in any of the Superdrive rally experiences a chance to develop their rally skills and to prove they have what it takes to be a competitive rally driver.

The Superdrive Rally Scholarship Final Champion will win a fully supported drive valued at more than £5000 in the Team Superdrive Mitsubishi Evolution in the first round of the 2005 Northern Ireland Rally Championship at Kirkistown in February 2005. The winner also gains their first MSA rally licence and one-to-one tuition with the 2004 Mitsubishi UK works driver and Managing Director of Superdrive, Brendan Crealey to prepare them for the national rally round.

Brendan Crealey said,
“This is going to be an exciting day for the twelve drivers. I started my rallying career with a similar competition. I’m sure we are going to unearth a star of the future at Superdrive tomorrow.”

The twelve competitors from all over Ireland have gained a place in the final from more than 1000 drivers. Superdrive’s experienced instructors nominate drivers throughout the year to compete in a semi-final held once a month. The winners from the semi-finals then go through to the Final at the end of the year to compete for the ultimate prize.

Assessments to find the winner include an interview with Brendan Crealey, fitness and reaction test, rally driving assessment in Superdrive’s MKII Escort RS2000’s and a post-rally press conference.

Superdrive Motorsports Centre, Northern Ireland’s premier motorsports activity centre, offers rally courses driving ex-competition MKII Escorts and Mitsubishi Evos with experienced instructors who are all current competitors. Superdrive also offers exciting corporate activity days and karting events for children and adults all year round.

Superdrive Rally Scholarship Finalists:
Emma Britton – Kilmeague, Co Kildare
David McClure – Crumlin, Co Antrim
David McAuley - Belfast
Gerry Mc Connell – Cookstown, Co Tyrone
Gary Thompson - Antrim
Shane McAleer – Omagh, Co Tyrone
Brian McKeefry – Swatragh, Co Derry
Nigel Spears – Dromore, Co Down
Laurence Flynn – Portlaoise, Co Laois
Gerard McAleer – Cookstown, Co Tyrone

• Superdrive Motorsport Centre