Darren Gass wins Pirelli Star Driver competition

Posted: December 19, 2007 12:10 PM

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GASS FINISHES ON A HIGH
Markethill teenager Darren Gass and his Scots co-driver Neil Shanks have had a very good year by anybody’s standards.

Darren made the decision to swap from the Fiesta S1600 that they had campaigned in their first full season in 2006, to a Citroen C2 after the first round of 2007.

The move obviously suited them and although the season was not perfect, the result could not have been better. At the final gasp Darren and Neil sealed the Tesco 99 Octane British Rally Championship Rally 3 category, after an arduous Rally GB took its toll on all the competitors.

The result also secured the coveted MSA Junior class awarded to the best under 25 driver in the British Rally Championship. The achievement was even more special as Darren is the youngest registered driver to have contested the whole 2007 season.

As if these results were not enough, Darren was also nominated as one of the six Pirelli Star Driver finalists, each one judged and nominated from the rounds of the BRC. The youngster’s season was finally capped just last week when a panel of esteemed Motorsport professionals comprising Malcolm Wilson, Risto Laine, Autosport’s David Evans and Pirelli’s Mario Isola, voted unanimously to award him the inaugural Pirelli Star Driver award.

The prize is a fully funded drive in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship in a professionally run car which will be announced soon.

“I can’t believe it,” enthused the normally quiet Darren, “It had already been a good season for us, but this is fantastic. I’m getting calls from all over to congratulate me but it’s been a team effort to get this far.

“I’d like to thank all our sponsors this year. It’s a bit of a list but here goes: Quarryfix Ltd, Cheevers Chemists, Dalzells of Markethill, Haffey Plant Hire, Killycarn Sand & Gravel, EMC Autopax, ID Graphics and Jonny and all the lads at Crozier Motorsport Engineering. Particular thanks go to Trevor Dalzell who made doing rally GB possible, without his help we couldn’t have finished the season.

“There is obviously one person who has helped me from the very start. My dad has always supported my rallying and I think this is a good way to repay him. Although I’m sure he’d prefer cash!

”I can’t forget Neil (Shanks) either, he was there on my first BRC rally in 2006 and he’ll be in the prize car with me in 2008. He has helped keep me calm when things have not gone so well and he’ll be celebrating with us at the BRC Bash in January.”

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Darren Gass wins Pirelli Star Driver competition
The youngest driver in the 2007 Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship, 19 year old Ulsterman Darren Gass, has become the first winner of the prestigious Pirelli Star Driver competition.

The competition was hosted at the home of the newly crowned WRC Manufacturer Champions, BP-Ford World Rally Team headquarters at M Sport in Cumbria. The five finalists endured a series of assessment tests over two days. Finalists George Thomas, Phillip Morrow, James Wozencroft and Matt Beebe, together with Gass were put through their paces which included a gruelling one hour evaluation of their fitness, assessment of their media skills, TV interviews, testing their knowledge of FIA regulations and finally driving both a Group N3 Renault Clio and a top spec Subaru N12 on a forest special stage.

The finalist were being constantly assessed by the Pirelli Star Driver panel of expert judges, BP-Ford World Rally team boss Malcolm Wilson, Ex Suzuki JWRC team manager and Finland Rally manager Risto Laine, Mario Isola who is Pirelli Global Rally manager and WRC Rallies Editor from Autosport magazine, David Evans.

After a tense final interview with each driver, the panel unanimously agreed that newly crowned British Junior Rally Champion Darren Gass should receive this fantastic Pirelli prize.

Before announcing the winner, Malcolm Wilson said “I just wish that there were opportunities like this when I was just starting out in my rallying career. This prize offered by Pirelli through the British Rally Championship is just phenomenal. All of the finalists were exceptional and whilst only one of you will walk away with the prize, with focused determination, you are all very capable of succeeding and I hope that you will all work tirelessly to be reselected next year for the 2008 final shootout.”

”This is fantastic, I really can’t believe I have won. I put everything into each of the tests, it was the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life and to perform in front of four well respected judges has been a great experience. I will commit 100% into this opportunity Pirelli is giving me. I know I have a lot more to learn but with Pirelli’s support my dream of one day becoming a World Rally Champion took a step forward today.” said a highly delighted Gass at the final announcement.

Pirelli Tyres Motorsport Director, Paul Hembrey said, “Pirelli is committed to the world of rallying, from the top level at WRC down to the grass roots. We are actively seeking to promote and support young driver development throughout the world, and the BRC scheme is one of the first of many initiatives. We are delighted with Darren Gass, the first Pirelli Star driver winner who was unanimously selected by the judges. I wish Darren every success in his future career.”

You can see all of the drama of the Pirelli Shootout final on Sky Sports on Wednesday 19th December at 7.30pm. (please check the on-screen schedules)

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British Rally Championship