Irish Motorsport honoured its top performers of 2001 at a celebration lunch in Dublin yesterday. The "Awards for Excellence in Irish Motorsport", which brought together the leading performers from all disciplines of the sport, was created by the sport's governing body, Motorsport Ireland, and sponsored by Alfa Romeo.

In all six awards were presented to reflect outstanding achievement in karting, motor racing and rallying both at home and abroad during 2001.

This year the two major awards on the day for the Young Rally Driver of the Year and the Young Racing Driver of the Year both carried with them support packages worth £25,000.

Stuart Darcy of Donegal became the second winner of the Billy Coleman Award when taking the Young Rally Driver of the Year title. His award also carried with it a cheque for £20,000 and a week's training at a top rally school in Europe.

Michael Devaney (17), who only moved from karting at the beginning of this year, became the Young Racing Driver of the Year, winning the Dunlop Sexton Trophy, a cheque for £20,000 and a week's training at the Derek Daly Motorsport Academy in Las Vegas.

Cecil Sparks, chairman of Motorsport Ireland, felt the standard of the finalists both for the Young Driver of the Year and the Billy Coleman Award had been outstanding.

"I was privileged to sit on the judging panel for both awards. I know I speak on behalf of all of the judges on both panels when I say that we were hugely impressed by the young men who presented themselves for interview. They really were superb," he said.

AWARD WINNERS

Junior Kart Champion - R Corcoran. Irish Kart Champion - M Smith. Dunlop Sexton Trophy (Young Driver of the Year) - M Devaney. Billy Coleman Award (Young Rally Driver of the Year) - S Darcy. International Racing Driver of the Year - D Faulkner. Hall of Fame - R Smith.