Conway Selected For 'Young Driver' Award

Formula Renault UK 2004 champion Mike Conway has been selected as one of the six finalists for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, which counts British Formula 1 ace Jenson Button among its past winners.

The Sevenoaks racing ace, 21, will go up against five other aspiring young drivers for the chance to win a cash prize and the opportunity to drive a state-of-the-art McLaren Formula 1 car. Although the amount of the cash prize has not yet been decided, 2003 winner Alex Lloyd won £75,000.

Conway will be assessed by the same team of judges who selected the six finalists this week, at a special two-day test at Silverstone in mid-October. He will be tested in a Formula 3 car, a DTM touring car and a British Touring Car machine.

Conway was delighted with his selection: "It's great to be picked for the finals of the award. Only six people are chosen for it and it's good to know that the hard work I've put in and the achievements I've made this year have been recognised by the judges.

"Being selected gives me the chance to join a very illustrious group of names as the award winner. It will be amazing to have the chance to drive all of the cars during the assessment days. I'm particularly looking forward to driving the DTM car."

He added that the selection was a good reward for the strides he had taken in his career during 2004. Conway dominated the FRenault UK Championship, winning eight races with Fortec Motorsport and wrapping up the title two rounds from the end at his home circuit, Brands Hatch in Kent.

"It's been a mega year," he explained. "It's been easily the best year of my career so far in terms of my driving and my race craft. We were really consistent all year and it was hard work but I think we got the results we deserved."

Award judge Marcus Pye, who is Autosport magazine's Club Editor-at-large, admitted that it would have been hard not to include Conway among the six finalists. "Mike has been head and shoulders above his rivals in Formula Renault this year, and his selection for the finals reflects that," he said.

Past winners of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award include current McLaren F1 ace David Coulthard, BAR's Jenson Button, Indy Racing League driver Dario Franchitti and new European Formula 3 champion Jamie Green.

Media contact: Andy Bothwell 07944 651166