![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Donnelly-042.jpg\" "\\"Donnelly-042\\"")
<\/p>\nNorthern Ireland’s Mark Donnelly has won this year\u2019s prestigious Pirelli UK Star Driver shootout after impressing a panel of four judges during a two-day showdown based at the iconic motorsport complex of Sweet Lamb in mid Wales.<\/p>\n
Donnelly, who won the opening round of this year\u2019s Pirelli-supported British Rally Championship, beat off stiff competition from six other finalists to claim one of the most coveted prizes in British motorsport.\u00a0The 21-year-old from Omagh in Northern Ireland wins a once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in a full British Rally Championship campaign courtesy of the series\u2019 official tyre supplier, Pirelli.\u00a0Next year he will compete on all seven British rounds at the wheel of a Citroen DS3 R3 from David Greer Motorsport.<\/p>\n
Due to run for its sixth consecutive year, the Pirelli Star Driver programme has helped a number of promising drivers in their quest to become an international rally star. \u00a0Previous winners include recently-crowned WRC Academy champion Elfyn Evans who is a perfect example of a driver who has used the support and guidance of Pirelli in order to compete on the world stage.<\/p>\n
Tom Cave, Matthew Cathcart, Mark Donnelly, Desi Henry, Jussi Kumpumaki, Osian Pryce and recently-crowned British Junior Rally Champion Garry Pearson were all competing for the ultimate prize.<\/p>\n
The finalists were assessed on their abilities to drive a Citroen DS3 R3 on a two-mile stage at Sweet Lamb: the same complex that is used as a rally stage in the FIA World Rally Championship. The drivers were also tested on their driving skills, media awareness, event strategy, technical ability and future potential.<\/p>\n
A panel of four judges including World Rally Championship co-driver Chris Patterson, renowned motoring journalist Jerry Williams, Finland\u2019s Risto Laine and Citroen Racing\u2019s Jean Francois Lienere assessed the finalists.\u00a0The panel reached a unanimous decision that Donnelly deserved to win this year\u2019s shootout based on his speed, technical knowledge and overall potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m over the moon to have won here today, I really didn\u2019t expect it,\u201d said newly-crowned Pirelli UK Star Driver, Donnelly. \u201cIt\u2019s been a really tough couple of days with some very slippery conditions and I honestly think that it could have gone any way.\u00a0I\u2019d like to take this opportunity to thank Pirelli, the British Rally Championship, Citroen and David Greer Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity.\u00a0If you look at some of the people who have won with Pirelli before, it is a real honour to be chosen as this year\u2019s Pirelli Star Driver.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/Donnelly-082.jpg\" "\\"Donnelly-082\\"")
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Northern Ireland’s Mark Donnelly has won this year\u2019s prestigious Pirelli UK Star Driver shootout after impressing a panel of four judges during a two-day showdown based at the iconic motorsport complex of Sweet Lamb in mid Wales.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[423,783],"class_list":["post-2846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pirelli","tag-mark-donnelly","tag-pirelli"],"yoast_head":"\n