{"id":3035,"date":"2013-01-03T13:55:44","date_gmt":"2013-01-03T12:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/?p=3035"},"modified":"2013-01-03T13:55:44","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T12:55:44","slug":"2013-pirelli-uk-star-driver-mark-donnelly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/index.php\/2013-pirelli-uk-star-driver-mark-donnelly\/3035","title":{"rendered":"2013 Pirelli UK Star Driver \u2013 Mark Donnelly"},"content":{"rendered":"

The annual Pirelli UK Star Driver competition was held in Wales last month where Northern Ireland’s Mark Donnelly was announced as the winner of a fully-paid drive in the 2013 British Rally Championship courtesy of Pirelli.<\/p>\n

Beating off stiff competition from six other drivers who were all battling it out for one of the biggest prizes in UK motorsport, Donnelly impressed a panel of four judges with his maturity, technical know-how, media awareness and raw talent behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

From Omagh in Co. Tyrone, 21-year-old Donnelly made an impression in last year\u2019s British Rally Championship after taking the spoils on the series\u2019 opening round, Rallye Sunseeker.\u00a0Donnelly\u2019s round one victory meant he was automatically nominated to take part in Pirelli\u2019s annual shootout competition.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We caught up with Donnelly to find out a little bit more about Pirelli\u2019s latest prot\u00e9g\u00e9\u2026<\/p>\n

Congratulations on being crowned the new Pirelli Star Driver, Mark!\u00a0\u00a0How does it feel to have won the shootout?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cIt feels amazing to have won such a prestigious prize. It is a fantastic opportunity to boost my rallying career and to help me move up to the next level of rallying.\u00a0Last year was quite a difficult year for me so to end the season winning the Pirelli shootout was the best result I could ask for going into 2013. I really hope to make the most of this opportunity and hopefully repay Pirelli and Citroen with a successful year.\u201d<\/p>\n

What did you find hardest about the two-day competition?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cThe most difficult task from the two-day shootout was the driving by a long way. The conditions were very tricky with ice and some snow so it made driving very difficult, especially as I was not completely familiar with the car. It was difficult to judge how hard to push in those conditions because putting the car off the road resulted in an immediate exclusion from the competition. I tried to drive fast and smooth and make no mistakes but as the times were not published, the other drivers and I were left guessing about how well we had performed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and also your rallying history?<\/p>\n

MD:\u00a0\u201cI began my motorsport career when I was 14 at a closed circuit venue in a Vauxhall Nova 1200. I won my championship in my first year and then progressed into a Peugeot 106 Cup car when I was 16. Once I obtained my rally licence at 17 my rallying career started in a Ford Fiesta ST. I competed in the Irish Fiesta Sporting Trophy in 2009 and finished second.\u00a0The following year (2010) I drove a Citroen C2 R2 Max in the Citroen Racing Trophy UK and finished second again, just missing out on the top spot at the final round.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2011\/2012 I drove a Renault Clio R3 in the British Rally Championship and also numerous IRC rallies with an overall win and also top two-wheel-drive results.\u00a0In 2012, I was supported by the MSA Team UK programme, which aims to help develop young drivers in motorsport. I will also be a member of the Team UK programme in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also recently graduated from The University of Ulster in Management and Leadership Development and I now work for our family business which is an electrical contracting company.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who is your motorsport idol and why?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cIt has to be Colin McRae, purely because of his flamboyant driving style and self confidence. He was a huge inspiration for any young driver in the sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

What have been your best and worst moments in rallying so far?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cThere is no doubt that the best moment has been winning the Pirelli Star Driver shootout. It is something that I had only dreamed about and to win felt fantastic. It is the highlight of my career so far and I am looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe worst moment was the tragic death of Gareth Roberts last year.\u00a0I knew Gareth quite well and I knew how passionate and professional he was as a co-driver, so this tragedy was a very low moment in the world of rallying. It is inspirational to see how Craig, Dai and Gareth\u2019s family have continued to support rallying and remember Gareth through \u2018The Gareth Roberts Memorial Fund\u2019 and other initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beside competing on this year\u2019s British Rally Championship courtesy of Pirelli, do you have any other plans for 2013?<\/p>\n

\u201cI am planning to compete in the French championship as I feel this will give me vital experience and increase my pace on asphalt. I hope to drive a Citroen DS3 in this championship too and I think that this will give me a better understanding of the car and also the set-up that I need for each rally. I have not completely confirmed those plans yet but it is a championship that I am very interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is your favourite tyre from the Pirelli range and why?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cI think it would have to be the Pirelli K6 gravel tyre. The K6 allows for excellent precision steering and it also gives me a lot of confidence under braking. The tyre itself is very strong with a tough sidewall and this enables me as a driver to take cuts without causing damage to the tyre.\u201d<\/p>\n

And finally, where do you see yourself in five years\u2019 time?<\/p>\n

MD: \u201cI would hope to see myself working with a professional team at the top level of the sport. As more manufacturers are becoming interested in the WRC, I think that there will be more chances for younger drivers and if I can make the most out of every opportunity I get, I hope that this will help me to get there. Winning the Pirelli Star Driver competition has been a huge opportunity for me – I am eager to work hard to maximise this and I hope that this can open more doors for me in the future.\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information about Mark Donnelly please visit: www.markdonnellymotorsport.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The annual Pirelli UK Star Driver competition was held in Wales last month where Northern Ireland’s Mark Donnelly was announced as the winner of a fully-paid drive in the 2013 British Rally Championship courtesy of Pirelli.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pirelli"],"yoast_head":"\n2013 Pirelli UK Star Driver \u2013 Mark Donnelly - TyreTrade.ie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tyretrade.ie\/index.php\/2013-pirelli-uk-star-driver-mark-donnelly\/3035\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2013 Pirelli UK Star Driver \u2013 Mark Donnelly - 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