Alex Denning named Young Driver of the Year

WINNING the Sexton Trophy for Ireland’s Young Driver of the Year is a childhood dream come through for Alex Denning.

The up-and-coming driver from Rathfarnham was named the Young Driver of the Year at a ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Hotel and with it €50,000 in funding and support for the development of his career during the 2023.

The 23-year-old who is from Rathfarnham, was the 2020 Fiesta ST Champion before heading to the UK to race to the front of the Mini JCW Championship Rookie Cup against 30 other competitors and is planning a move to sportscars for 2023.

The prize money will lay the platform for Denning who is expected to make the move to ADAC GT4 in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in Germany.

Speaking to The Echo a delighted Alex said: “Absolutely thrilled to win the Young Driver of The Year award.

“This has been a childhood dream and to make it a reality is simply extraordinary.

“It is truly honourable to be recognised as the best young racing driver in Ireland this year.

“The €50,000 cash prize will enable me to further advance my career as I potentially make the move to ADAC GT4 in an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in Germany.

“This will provide the ultimate platform to further showcase my talent to GT3 manufacturers on the international stage with the aim of being a manufacturer factory driver by 2025.

“Firstly, I would like to thank all my family and corporate partners for supporting me all the way through. Without them, none of this would be possible.

“A massive thanks also to Motorsport Ireland and Sport Ireland for putting up this amazing prize and I thoroughly look forward to building this partnership in 2023”.