17 year old Jake Byrne from Blackwood, near Naas, has been selected as the Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Month for April. The Kildare driver’s performances during the month, which included two wins at the opening meeting of the season at Kirkistown and another double at the following outing at the Co Down circuit, give him the lead in the Ginetta Junior Ireland Championship.

Jake began his Motorsport career with some Kart Races at the age of 10. Since then, he contested the Junior Rallycross series from 2010 onwards and also the Ginetta Junior Championship when it began in July 2010.

He scored his first victory at Kirkistown in April 2011, taking another win at Anglesey, in Wales, which, combined with a string of good placings, left him third in the points table at the end of the season.

Jake hopes to make the transition to either the Global Lights class, Formula Ford or Formula Vee for 2013. He is currently a 6th year student in King’s Hospital School, Dublin.

With backing from sponsors ABR Sports, Maverick Internet Solutions and gearboxman.com, Jake will contest the remainder of the Ginetta Junior Championship until August, but once he reaches his 18th birthday on August 5, he will be unable to drive in the final two rounds as he will be over the age limit for the class.

Having been selected as the first Dunlop Driver of the Month for the 2012 season, Jake is now a contender for the prestigious Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Award and the historic Sexton Trophy. This award is presented annually and is sponsored by Dunlop, the Irish Sports Council and Motorsport Ireland.