Young Racing Driver of the Month

Rob Parks Junior from Ballina, Co Tipperary, has been selected as the Young Racing Driver of the Month for September, writes Richard Burke. The 16 year-old took a win and a second place in the Ginetta Junior races at the Leinster Trophy meeting at Mondello Park to score his fourth victory of the year.

Combined with his other podium positions during the season, this leaves him in runner up spot in the Junior championship.

Rob Parks Junior

Rob started motorsport in 2016, at the age of 14, when he drove in Midget Car Racing, winning the Junior Midget Car title and also contesting some Ginetta Junior events. At the final round of the Midget Car season, he led the “Devil take the Hindmost” race from start to finish.

Last year, he concentrated on the Ginetta class and finished fourth in the series, with two third places along the way. During 2018, he stayed with the Ginettas apart from a one-off outing at Brands Hatch last weekend in one of Alan Kessie’s Pirelli Supercars, when he was delighted to finish second and third in the Invitation class in a much more powerful car than he has ever driven before.

Rob’s sponsors are Portumna Marine, Vertical Access, W R Shaw and Portumna Agri. He plans to drive in both Formula Sheane and Pirelli Supercars next year. Rob is a 5th Year student at St Anne’s Community College in Killaloe.

Having been selected as the final Driver of the Month for the 2018 season, Rob is now a contender for the prestigious Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Award, the historic Sexton Trophy. This award is presented annually and is supported by Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland.

Rob is pictured above in action in his Ginetta.

Photos: Topgear.ie, ASK Racing