NZ driver Ben Dallas wins $US50,000 Scholarship

KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND
Media Release
For immediate release

* 2007 Formula BMW Asia Scholarship Trials
Sakhir
Bahrain
March 2-4
2007

PRESS RELEASE

13-03-07

DALLAS WINS FORMULA BMW ASIA SCHOLARSHIP

New Zealand's reputation for producing some of the best young racing drivers in the world has been further enhanced with the news that young Auckland karter Ben Dallas has won one of five $US50,000 scholarships to help him compete in this year's Formula BMW Asia series.

Dallas, 16, was one of 19 promising young drivers invited to fly to Bahrain late last month to participate in the annual scholarship programme and he is one of five to win one of the coveted Formula BMW Asia series scholarships. The other winners were China's David Zhu, South Africa's Kyle Mitchell, Hong Kong's Ross Jamison and Japan's Shoei Shiromoto.

BMW Motorsport has been running the scholarship trials for the past five years and Dallas - who earned an all-expenses-paid trip to Bahrain after winning the inaugural BMW/KartSport New Zealand Drive Experience - is now the third young New Zealand driver to earn one of the $US50,000 awards.

The first was Hamilton's Chris van der Drift in 2003, the second Auckland's Dominic Storey in 2006.

Both went on to impress, van der Drift winning the Rookie of The Year title in the ADAC Formula BMW European series in 2004 and Storey finishing sixth overall in the Formula BMW Asia series last year and fourth in last weekend's New Zealand Grand Prix race at Teretonga.

Last year's Formula BMW Asia series was also won by a New Zealand driver, 16-year-old Earl Bamber from Wanganui.

Formula BMW is the world’s leading entry-level single-seater racing car class with annual series in Europe and the UK, the United States and Asia. BMW Motorsport created the 1.2 litre/140hp wings-and-slicks category - and the professional education and coaching programme that goes with it - to bridge the gap between karts and traditional but larger capacity 'junior formula' like the 2.0 litre Formula 3.

Since its inception in 2002 Formula BMW has produced a number of drivers who have moved further 'up the ladder' including Nico Rosberg, Christian Klein, Ho-Pin Tung,Chris Vander Drift and recent New Zealand A1GP round winner Nico Hulkenberg.

ENDS

2007 Formula BMW Asia Series
Rnd 1: May 5-6 Sepang Malaysia
Rnd 2: June 9-10 Bira Thailand
Rnd 3: July 14-15 Sentul Indonesia
Rnd 4: Sept 8-9 Chengdu China
Rnd 5: Oct 6-7 Shanghai F1 China
Rnd 6: Nov 3-4 Zhuhai China

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