search
  

Mt Wellington's Ben Dallas wins Formula BMW Asia Scholarship


Top Mt Wellington karter, Ben Dallas, had a pretty rugged CIK Trophy of New Zealand kart event. Ben did not complete the final at Hamilton due to mechanical problems but his lap times in the final at 38.30 had him in the top three before disaster struck.But a few folk trackside saw Bennyboy's potential. Remember, this is the guy who won 14 out of 14 races in the 2006 Three Way at Mt Wellington and who has also previously won two New Zealand karting titles.
 
Anyway, these scouts invited Ben to the 2007 Formula BMW Drive Experience.Well, Ben excelled...see the story below.Ben Dallas won the 2007 BMW scholarship ahead of 15 other competitors. In winning the New Zealand scholarship the BMW staff were suitably impressed with Ben and in particular his presentation and politeness and he was rewarded with another test drive in Dubai in March.
 
Ben got himself over to Dubai and was instantly successful.So what came of it....Ben was offered a sponsored drive for the BMW Asia series!!!
 
So congratulations to Ben from all your mates here at KartSport Mt Wellington. And also to Peter, Robin and Rebecca. We are so proud of you. For a driver who always presents so well and can drive the wheels off a kart, it does not surprise us you won the scholarship and well done!
 
Ben has discovered to negotiate a drive for the season is simply not affordable and is going to concentrate on his NCEA and schooling instead.Good on you mate for applying common sense to an expensive situation. 
 
Here are the two winning articles anyway, so read on....

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________
 
KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND
Media Release
For immediate release

*  2007 Formula BMW Asia Scholarship Trials

   Sakhir
   Bahrain
   March 1-4
   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

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport New Zealand. To find out more about Ben Dallas contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail at ross@fastcompany.co.nz

Editor's note: Hi-res jpgs of Ben Dallas are available upon request by e-mailing Ross MacKay at ross@fastcompany.co.nz

 
MT WELLINGTON'S BIG BEN DALLAS CLAIMS FORMULA BMW ASIA DRIVE EXPERIENCE PRIZE
 ...read on below

 

 

 


KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND
Media Release
For immediate release
 
*  2007 Formula BMW Drive Experience
    Pukekohe Park Raceway
    Pukekohe
    January 30
    2007
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
31-01-07
 
DALLAS CLAIMS FORMULA BMW ASIA DRIVE EXPERIENCE PRIZE
 
New Zealand kart champion Ben Dallas from Auckland will be winging his way to the Formula BMW Racing School in Bahrain late next month courtesy Formula BMW Asia and BMW New Zealand.
 
There he will compete against promising young drivers from all over the Asia-Pacific region for one of five $US50,000 scholarships to compete in the 2007 Formula BMW Asia Championship.
 
Dallas, 16, was one of 15 competitors at the weekend's CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher kart meeting at Hamilton selected to undergo a day's evaluation in a Formula BMW single-seater at Pukekohe Park Raceway yesterday.
 
All 15 impressed the selectors but Formula BMW Drive Experience spokesman Mike Eady says Ben was the one who stood out.
 
"He was the first driver out in the car and as it turned out he set a standard no one was able to better. He's a very talented driver and will make a great ambassador, both for KartSport New Zealand and BMW New Zealand," Eady said.
 
Dallas, a Year 12 student from St Kentigern College, said today that he was still coming to terms with his win - and the substantial prize that goes with it.
 
"I still can't quite believe it," he said. "It's something you dream about and now it is real!"
 
Dallas has only recently moved up to the Senior ranks after a successful karting career in the Cadet, Junior Restricted and Junior Yamaha classes and he and his parents have only just started talking about 'the next step' to cars.
 
How, and which category to move to, was still very much a work in progress - until now.
 
"Yes," said Peter, Ben's father," this has really made our decision for us."
 
KartSport New Zealand President Alan Sherris called the first of what is hoped to be an annual link-up between the Formula BMW Asia organisation and KartSport's New Zealand's CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher meeting an unqualified success with benefits to both parties.
 
"First and foremost," he said this morning, " I would like to thank Formula BMW Asia and BMW Motorsport New Zealand for bringing the car down and allowing our karters not only to see and touch it but also to drive it. A link-up like this can only be good for our sport, and for a company like BMW which has invested so much in a motorsport programme."
  
Places on the Formula BMW Drive Experience at Pukekohe Park were offered to the first three placegetters in the three international classes at the CIK meeting - Junior Intercontinental A, Formula 100 and KZ2 - and to the winners of each of the eligible support classes.
 
In addition, a further three competitors considered worthy of the opportunity but who for whatever reason did not finish in the top three in one of the International classes or first in a support category, were selected, making up a total of 15 drivers.
 
To be eligible, drivers had to be New Zealand resident holders of a KartSport New Zealand competition licence no younger than 15 years and no older than 24 years on January 30 2007.
 
Formula BMW is a one-make 'wings-and-slicks' single-seater motor racing category which pits drivers of identical 1.2 litre BMW-powered racing cars against each other in official sanctioned series around the world. The category was created by leading motor vehicle manufacturer BMW to help bridge the gap between karts and traditional but larger capacity single-seater formula like the 2-litre Formula 3.
 
Since its inception in 2002 it has produced a number of drivers who have moved further 'up the ladder' including New Zealand's own Chris Vander Drift and New Zealand A1GP round winner Nico Hulkenberg.
 
Multi-time New Zealand kart champion Vander Drift, 20, spent two years competing in Formula BMW in Europe, winning the Rookie of the Year title in 2004, then winning races and being one of the contenders for overall series victory in 2005.
 
Last year New Zealand was represented in the Formula BMW Asia series for the first time by Wanganui's Earl Bamber and Auckland's Dominic Storey.
 
Bamber went on to win the series after a fantastic season-long fight with top Australian driver Sam Abay, and Storey finishing sixth overall.

Ends
 
Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport New Zealand. To find out more,contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919