The full list of results and scores from the Aussie Driver Search finale have been published after a fascinating conclusion to the 2018 competition.
The Aussie Driver Search, now in its fourth year of its unique talent finding program, saw four competitions come to a conclusion at Wakefield Park, with American Matt Powers claiming the Pro Competition victory, and with it, a full season with Matt Stone Racing in the Dunlop Super2 Series next year.
While Powers took out the top prize, Australian Formula Ford driver Hamish Ribarits and American Connor Bloum clinched drives in the Australian GT Championship after winning the GT Competition.
Victorian Lee Partridge won $150,000 for being judged the best in the Semi-Pro Competition while Ethan Grigg-Gault clinched the Amateur Competition and the $50,000 prize.
See below for links to the full results and scoring from the 2018 Aussie Driver Search finale at Wakefield Park.
AMATEUR COMPETITION RESULTS
http://bit.ly/ads2018amateur
SEMI-PRO COMPETITION RESULTS
http://bit.ly/ads2018semipro
GT COMPETITION RESULTS
http://bit.ly/ads2018gt
PRO COMPETITION RESULTS
http://bit.ly/ads2018pro
Aussie Driver Search founder and director Kyle Austin and the Aussie Driver Search program was overwhelmed with feedback from the results of the finale, and Austin has gone on the record to clarify the judging process that concluded an outstanding season of motorsport talent finding.
“After having American driver Matt Powers win our Pro Competition, I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify a few key points about the Aussie Driver Search (ADS),” said Kyle Austin.
“ADS started from humble beginnings as Pulsar Driver Search in 2015 with our major prize being a season in the Pulsar Series. In 2016 we gave away a round in the Aussie Racing Cars and our name changed to Aussie Driver Search to reflect this. The name Aussie Driver Search is no way related to any kind of restriction on the nationality, ethnicity or any other defining feature of the individuals that apply.
“The integrity of our judging is very important to us and something we strive to be the best at. We are not a discriminatory organisation and crown the person who does the best job on the day regardless of his or her origins.
“The judging criteria was designed and communicated in a way to ensure maximum transparency for all participants involved at every level of our program. We don’t take into account any competitors nationality, race, gender, prior results and experience, wealth or any other factors beyond the outlined judging criteria which we have put in place to find the best person to win our prizes.
“The 2018 competition yielded a large number of truly talented competitors across all divisions, some displaying skills that could one day see them reach the pinnacle of motorsport. Though this may be, there was one competitor that stood out from the rest, and his name is Matt Powers. Un-deniably the best driver in the Pro Competition at the finale, coming in at three tenths faster than the nearest driver and also receiving the highest overall score, Matt displayed a drive and skillset unmatched by his opponents. Disallowing him the victory he deserved based purely on his nationality would serve no purpose but to undermine the integrity of our judging and the organisation more broadly.
“Matt is a very deserving winner who has never competed in a full season of racing due to a lack of funds. He has immense talent to defeat both Jon McCorkindale and Jessie Dixon who have considerable Supercars experience. We are looking forward to fielding Matt Powers in Super2 with Matt Stone Racing and seeing what he can do in one of Australia’s premier categories.
“We pride ourselves on the transparency of our judging having released the full scores and results for all drivers in all competitions at our finale. We are more than happy to answer any queries anyone may have as we are an open book in this respect.
“Our program has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years and, we feel, holds a significant place in Australian Motorsport. We wish to continue for many years into the future offering life changing prizes and awesome drive experiences, particularly in our V8 Supercar and Audi R8 LMS.
“We will continue to work hard after a hugely successful 2018 and look forward to delivering a bigger and better offering in 2019!”
The Aussie Driver Search returns in 2019 with even more prizes on offer, including a chance to drive in the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour, as well as a spot in the Dunlop Super2 Series.
Visit the Aussie Driver Search website for details and locations on how you could become Australia’s next big race driver – http://www.aussiedriversearch.com
