Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) young gun Taylor Gill has started his year off on a high, having been named as the Motorsport Australia Young Driver of the Year.
Gill attended the Motorsport Australia National Awards, presented by Shannons Insurance, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on the weekend where he was presented with his award in front of many national champions of all disciplines.
The award recognises a young Australian driver who is identified as having achieved significant milestones so far in their career with the potential to progress to higher levels within the sport.
Previous winners include current Repco Supercars Championship star Anton De Pasquale and two-time Australian Drivers’ Championship winner Joey Mawson. Gill’s choice as 2022 winner sees him become the first rally driver to win the award.
Gill had a stellar year behind the wheel in what was his first full-time season last year, which ended up in the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup – for which he was presented with his trophy at the gala dinner.
Despite producing a breakthrough year in the ARC, Gill’s season highlight came in October, when he won the FIA’s Rally Star Asia Pacific Final in India, securing an international six-rally deal in a M-Sport prepared Ford Fiesta Rally3 – a massive boost to his dreams of one day competing in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Speaking at the event, the young New South Welshman was pleased with his 2022 campaign and looked forward to the year ahead.
“It was such a good year and I guess you could say it’s been 11 years of hard work and we’ve had a really good one last year, so to cap it off with getting a couple of awards tonight means a lot,” Gill said.
“To get Young Driver of the Year is pretty cool and it’s good because it’s a confidence booster for me knowing that what I’m doing is right and I’m going in the right direction.
“Mum and dad have to get the biggest thanks for me I think. They’ve been there from day dot and through 12 years of motorsport and they’ve been by my side the whole way.
“Of course, there’s a big team of passionate locals from Newcastle that help me out as well so yeah big thanks to them and the many people that have helped me out across the whole span of my career.”
Gill will now head off with co-driver Daniel Brkic to Finland where he will contest six international rallies as part of the FIA Rally Star Program.
His full calendar will be released in the coming weeks.
Photo: Flash Studio
