Brighton reinsman Dylan Ford will represent Tasmania in the 2015 Australasian Young Drivers Championship in New Zealand.
The 19-year-old will compete in the series for the second time against drivers from all Australian states and the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Ford was the automatic Tasmanian selection after being the best performed young driver during the 2013/14 racing season.
First licensed as a 16-year-old in September 2011, Ford finished second in the 2011/12 Tasmanian junior driver award and ninth in the state’s leading driver award.
He won the junior award in 2012/13 and 2013/14 and, after four months of the 2014/15 season, Ford leads the junior award and is sixth on the overall state premiership.
Ford finished second in the 2014 Australasian Young Drivers Championship in NSW after winning three of the 10 heats, including the $50,000 heat at Menangle.
Tasracing chief executive officer Eliot Forbes said Tasracing was committed to supporting young drivers.
“Tasracing schedules a junior driver’s race every month and two championship series annually,” he said.
“As a result of this programming, our Tasmanian talent is nurtured early in their career resulting in a high level of success for Tasmanian young drivers when competing interstate.
“Dylan Ford experienced that in this series last year.”
Speaking about his selection, Ford said: “I am thrilled to again be selected as the Tasmanian representative.
“Over the past 12 months I have taken out a trainer’s license and have received tremendous support from my owners while other trainers have continued to put me behind their horses.
“In particular, I would like to thank trainer Heath Szczypka and my family for their assistance.
The 2015 Australasian Young Drivers Championship starts at Cambridge on 7 May in the North Island of New Zealand followed by Auckland the next day.
On 9 May the action shifts to the South Island at Christchurch and concludes the next day at Timaru.