TEENAGE rally driver Phil Scholes has scooped one of the sport’s most prestigious awards.

The 19-year-old former kart racer has won this year's John Easson Award, administered by the 2300 Club of Blackburn, and worth over £4000.

The accolade, now in its fifth year, is named after rally driver John Easson, a regular competitor on the Isle of Mull and a generous supporter of the 2300 Club before tragically losing his life in an air accident in 1999.

As winner, Phil has been handed a free entry to next month’s Tunnock's Tour of Mull rally, a free ferry to the Isle of Mull from Scotland, free fuel for his rally car during the rally and eight Kumho tyres to use on the event.

As the icing on the cake, he also wins the trip of a lifetime to the world famous John Haugland Rally School on a frozen lake in Norway next winter.

The Norway trip will include four days of tuition on advanced rally driving technique from John and his expert team, worth over £3000.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, I'm still on cloud nine,” said Phil, who lives in Blackburn.

“The competition was very tough and, to be honest, I didn’t think I would win. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news, it’s a fantastic boost to my hopes of progressing in rallying, and I’m very grateful to the 2300 Club for showing faith in me.

“I was going to watch the rally with my dad, but I’ve had to change my plans very rapidly!”

In only their first full season of rallying, Scholes and his co-driver Jamie Foster, 17, from Oswaldtwistle, have been amongst the front-runners in Britain's biggest one-make championship, the Peugeot 205 Challenge.

They kicked off the season with an excellent 26th overall on the North West Stages, before finishing second in the intermediate class and fourth overall in the opening 205 Challenge event at Manby Airfield in Lincolnshire.

The highlight of the year so far came at round two, held at Twyford Wood, with a well-deserved class win.

This year's John Easson Award attracted highest number of applications, with 16 crews chasing the prize.

The judging panel, which included Tour of Mull clerk-of-the-course Clive Molyneux, award manager David Bateson and rallymen Allan Whittaker and Alan Durham, picked out three finalists, Kris Hall, Matt Smith and Scholes.

They were then invited to the Tickled Trout, near Samlesbury for a final interview.

“We had a difficult time just deciding which of the entries should make the final, as the quality was superb,” said Bateson.

“All three would have been worthy winners; in the end, and after much deliberation, we decided on Phil Scholes. We were very impressed with his attitude toward the sport and in particular what he has achieved in a relatively short period of time and with a small budget.”

l Phil Scholes would like to thank Craig Wharton, of Wharton Motorsport, Blackpool, Nigel Worswick, Steve Pollard, Rob Tomlinson, Tim Foster and his dad Rob for their support and guidance.