Le Mans Series champions won prestigious Golden Steering Wheel Awards - 27.01.2010

Czech factory drivers of Aston Martin and 2009 Le Mans Series champions won prestigious Czech motorsport awards. Czech motorsport journalists vote every year the best racing drivers in different categories. Tomas Enge won record breaking tenth Golden Wheel Award in circuit racing drivers’ category and achieved Speed Award too. Czech journalists appreciated also the performances of his team-mate Jan Charouz, who gained the Jiri Sedlar Award intended for the best Czech racing driver of the season under 23 years.

Golden Wheel Awards have been given since 1976, when the Czech motorsport journalist voted the best racing drivers of the season for the first time. With the exception of 2002, the tradition continues until today.

Tomas Enge won the Golden Wheel Award for the first time in 1998 and since then he was defeated only in 2008 by David Vrsecky, the European Truck Racing Championship winner. Although Vrsecky won the European Cup also last year, results and performances of Tomas Enge had been so amazing, that he regained the Golden Wheel Award.

„I make much of this Award, but I should say, that I was really carefully reading the order on next positions, because I feel, I will be under the pressure of young and talented drivers soon,“ said Tomas Enge. „But I never would have achieved these successes alone, so I would like to thank all of my partners and my manager, who gave me their support throughout my career. Of course I would like to thank my family and especially my dad who brought me into racing. Winning Golden Steering Wheel Award is also a certain commitment for me to continue and achieve other good results. I am going to have great and interesting racing programme for this season, so I hope, I will be in the game for the Award next year again.“

In addition to the Golden Steering Wheel in the circuit raicing drivers category Tomas Enge won also 2009 Speed Award, which is given to drivers who reached the highest average speed per lap in the race during the season (Le Mans, 233.240 km/h).

Among the prize winners there are also other members of the 2009 Le Mans Series winning crew. Jan Charouz – who already received „FIA Talent of the Year Award“ from Jean Todt, International Automobile Federation (FIA) President, and „The best racing driver of Prague Award“ from the Mayor of Prague – won the Jiri Sedlar Award intended for the best racing drivers of the season under 23 years. We can mention that Tomas Enge won this award in 1996.

"I am very happy because this is my first award in this prestigious poll. I would like to say thank you to all journalists who voted for me, and I hope that in the future I will also reach the Golden Steering Wheel in the main category," wishes Jan Charouz.

Both Tomas Enge and Jan Charouz extended their families’ collections of Golden Steering Wheel Awards. Jan's father Antonin Charouz won the award five times, Tomas’s father Bretislav Enge triumphed three times. "I am very pleased that both guys are continuing in our footsteps. I wish them same success in next rounds of this poll," said Antonin Charouz.

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