The Mike Kable Young Gun Award (also called the Mike Kable Rookie of the Year) is an annual motor racing award honouring the achievements of a rookie driver under the age of 30 who competes in either the Supercars Championship, the second-tier Super2 Series or the third-tier Super3 Series. Tony Cochrane, the chairman of the championship's organising body Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company (AVESCO), instigated the accolade in June 2000. It is named after Mike Kable, an Australian motoring journalist, motorsport publicist, and mentor to young racing drivers. The award is presented to the rookie driver adjudged to have performed the best over the course of their first season in either championship following a vote by a panel of motorsport experts. The recipient receives a sponsorship grant of A$15,000 to help develop themselves. The winner is announced at the series' end-of-season gala in Sydney.
The inaugural winner was Matthew White in 2000. The following year, the Stone Brothers Racing driver Marcos Ambrose won the award. Ambrose, James Courtney, Rick Kelly, Scott McLaughlin and Mark Winterbottom are the five recipients who have gone on to win either the Supercars Championship and/or the Bathurst 1000 in their careers. Australian drivers have won 21 times and New Zealanders twice. No one has won more than once; drivers from the second-tier championship have been honoured 14 times and Supercars competitors have won on 7 occasions. The 2023 recipient was Cameron McLeod, who finished in third place in the Super3 Series drivers' standings.
Winners +Mike Kable Young Gun Award winners Year Image Winner NationalitySeries 2000 Konica V8 Lites Series2001 V8 Supercars2002 2003 Konica V8 Supercar Series2004 V8 Supercars2005 HPDC V8 Supercar Series2006 V8 Supercars2007 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Dunlop V8 Supercar Series2013 V8 Supercars2014 Dunlop V8 Supercar Series2015 V8 Supercars2016 2017 Super2 Series201820192020 2021 Super2 Series2022 Super2 Series2023 — Super3 Series 2024 Super2 Series
Statistics
+ Winners by nationality Country Winners 23 2
+ Winners by series Series Winners Super2 Series 15 V8 Supercars 7 Super3 Series 1
See also Barry Sheene Medal
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