Porsche Cars Great Britain has announced a £100,000 scholarship scheme for its Carrera Cup Championship in 2009. It’s a stunning prize, and the plan has been hatched specifically to find the next Richard Westbrook –the driver who won the 2004 Carrera Cup GB, and who went on to become the most successful GT3 Cup driver of all time. The prize fund will be spilt into two £50,000 pots, which will help fund the race costs of the two chosen candidates.

Westbrook is a Porsche Racing legend, before now I have been lucky enough –and irritated enough- to have seen the back of his GT3 Cup car disappear into the distance at the Nurburgring. He will be instrumental in choosing the candidates, and will help mentor them in 2009. The other judges are Marion Barnaby, who runs the championship and knows more about the inner working of motorsport than most of the pit-lane put together. And me, I’d like to say that I’m on hand to teach these youngsters how to pull massive drifts through the slower corners, but the reality is more serious. We want to find two young guns –perhaps even gunettes- who can continue a fine tradition of Britich GT racers.

Now here’s the difficult bit. All entries are to be in by October 10^th, so get your skates on. You also have to be between 17 and 22 as of 1 Jan 2009, hold a National A Race License and you must never have been registered as a competitor in Carrera Cup GB.

To apply, send a c.v. to carreracupgb@porsche.co.uk, along with the reasons why you think you should be selected. Applications close on 10 October 2008 and the six finalists will be evaluated at Silverstone on 21/22 October. The 2009 Carrera Cup GB Scholars will be announced at the end of October. The evaluation takes place at Silverstone on 21/22 October.

It’s a stunning offer, so if you know anyone who qualifies, let them know about it as soon as possible.