PSL driver's Mikael Grenier won the Formula BMW scholarship

2007 December 27th

 PSL Jr team driver's Mikael Grenier just won the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Junior scholarship ,he will receive $80,000 towards participation in the championship and automatic complimentary enrollment in the Education and Coaching program.

 The holiday season is extra special for Mikael Grenier this year as the talented 15-year-old from Stoneham, Quebec, was recently announced as the Formula BMW Americas Junior scholarship recipient for 2008. One of four such awards in the Formula BMW programme, Grenier was awarded $80,000 toward participation in the Americas Championship, and automatic complimentary enrollment in the BMW Education and Coaching program. It was a perfect way to end what became a stellar season for the young racer in karting.

After racing to seventh in the Florida Winter Tour JICA Championship, Grenier raced the Ocala round in Rotax Junior and finished fifth and second - beginning a Rotax run that would end at the World Championship in Al Ain. When he headed to Hamilton, Ontario, and the Canadian National Championships presented by eKartingNews.ca in August, Grenier was undefeated for pslkarting.com! He had gone four-for-four in the Eastern Quebec Vega Cup, and had swept all race action in the Coupe de Montreal as well. It came as no surprise then, when the star junior captured the Canadian National Rotax Junior Championship. After qualifying third, he was 23rd in his first heat action but made up for lost ground afterward. He was second in heat two, and fourth in heat three to sit eighth on the grid as the field took the prefinal green on Sunday morning. He advanced to fifth in the formation race, and dominated in early afternoon when the rains came. Already up to third after the first race lap, he was in the lead by the end of lap two and never looked back in taking the National crown.

Returning to Quebec afterward, Grenier completed his perfect run in the Vega Cup with a final tally of four poles, five prefinal wins and six feature wins in the six-race schedule. He made one more start in the Coupe de Montreal, taking pole and the prefinal, but his sights were now firmly on the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final in Al Ain. His first World Championship action began with an impressive qualifying position of ninth, and he finished in the same position in heat one. With growing confidence, Grenier then won his second heat and was third in the final heat to rank seventh in heat race points. He moved forward to sixth in the prefinal, and after battling inside the top ten through the final he crossed tenth in the Rotax World for 2007.

While the balance of the 14-race Formula BMW Americas schedule is yet to be finalized, the season will again be anchored by races at two Formula 1 Grands Prix. Formula BMW will race for a fifth consecutive year in support of the Canadian Grand Prix, on June 6-8, and Formula BMW drivers will race at the Brazilian Grand Prix for the first time on October 31 to November 2. The remainder of the 14-race schedule will take place at a combination of American Le Mans Series, Champ Car World Series and Rolex Sports Car Series weekends.

Formula BMW Americas reflects the growth of Formula BMW worldwide. Formula BMW Germany and Formula BMW UK have combined championships to form Formula BMW Europe. Formula BMW Europe, Formula BMW Americas and, newly announced, Formula BMW Pacific will now comprise the new global face of Formula BMW.

www.formulabmwusa.com