The Formula BMW Asia 2006 Scholarship is another scholarship in the motorsports vein, with the previous motorsports scholarship I featured coming from United Parcel Service (UPS). This one is, of course, more coveted and more difficult to get as the winners had to undergo two days of intense trials at the Bahrain International Circuit. Each scholarship winner received “…a US$50,000 cash contribution towards their Formula BMW Asia 2006 campaigns plus a full season in the comprehensive Education & Coaching programme.”

With a sufficiently broad curriculum - from driving and tactics to chassis setup, media management and sponsorships, the Education and Coaching programme has been deemed a highly succesful tool in developing aspiring Asian drivers. Of course, the E&C programme is not limited to winners of the scholarships, and in fact, is available to all Formula BMW Asia drivers.

The winners of this year’s Formula BMW Asia Scholarships were Australian Daniel Ricciardo, Thai-based Briton James Grunwell, and South Korean Kim Jun Tae. A fourth scholarship was awarded to Malaysian Charlie-Ro Charlez as Rookie Cup 2005 winner, Michael Patrizi, already received a similar prize by winning the Formula BMW Asia 2005 overall championship.

[News via Auto Racing Daily]