The parents of the late Kirk McCarthy have established an award program to assist young riders in contesting future Australian Superbike Championship (ASC) seasons. Each year, one rider will be selected to receive the Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award, which will be in the form of financial and product support to contest the following year’s ASC. The award is open to riders in all ASC classes. “We appreciate how tough it is when you are first starting out,” said Kirk’s father, Alan. “We saw it first hand with Kirk, and now we’d like to help some other young guns reach their full potential. “Kirk showed many fine qualities during his racing career, and this is a great way of continuing on his legacy.” Full details of the Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award, co-sponsored by Alan and Margaret McCarthy, Suzuki Australia, Monza Imports and Motorcycling Australia, will be made available next week, together with an inaugural application form. Kirk McCarthy, 35, passed away following an incident in the penultimate round of the ASC at Queensland Raceway on August 15, 2004. The Melbournian enjoyed a distinguished national and international racing career, which included stints in both the 500cc GP and Superbike World Championships following his crowning as 1995 Australian Superbike champion. Editorial Note: McCarthy also won the 2002 AMA Pro Thunder Championship.