Final eight drivers revealed as 2012 Billy Coleman Award decision nears

The full complement of nominees for the 2012 Billy Coleman Award, the top award in Irish motorsport, has been completed with the addition of two bi-monthly winners along with championship nominees and a wildcard selection.

Monaghan pair, Shane Maguire and Stephen Wright are the respective bi-monthly winners for July/August and September/October. Meanwhile, Cork’s Bernard Foley has qualified after winning the Dunlop Junior National Rally Championship, while Monaghan’s Vincent McAree joins the group as the highest placed driver in the Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship that satisfied the criteria.

The final nominee is Galway’s Dean Raftery, who has been added as the wildcard. The five will be joined by the bi-monthly nominees from earlier in the season — Daniel McKenna (Monaghan), Kevin O’Connor (Limerick) and Damien McCarthy (Cork). Remarkably, four of the eight nominees hail from Monaghan with Cork providing two nominees. The eight drivers will be interviewed on Tuesday for the prestigious award which carries a top prize of €50,000.