Motorsport: Young Rally Driver of the Year nominees reveaed

CONTENDERS: Cavan's Craig Rahill (19) pictured left and Strabane's Ryan Caldwell (21) are two of the seven nominees for the 2023 Billy Coleman Young Driver of the Year award. The interview process take place on Wednesday next. Pic(s): Martin Walsh.

The nomination process for this year’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award and its racing counterpart, the Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year are now completed and the nominees will be interviewed next week.

The addition of Irish Forest Rally champion Strabane’s Ryan Caldwell (21) along with Cavan’s Craig Rahill (19) and Donegal’s Ryan McHugh (25) earlier this week brings to a total of seven drivers eligible for the prestigious Coleman award that is worth €100,000 to the winner.

In addition, the winner will be eligible for an additional €50,000 towards the following season. This was clarified by award co-ordinator Sean McHugh as the Motorsport Ireland press release portrayed a different impression. 

The Mayo native said: “No, that’s not correct (information), there’s an additional €50,000 support package pledged by the Team Ireland Foundation for the following year. Indeed, I am meeting last year’s award winner Eamonn Kelly today to discuss that aspect and see his plans for 2024.” 

The 2023 award runners-up will receive support to compete in stage rallies at home and abroad up to an amount of €15,000 each.

From next year, the qualifying age for the award is being brought down to twenty-five years to allow a step-back year and align itself with the Junior ERC category. 

McHugh explained: “That’s being done so that the winning driver has a year to prepare for the Junior ERC.” 

It is somewhat surprising that Caldwell received the wildcard entry as opposed to the June-October nomination that went to Rahill rather than the other way around.

Caldwell was the outright winner of the MI National Forest rally series and Rahill won his class in the national and two regional championships. Further to their success in their respective championships Leitrim’s Keelan Grogan (23), Kilkenny’s Jack Brennan (19), Meath’s Cian Caldwell (19) and Monaghan’s Jack McKenna (25) are also in the running for the prestigious award.

The monthly and wildcard nominations are chosen by a five-person committee selected by Motorsport Ireland - their identities are unknown.

Meanwhile, there are also seven nominees for the Sexton Trophy Young Racing Driver of the Year award. With a much wider geographical representation than the Coleman award nominees, they are Wexford’s Jack Byrne (20), Cork’s Kayleigh Cole (20), Antrim’s Ronan Doherty (22), Wicklow’s Max Hart (22), Louth’s Logan Hoey (14), Antrim’s Brandon McCaughan (19) and Louth’s Kian O'Brien (22). The winner will receive a €50,000 support package to help develop their motor racing career. 

The Coleman award interviews take place on Wednesday next and the Sexton award on Thursday. Both groups will be whittled down to three and the overall winners will be announced at the Champion of Irish Motorsport Awards on December 6th next.

The Triton Showers National Rally Championship awards presentation takes place at the Sheraton Hotel Athlone tomorrow (Saturday) night. Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty are the respective recipients of the Vard Memorial Trophy and the Noel Smith Perpetual Cup.

The World Rally Championship concludes at the weekend with the FORUM8 Rally Japan as former world champion Ott Tanak bids farewell to the M-Sport Ford World Rally team. Next season he will drive with the Hyundai WRT alongside Thierry Neuville with Esapekka Lappi once again on a partial programme. 

Neuville, who won the recent Central European rally was quickest on the shakedown. 

“We have no pressure, that is for sure. Our contenders have a lot more pressure this weekend.” 

That comment was firmly aimed at manufacturer champions Toyota Gazoo Racing for whom it’s a home event and only a few kilometres from their global headquarters.