Here is a profile of the five nominees who are in contention for the biggest prize in Irish motorsport.
Craig Rahill
Rahill, a twenty-year-old from Drung, Co. Cavan, is well familiar with the Billy Coleman award process. He was a finalist for the award in 2023. Having made a name for himself last year in a Class 11R MK II Escort, Rahill switched to the Ford Fiesta Rally4 in the latter part of the year.
Rahill kicked off his 2024 in the Killarney Forest Rally. A fine 19th Overall and 3rd in class would set the tone for the rest of Rahill’s season.
Incredibly, Rahill only had three non-finishes in the sixteen events he entered in 2024. Arguably more impressive is the fact that Rahill only finished outside the top 3 in his class once in the thirteen events he crossed the finish line on in this year. That one event being Rali Terras d’Aboboreira, Rahill’s first taste of European rallying.
This outstanding consistency meant that Rahill took the class honours in the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series, the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, and the Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally Championship, all of which warranted nominations for the Billy Coleman Award.
Ryan MacHugh
Twenty-six-year-old MacHugh, a native of Frosses Co. Donegal, picked up his 2024 Billy Coleman Award nomination based on his performances from the year opening period, January – May.
Machugh contested both the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and Junior British Rally Championship in 2024, taking the RC4 class honours in ITRC and the runner-up spot in the Junior BRC.
He opened his 2024 account in impressive fashion, taking 15th Overall and 1st in the RC4 class at the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally.
Arguably, his finest performance of the year was to follow on the next Irish Tarmac Rally Championship event, the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally. The tricky Saint Patrick's weekend event was contested over three days in treacherous conditions, with each day's weather offering a new challenge. MacHugh showed experience beyond his years to navigate the conditions and take another RC4 class victory, as well as 14th Overall and 2nd two-wheel drive car home.
Jack Harris
Harris, the youngest of the five nominees for 2024, is a nineteen-year-old from Convoy, Co. Donegal. He spent the 2024 season behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta R2T, the predecessor to the Ford Fiesta Rally4.
Although still very young, Harris has recorded a rather impressive log of rally starts, having previously competed in the J1000 series in a Volkswagen UP!
Harris got stronger and stronger as the year went on, finishing the final Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally Championship round, the Clare Forestry Rally, inside the top twenty and 1st in class.
The Fiesta is sure to have been quite the step up, but Harris has proven he is well able for it, taking five class victories this year and the MIJRS Class 2A title, which ultimately earned him the nomination for the 2024 Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year.
Keelan Grogan
The Twenty-Four-year-old Grogan, from Drumkeerin, Co. Leitrim, is the sole Wildcard nomination for the 2024 award. Like Rahill, Grogan will be familiar with the Billy Coleman Award process, having also been a finalist of last year's award.
Grogan competed in the inaugural Irish and UK Stellantis Cup in his Peugeot 208 Rally4, in which he finished 3rd. He also competed in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in 2024, where he once again took 3rd in the RC4 class, behind Ryan MacHugh (1st) and John O’Rourke (2nd).
Grogan had incredible performances on the likes of Assess Ireland International Rally of the Lakes, where he finished 14th Overall and 2nd in the RC4 category.
Grogan also had strong performances in the UK, such as the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally, where he took 22nd Overall, 2nd in the Junior BRC Category, and 1st in the Stellantis Cup Category.
Kyle McBride
The fifth and final nominee for the 2024 Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award is Twenty-One-year-old Kyle McBride from Clonmany, Co. Donegal. McBride picks up his nomination off of the back of his performances in the time period June – October.
Despite only being Twenty-One, McBride also has previous experience with the Billy Coleman Award, having been a finalist for the award in 2022.
McBride competed in ten events in 2024 and did enough to pick up 3rd in the Junior British Rally Championship, as well as 2nd in the inaugural Irish and UK Stellantis Cup.
McBride took top Stellantis Cup points on three of the final four rounds he competed in. However, it wasn’t enough to make up the deficit on the ever-consistent Ioan Lloyd, and McBride had to settle for second, nine points off of championship honours.
McBride can be happy that the pace he showed has been recognised with a Billy Coleman Award nomination, however, and can look forward to what 2025 has to offer.
About the Award
The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award will receive a support package to contest rallies nationally and internationally in 2025. The Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland funded award is valued at up to €50,000. The award winner will receive assistance and guidance from Billy Coleman coordinator Sean McHugh.
An additional support package, to a value of up to €50,000, will be available from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy as part of an agreed training and development programme designed to progress the winners’ career. The winner may apply for a second year of support upon satisfactory performances in their award-winning year.
Both Billy Coleman Award runners-up will receive support to compete in stage rallies at home and abroad up to an amount of €15,000 each as well as an invitation to participate in the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy development programme in 2025.
All funding will be based upon agreed plans which will be subject to the achievement of progression targets.
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