2017 Billy Coleman Award

Callum Devine wins Billy Coleman Award

Posted: December 8, 2017 4:54 AM

The Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year was won by 23-year-old Callum Devine, from Derry. Callum fended off a number of other great young drivers to take top spot in what has been described as one of the closest decisions in recent years.

Callum was nominated for the prestigious award on the back of some fantastic results this year. He had many standout performances particularly while winning the Junior British Rally Championship and when claiming victory in his class at the Ypres Rally in Belgium.

Callum now joins a list of illustrious winners of the Billy Coleman Award, which includes the first ever driver from the Republic of Ireland to secure a World Rally Championship drive with Citroen, Craig Breen, and record breaking four-time British Rally champion Keith Cronin, who also secured this year’s Manley Trophy as International Driver of the Year.

As part of the award, Callum will receive support to the value of €50,000 for the 2018 season.

More on the Motorsport Ireland Awards Ceremony:

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Young Rally Driver of the Year 2017 Finalists Announced.

Posted: November 15, 2017 9:41 AM

The finalists for Motorsport Ireland’s Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award have been announced – with

Jonny Treanor, from Scotstown, Co Monaghan;
Callum Devine, from Claudy, Co Derry;
Kevin Eves, from Pettigo, Co Donegal,

in the running to take home Irish rallying’s most prestigious awards.

The three drivers were chosen from a shortlist of eight candidates from throughout Ireland who were nominated for the award on the merits of their performances during the year. All the finalists faced a rigorous selection process which included interviews from a panel of judges comprising members of the media, an official from Sport Ireland, and representatives from the club and rallying world.

The three finalists for the Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year are (listed alphabetically):

Callum Devine (age 23) Claudy, Co Derry
Winner Junior British Rally Championship and Winner of the Junior section of the Ypres Rally, Belgium

Kevin Eves (age 26) Pettigo, Co Donegal
Irish Tarmac Rally Modified Champion.

Jonny Treanor (age 23) Scotstown, Co Monaghan
2nd overall Junior National Rally Championship, 2nd overall Junior National Border Championship.

Other candidates that narrowly missed out this year included,

Jenna McCann, Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan,
Brian Brady, Kells, Co.Meath,
Michael Boyle, Lettermacaward, Co. Donegal,
Gary Kiernan, Bailieborough, Co. Cavan,
John O’Sullivan, Mallow, Co. Cork

Past winners of the Billy Coleman Award have gone on to compete at the highest level both at home and internationally, with drivers winning international championships as well as flying the flag at European and World Rally Championship level. Included on this honor roll are the first ever driver from the Republic of Ireland to secure a WRC works seat, Craig Breen, record breaking four-time British Rally champion Keith Cronin, and the current award holder Josh Moffett, who is competing in the ERC Junior Championship.

A spokesman for the Motorsport Ireland judging panel said that selection of the three finalists was a very difficult task.
“All those interviewed deserved to be there and separating the drivers into a final three from such a pool of young talent was not an easy task,” the spokesman said. “One thing that is certain is that some of those that narrowly missed out this year will be in front of the judging panel again.
“The eventual winner will be an ambassador for Motorsport and, like their predecessors, we hope will go on to inspire more people in Ireland to engage with our sport. They have some very strong role models like Craig Breen and Keith Cronin to lean on for help and inspiration as their careers progress both domestically and internationally. We have no doubt that any of the finalists can fill this role and we look forward to announcing the winner at our Beta Irish Motorsport awards ceremony in early December.”

The internationally-recognised Billy Coleman Award is one of the most prestigious accolades that any young driver on the island of Ireland can aspire to. It comes with a prize valued at €50,000 in support to help the winner develop their career.

The overall winner of the 2017 award will be announced at the Beta Irish Motorsport Awards ceremony which will take place on Tuesday, December 5th in The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin.

The Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award is presented annually and is supported by Sport Ireland, Motorsport Ireland and its affiliated clubs.

McCann gains Young Rally Driver of the Year nomination

Posted: November 10, 2017 1:40 PM

Jenna McCann has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for her performances in September and October.

The 22 year-old from Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, drove her Ford Fiesta R2 to victory in the Junior section of the Cork 20 International, which clinched the Junior title in the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Earlier in the year, Jenna scored a string of good results in the Junior section of the series to place her in a strong position for the title, and her victory in the final round, the highlight of her year, left her well ahead of her closest rival.

Jenna has just returned from last weekend’s Condroz Rally in Belgium, which was linked to her Junior Tarmac success, and she found the two-day event on slippery tarmac roads to be her most challenging rally to date, with the varying conditions making things very difficult. She is very pleased to have completed her first continental European outing without any major dramas.

She began rallying in early 2015 in a Peugeot 106, having previously acted as co-driver for her father, and she won the Group R Cup in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Jenna is a Social Care worker, and would like to contest next year’s Irish Forestry Championship, as well as a couple of rounds of the British Rally series. Her principal sponsors are APlus Skip Hire, Euro Oil, J & G Haulage (Cavan), and Hydraseals Hose and Bearings Ltd.

Jenna joins with the four other bi-monthly winners selected from January-February, through to July-August, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.

The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-ordinator support.

Kiernan gains Young Rally Driver of the Year nomination

Posted: October 10, 2017 4:21 AM

Gary Kiernan has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in July and August.

The 26 year-old from Bailieborough, Co Cavan, drove his Ford Escort to outright victory in the Imokilly Stages Rally in East Cork, and also won his class and finished fifth overall, behind a quartet of four-wheel-drive Supercars, in the Galway Summer Rally, a round of the Triton Showers National Championship.

Earlier in the year, Gary was the overall winner of the National section of the Galway International Rally and also took fifth place, with another class win, in the Cavan Stages Rally.

Gary began rallying in 2011, driving in his first events while still a student, and became a regular competitor two years later, winning the Border Championship outright, and taking his class in the National Rally Championship. In 2015, he took a class victory in the Border series and was class runner-up in the National points table.

He would like to tackle some Forestry Rallies next year, having enjoyed his recent outings in the final two rounds of the Valvoline National Forestry series, with a class win in the Lakeland Stages.

Gary has a degree in Agricultural Science from Dundalk Institute of Technology and works in the family farming business. His principal sponsors are Kiernan Milling, Failte Bar (Bailieborough), Fire Protection Ireland, Buddy Kiernan’s Pub (Granard), SMH Rallybitz (Keady), Gordon Automotive, IDS (Port Laoise), Westenra Arms Hotel/Spy Nightclub, CMC Motorsport, Hoosier Racing Tyres, Paul and Vincent Feeds (Edgeworthstown), Sean Brady Construction & Engineering (Cavan), X Trax Shocks and O’Brien Motors (Cootehill).

The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-ordinator support.

Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.

Treanor gains Young Rally Driver of the Year nomination

Posted: September 15, 2017 8:34 AM

Jonny Treanor has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in May and June.

The 23 year-old from Scotstown, Co Monaghan, drove his Honda Civic to victory in the Junior sections of the Midland and Circuit of Munster Rallies, and went on to make it a hat-trick of wins in the Sligo Stages Rally. This leaves him as a strong contender for the Junior title in both the Triton Showers National Championship and the Sligo Pallets Border series. He hopes that he will have a successful run through the remaining rounds in both championships and that he can celebrate at least one title at the year-end, and hopefully both of them.

Jonny began rallying in 2010, starting as a navigator and co-driver, and changed over to driving after a few years. His first stages rally as a driver was in Mayo in 2015 at the wheel of a Vauxhall Nova, and he changed to his current car last year. The highlight of his career to date has been his first Junior win in Midland this year.

He works as a heavy goods mechanic, and his principal sponsors are FDR Car Sales in Donegal Town, Howden Tools and McNally Crane Hire in Monaghan.

The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-ordinator support.

Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.

Eves is nominated for Young Rally Driver of the Year

Posted: May 23, 2017 5:55 AM

Kevin Eves has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in March and April.

The 25 year-old from Pettigo, Co Donegal, drove his Toyota Corolla to outright wins in the National sections of both the West Cork and Killarney Lakes Rallies, having earlier taken third place in Galway in February.

Following these opening three rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship, Kevin holds a healthy lead in the National points table, and is hopeful of being crowned as champion at the end of the season. He also intends contesting several single day National events to “keep his eye in”.

Kevin wishes to raise the awareness of his potential by continuing his successes, with the goal of switching to a current specification four wheel drive car in the future.

His most memorable performance to date has been the recent victory in Killarney against very strong opposition, where he took the lead early on the opening day and stayed there to the end, finishing almost one minute ahead of his nearest challenger.

Kevin works as operations manager in EnviroGrind, who are also one of his sponsors, along with JM Joinery, Building Cost Control, and Accapple Construction.

The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-ordinator support.

Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.

Boyle is nominated for Young Rally Driver of the Year

Posted: April 25, 2017 4:24 PM

Michael Boyle has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in January and February.

The 19 year-old from Lettermacaward, Co Donegal, drove his Honda Civic to a clear win in the Junior section of the opening round of the Triton Showers National Championship, the Birr Stages Rally at Nenagh. With regular co-driver Dermot McCafferty, who has accompanied him from his first rally, Michael was four minutes ahead of his nearest class rival at the finish.

Michael began rallying in late 2015, making his debut in a virtually standard Civic in the Donegal Harvest Rally, where he finished fifth among the Juniors. Last year, in a more modified version, he took runner-up position in the Triton Showers Junior Championship, but the highlight of his season was taking victory in the hotly contested Junior section of the Donegal International Rally, by just three seconds in a grandstand finish.

Before starting his own driving career, Michael was already a regular attendee at Irish rallies, as he began going to events from the age of 12, with his father Declan, the National Rally champion in 2013 and 2014.

Michael is a publican, managing the Limelight Nightclub in Glenties and McCafferty’s Bar in Donegal Town. His main sponsor is Cherrymore Kitchens in Donegal.

Michael is contesting the National Championship this year, and would very much like to repeat last year’s success in the Donegal International in June.

The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-ordinator support.

Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.

Motorsport Ireland

Posted: April 25, 2017 4:24 PM

Motorsport Ireland