Billy Coleman Award – 6 Nominees. 3 Finalists. 1 Winner.

Six of Ireland’s most exciting young rally drivers were shortlisted for this year’s Billy Coleman Award: Cian Caldwell, Casey Jay Coleman, Jack Kennedy, Joe Kelly, Kyle McBride, and Ross Ryan.

From this talented group, three finalists have now been selected—Cian Caldwell, Casey Jay Coleman, and Kyle McBride—following a full day of interviews at the Motorsport Ireland offices, where a five-person judging panel met with each nominee to assess their potential and performance.

The judges have also finalised their decision on the overall winner and two runners-up, with the results set to be revealed at the Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards on Wednesday, 03 December, at the Crowne Plaza, Dublin. The ceremony will be live-streamed on MotorsportIreland.com.

All six nominees have been invited to join the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy training program in 2026, having been nominated and qualified under the various criteria listed in Appendix 16 of the Motorsport Ireland yearbook. Click here to learn more about Appendix 16.

Cian Caldwell

Cian Caldwell from Kells, Co. Meath, secured his nomination by dominating Class 2 in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, the Sligo Pallets National Forestry Rally Championship and the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series. The 21-year-old started fourteen rallies in 2025, finishing them all and winning Class 2 on seven occasions. The Peugeot 208 Rally 4 driver only started rallying in 2022 and was a previous nominee for the Billy Coleman Award in 2023.

Casey Jay Coleman

22-year-old Casey Jay Coleman from Clonmel received the only wildcard nomination this year. Having progressed from karting, Coleman has moved up through the ranks from J1000 to Rally2. A class win on the 2025 West Cork Rally set Coleman up for a successful season abroad where he competed in the M-Sport Fiesta Rally3 Trophy, which runs within the European Rally Championship. A win in the Czech Republic and second place in Italy saw Coleman finish as runner up in that series and he then switched to a Skoda Fabia Rally2 for the Wexford and Cork 20 Rallies where he produced some eye-catching times.

Jack Kennedy

Wexford’s Jack Kennedy confirmed his nomination by winning Class 2A in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series. A product of the Wexford Motor Club Youth Academy, Kennedy started in the J1000 class in 2021 before stepping up to a Ford Fiesta R2 in 2024. This season, the 20-year-old took class wins on the opening rounds in Longford and Kerry, which were then followed by a string of consistent finishes with co-driver Dylan Harrington.

Joe Kelly

Kelly has been contesting the Irish and UK Stellantis Rally Cup and the Junior British Rally Championship this season in a Peugeot 208 Rally4. The Donegal native enjoyed a strong season, showing consistent front running pace on tarmac and gravel, only finishing off the podium once. His highlight in the June to October window was a dominant class win on the Grampian Forest Rally in Scotland. Kelly’s rallying journey started in the J1000 class in 2019 and post Covid he moved to a Ford Fiesta R2T before making the switch to a Peugeot 208 in 2022. Category wins saw him in contention for the 2025 Junior British Rally Championship and Irish and UK Stellantis Cup, which he narrowly lost out on the final stage of the Cambrian Rally in late October. 2025 also saw Kelly sample Rally2 machinery when he drove a Toyota Yaris Rally2 on the Wexford Stages Rally.

Kyle McBride

Kyle McBride, from Clonmany, Co. Donegal, began his rallying journey in the J1000 class, where he claimed the championship title in 2019. In 2022, he progressed to a homologated R2T car and went on to win both the Motorsport Ireland Dual Surface Championship and the Academy Trophy. That same year, he finished as runner-up for the Billy Coleman Award.

Stepping up to the Rally4 category in 2023, Kyle delivered a strong season, taking runner-up honours in the Junior BRC. In 2024, he moved into a Peugeot 208 Rally4 and contested both the Stellantis Cup and the Junior BRC, securing runner-up in the Stellantis Cup and third place in the Junior BRC standings. His 2025 campaign has been his most successful to date—winning the Junior BRC, claiming the Stellantis Cup title, and achieving eight class wins across the season.

Ross Ryan

Ross Ryan from Youghal, Co. Cork. Ryan qualifies by being the highest placed eligible driver in Class 2A of the Sligo Pallets National Forestry Rally Championship. After three years in J1000, the 2025 season saw Ryan step up to an ex Junior World Rally Championship Ford Fiesta R2T with great success. A trio of class wins on the gravel in Cork, Tipperary and Mayo was complimented by a trio of class wins on tarmac the Raven’s Rock, Cork 20 and Fastnet Rallies.

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 2026. The Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland funded award is valued at €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 2026.

All funding will be based upon agreed plans which will be subject to the achievement of progression targets

Craig Rahill (L) with Billy Coleman

Craig Rahill was the 2025 Billy Coleman Award winner. Upon receiving the award one year ago he said “It’s a true honour to be standing up here. I have to thank my family first of all, without them, I wouldn’t have got into the sport. I have to thank the main man, my co-driver, Conor Smith. Thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and all my sponsors. To have my name on this trophy is unbelievable. I won’t waste this opportunity, the best is yet to come”.

Craig and Conor had a very successful 2025 campaign, with a Junior ERC podium in Rome being one of the highlights. Read more about that by clicking here.