The final three nominations for the 2022 Billy Coleman Award have been named. The June-October performance nomination went to Tyrone’s Patrick O’Brien, while youngsters Jack Brennan and Ryan Caldwell have secured wildcard spots for their respective showings throughout the year. The trio join Eamonn Kelly, Kyle McBride, Joe Browne and Dylan Eves as the seven nominees who will face an interview panel next Wednesday in Motorsport Ireland Headquarters. A shortlist will be announced by the panel ahead of the 2022 Motorsport Ireland Awards which will take place at the Crowne Plaza in Santry on Wednesday December 7th, where the winner will be announced.
The June-October nomination for Patrick O’Brien will come as little surprise to most after an incredibly successful period for the 25-year-old full-time motorsport mechanic at the wheel of his Skoda Fabia R5. O’Brien went from strength-to-strength throughout the season claiming the Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Rally Championship title taking a brace of rally wins in the process. After a brilliant year, he now looks ahead to an off-season of testing and sponsor meetings ahead of the 2023 season. When informed of his nomination, O’Brien thanked the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy team, John Coyne and Sean McHugh, Metal Deck Ireland, Glendale Limousines, RTC Direct, C&M Motorsport Sales, McAree Engineering, Campsie Service Station, Concrete Plus Construction, Rogers Fencing, Euro M-Sport, Ears Motorsport, Pirelli, the R317 Motorsport Team, and of course, his family and friends.
The first wildcard nomination went to 18-year old Jack Brennan, the youngest of this year’s nominees, for his win in the J1000 category of the National Forestry Championship. An additional finish in his first overseas rally at Rally Terra Sarda in Sardinia last month also added to his growing repertoire as did his closed road rally debut on the recent GSMC Mini Stages. Brennan is also a front runner in Autocross having won the National Loose Surface Championship for buggies in 2022 and represented Ireland in the FIA Cross Car Academy Trophy in 2021. Among his family, friends and sponsors, special thanks were extended to NCRS and his co-driver, John McGrath. For these, the Kilkenny native stated that the last two years would not have been possible without their support.
Ryan Caldwell nabbed the final nomination for his multiple class wins on both tarmac and gravel throughout 2022 behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally4. The 20-year-old from Tyrone was rewarded with an M-Sport supported outing in Spain for the final round of the European Rally Championship, by virtue of winning the ITRC3 category in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Caldwell thanked his navigator Grace O’Brien for her support throughout the year, his family and friends, and sponsors R317, Decky Contracts, ARC Quarries, AML Tyres, and Power Grid Civils amongst others.
The full list of this year’s nominees are:
Jack Brennan (wildcard)
Joe Browne (Motorsport Ireland National Junior Rally Champion)
Ryan Caldwell (wildcard)
Dylan Eves (MIJRS J1600 Champion)
Eamonn Kelly (January-May nomination)
Kyle McBride (MIJRS JR2/Rally4 Champion
Patrick O’Brien (June-October Nomination)
The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award will receive €100,000 worth of support to contest rallies nationally and internationally in 2023. Coupled with Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland’s €50,000 investment, a further €50,000 has been pledged by the Team Ireland Foundation.
The award winner will also receive assistance from Billy Coleman co-ordinator Sean McHugh. Additional support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy as part of a training and development plan to progress the winners’ career will also be available, and the winner may apply for funding for a second year of support upon satisfactory performances in their award-winning year. Both award runners up will receive support to compete in stage rallies at home and abroad up to an amount of €15,000 each.
