Eves, McBride, Browne secure 2022 Billy Coleman Award nominations
Three additional nominations now join Eamonn Kelly in the running for the 2022 Billy Coleman Award. Dylan Eves, Kyle McBride and Joe Browne have all cemented their place in contention for the award as a result of winning their respective areas and classes.
Eves, 22, hails from Donegal and is brother of another former Billy Coleman Award finalist Kevin Eves. After a successful MI Junior Rally Series campaign taking top honours in the J1600 class, Eves follows in his brother's footsteps and locks in a spot for the coveted 2022 award. Piloting a Honda Civic, Eves enjoyed five class-podium finishes including a win at April's Willie Loughman Forestry Rally.
19-year-old McBride is another Donegal native, but his nomination comes from a successful JR2/Rally4 campaign at the helm of Ford Fiesta R2T. Away from the stages, he's still hard at it with a mechanical apprenticeship at PCRS Rallysport and additional work support BDM Motorsport. The youngster cites his 2019 J1000 championship win as the highlight of his career to date, but adds this year's title and his BRC Academy Cup as notable mentions. McBride's sponsors include McCormack Contracts, MCL Plastering, PCRS Rallysport, Duey Bros, KWP Ltd, BDM Motorsport, KMD Autocare, Inishowen Tractors, and Carn Autoparts.
The third nominee here is Tipperary's Joe Browne. The 21-year-old manages the Townsparks Service Station in his hometown of Cahir, but received this nomination for his Class 16 win in the MI National Championship. Browne's success marks another Honda Civic driver's entry into the pool of nominated drivers, although it does appear as though he may have something different lined up for next year. When asked about who he is most thankful towards his two navigators, Jack Shealy and Kieran Carroll, as well as Liam Graham for car preparation, and of course, his father for endless support.
This year’s Billy Coleman Award will see 2 qualifiers selected from the following monthly groupings; January-May (Eamonn Kelly), June-October (TBA). These nominees will be joined by the highest placed eligible drivers from the Junior sections in the Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship and the Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Championship, the highest placed eligible drivers in the dual surface Motorsport Ireland J1600 and JR2 Junior Rally Series as well as a wildcard selection, meaning that up to 7 drivers may be nominated for the award in 2022.
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.