Caldwell secures MIJRS Title on drama filled Fastnet!

Cian Caldwell and Paul McPhilips celebrate dramatic MIJRS title win. Photo by- Cian Donnellan

The penultimate round of the 2025 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series was a drama filled feast of rally action as we saw a new first-time round winner, the makings of a winner take-all battle on the final round and one of the most dramatic ways to ever be crowned a champion. Its fair to say that last weekend’s Fastnet Rally truly had it all!

With ten crews starting the final tarmac round of the MIJRS, the Bantry based event, renowned for fast stages and tricky conditions, was set to see the coronation of Cian Caldwell as Class 2 Champion, with just a finish required by the Meath youngster to claim a second MIJRS title of his career, as well as the hugely coveted funding prize from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and the potentially lifechanging opportunity afforded by becoming a Billy Coleman Award nominee. But to finish first, first Caldwell had to finish, right!

The opening stage saw closest title rival Ben McFall go quickest over the Nowen Hill stage in his Ford Fiesta Rally4, opening an 8 second advantage over Caldwell but huge drama lay in store on Stage 2. A jump unsettled the rear of the Peugeot 208 Rally4, and a violent spin saw the car collide with banks on both sides of the road, but thankfully for Caldwell the wheels remained on the ground. In most instances it would be game over, but with a title on the line Caldwell and nav Paul McPhillips pushed the car into a layby to make enough repairs to crawl from the stage, and left their service crew with a mammoth task to get the stricken car pieced together enough to complete the final loop.

With McFall retaining his lead at the first service, it would be Jack Byrne who sat an impressive second place in his Peugeot 208 Rally4, the former Circuit racing star and Sexton Trophy winner has shown remarkable pace all season in what is his debut Rally season. He would lead fellow Circuit star and local ace Robert Cronin, although sadly for the Ballylickey youngster his day in the Opel Corsa Rally4 would come to an end with a mechanical retirement on Stage 6.

Jack Byrne celebrates first MIJRS win on Fastnet Rally.

It would be mechanical woe elsewhere for Oran England as his Peugeot 208 Rally4 retired on the opening stage, while a broken driveshaft on the 5th stage saw Ben McFall’s day end with his Ford Fiesta Rally4 left stricken. With a sizeable gap now on the time sheets and the prospect of a maiden victory and huge points haul, Jack Byrne drove smartly to return to the finish ramp in Bantry as a MIJRS round winner, and with it now jumps to second in the standings heading to the season Finale in Donegal.

In second place on a remarkably tricky event was Dean Murphy, making just his second start of the season but impressing in his Peugeot 208 Rally4, but it was the sight of another Peugeot, admittedly battered and bruised, at the finish ramp that gained the loudest cheer. After his earlier incident, Cian Caldwell and his crew put in a trojan effort to patch their car up enough to make the final two stages, and getting to the finish saw him claim the 2025 MIJRS Class 2 crown, and with it put himself in contention for the hugely coveted Billy Coleman award.

In Class 2A, the race for the title is set for a winner takes all finale on Donegal Forest Rally on November 8th, as Jack Kennedy and Ross Ryan could both walk away as Champion, although Kennedy holds the advantage in the points standings.

For Ross Ryan, the fourth victory of a remarkable debus season in Class 2A was at times hard fought, but the Youghal youngster seemed completely unfazed by the tricky and slippery conditions on the stages, going fastest on each of the eight test across the day to record a comprehensive victory, the most impressive likely being a storming run over the final 10.8km Bull Rock stage.

For Jack Kennedy, issues with the throttle in his Ford Fiesta R2 hampered his progress in the early loops, but his experience of the series and the car proved valuable as he was able to retain second place, maintain his Championship lead and ensure that the MIJRS Class 2A battle will go all the way to the end of what has been a remarkable season.

Finishing in third was Tommy Furlong, another J1000 graduate who has impressed on the step up to Class 2A this year he would set strong times right across the day as he continues to develop his skills on Tarmac, and he remains level on points with Ryan heading to the last round but will be unable to match Kennedy’s haul but will remain happy to grab a Class 2A podium finish and the prize funding on offer from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. The final Class 2A contender Cameron Crozier was having a great time enjoying the slippy conditions on the Fastnet Rally, but his day would come to an end with retirement on the final stage.

With plenty left to play for heading to the season ending Donegal Forest Rally on November 8th in both Class 2 and 2A, there is also a massive battle raging in the Junior 1000 series that is also set to be decided on the event. James McShea looks comfortable with his lead at the moment heading to the event, knowing 4th or better will secure the title, while Kyle Drury still holds an outside prospect of snatching the crown but will need to win himself, and hope for McShea to finish 5th or lower.