Longford Delight for Caldwell & Kennedy

Cian Caldwell scooped MIJRS Class 2 Victory on Midland Stages Rally. Pic by Cian Donnellan

After months of anticipation and build up, the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series (MIJRS) class of 2025 finally engaged stage mode and set off on what is set to be an incredibly exciting season, and for Jack Kennedy and Cian Caldwell in particular the season opening Midland Stages Rally could not have gone better as they claimed victories in Class 2 & 2A and begin the campaign with maximum points.

Contested across dual surfaces, including the gravel tracks of the Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship and the tarmac lanes of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, the MIJRS is Ireland’s premier series for developing future talent in the sport, and the 2025 crop of registered drivers is testament to the opportunities on offer.

With the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, the winners of Class 2 and 2A will each bag prize funding to the value of €10,000 towards their development as well as a coveted nomination for the Billy Coleman Award shortlist, a life changing prize claimed in 2024 by MIJRS winner Craig Rahill.

Having seen the expected opening event, the Donegal Forest Rally, postponed due to storm damage, the Longford based Midland Stage Rally played host to the first competitive outing for a stacked field in Class 2 & Class 2A, and in the latter it was drama right from the off. Ross Ryan, making his debut in a newly acquired Ford Fiesta R2T, set a blistering time on the opening stage but sustained damage to the intercooler which dropped him out of contention, but a pair of fastest stage times in the afternoon is huge encouragement to take as the series heads back to his familiar Gravel for the next Round.

The other debutant at Class 2A level, Tommy Furlong, showed great skill to bring the car home unscathed and pick up a strong haul of points to kick off the season, but the real battle on the day was between Darragh Kelly & Jack Kennedy. Kelly, in a Peugeot 208 R2, gave it his all over the days fast but deceptively tricky stages and held the class lead heading to the final stage, but it just wasn’t to be as the lead would slip away by just 2 seconds by the time the days action concluded.

The one denying Kelly a breakthrough win on his return to the MIJRS was Jack Kennedy. The pair had swapped the lead numerous times throughout the day, but it was a last dash attack over the 14.70km closing stage that saw the Wexford youngster claim victory, and 21 vital points, in the process.

In Class 2, there was a sizeable interest in the Class Battle with nine drivers starting their MIJRS campaigns, and a single tenth of a second would separate the leading pair after the first stage! For Jack Byrne, Ben McFall & Robert Cronin, all making their debuts in Rally4 machinery on Tarmac, a strong consistent pace and a well deserved finish to what was an attritional event is a great place to start from, and a good haul of points for the trio.

Dan Nash, returning after a while away from the MIJRS, would end his day early with retirement on Stage 5, while the final stage of the day would claim Oran England as he too would sadly not make the finish.

It was contrasting fortunes for a pair of MIJRS winners, for Jack Brennan it was an time frustrating time in Longford as he struggled to get his Peugeot 208 Rally4 set up properly, but for Jack Harris it was like a duck taking to water as his step up to the Rally4 Ford Fiesta saw him finish a fine third place in the standings, and claim two stage victories along the way aswell.

Of all the battles though, Cian Caldwell and Tommy Moffett were the talk of Class 2 as the pair duked it out across the nine special stages and 94km of high speed action. The pair would be separated by just 0.1 seconds after the opener, and Moffett would lead by 2.6 seconds at the final service halt and extend that advantage heading to the final stage, but a costly spin would prove the difference as Caldwell romped home with 11.2 seconds to spare.

The 2025 MIJRS season resumes in just a few weeks time with the Carlow Forest Rally on March 23rd, an event that will also see the J1000 field compete alongside the rest of the MIJRS crews. For all the latest information on the series, registration and points standings, please check out www.MIJRS.ie.

Cian Donnellan

MIJRS PRO