Eamonn Kelly gears up for second JWRC season amidst record-breaking entry list

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Eamonn Kelly is set to make his mark in the 2024 Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC), where a record-breaking entry list of 19 crews will compete in the upcoming Rally Sweden, the first leg of the five-event series as confirmed by WRC officials. 
 
The outgoing Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Award Young Driver of the Year, Kelly, is making his second appearance in the JWRC. After clinching the Junior British Rally Championship title in the previous season, Kelly advanced to the FIA Junior WRC in 2023, securing a notable victory in Croatia on only his second WRC rally. 
 
Teaming up with his co-driver Conor Mohan, based in Monaghan, Kelly has been diligently preparing behind the scenes for the challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming season. 
 
“I am really thrilled to be back for a second time in this championship. It was always part of a two-year plan, and entering the second year is very exciting,” said the Frosses man. 
 
“This year it is slightly more relaxed in that sense, and we have a lot of the groundwork done on these events having done all of them last year. We have been focusing hugely on amending notes from last year and looking at onboard footage and seeing where we can go quicker and where we need to watch ourselves.” 
 
Undaunted by the competition from 18 of the world’s best young drivers, Kelly sees the intense competition as an opportunity for exciting racing.  
 
"No doubt it is going to be really tough against some very quick guys, but it is really good to be part of a strong field. It will bring the best out of us and everyone else around us. We will have to be on our game at every rally," he added. 
 
The action kicks off next month in Sweden (15-18 February) on snow and ice, followed by the Croatia Rally (18-21 April) on challenging Tarmac. The season continues with gravel fixtures in Italy (30 May-2 June), Finland (1-4 August), and Greece (5-8 September). 
 
The stakes are high in the JWRC, with a life-changing prize up for grabs — a coveted arrive and drive package for four European rounds of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 car, marking a natural progression from the Junior WRC. 
 
Kelly follows in the footsteps of fellow Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members William Creighton and Liam Regan, who clinched the JWRC title last season. They are set to graduate to a WRC2 program, steering an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2.