Donegal drivers Ryan MacHugh and Kyle McBride lead the race for Billy Coleman award

Two Donegal rally stars, Ryan MacHugh from Frosses and Kyle McBride from Clonmany, have been named among the three finalists for the highly coveted Billy Coleman Award for Ireland’s Young Rally Driver of the Year 2024.

The pair are joined by Craig Rahill from Drung, Co. Cavan, in the final selection. 

The finalists were chosen from a group of five standout drivers, earning their places following a competitive evaluation process. This included an in-depth interview with a panel of judges featuring representatives from Irish motorsport, Sport Ireland, and the media. 

Ryan MacHugh (26), impressed throughout 2024 with a series of remarkable performances, including winning the fiercely contested RC4 class in the Irish Tarmac Championship and securing second place in the Junior British Rally Championship behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally4. 

Kyle McBride (21), excelled in the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, taking maximum points in three rounds in his Peugeot 208 Rally4. Although narrowly missing out on the title to Wales’ Ioan Lloyd, McBride’s consistency and skill marked him as one of Ireland’s most promising young drivers. 

The third finalist, 20-year-old Craig Rahill, built on his momentum as a previous year’s finalist, dominating in multiple disciplines in 2024. Piloting his Ford Fiesta Rally4, Rahill claimed class wins in the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series, Triton Showers National Rally Championship, and the Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally Championship. 

The Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award is among the most prestigious accolades in Irish motorsport. The winner will receive a €50,000 support package to compete both nationally and internationally in 2025, with additional mentoring and guidance provided by Billy Coleman coordinator Sean McHugh. 

An additional development fund of up to €50,000 will be made available through the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy. This funding is part of a tailored training programme aimed at advancing the winner’s career, with the potential for further support in the second year based on performance. 

The two runners-up will each receive €15,000 in rally support funding and an invitation to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy development programme for 2025. 

The winner will be announced on 4th December at the Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards in Dublin.