Craig Rahill, Max Hart and Alex Dunne land top Irish Motorsport awards
Billy Coleman “Young Rally Driver of the Year” award winner Craig Rahill (left), Dunlop Sexton Trophy “Young Racing Driver of the Year” winner Max Hart and International Driver of the Year Award winner of the Manley Memorial Trophy Alex Dunne at the MI Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards ceremony in Dublin. Picture: Michael Chester.
Three young Irish drivers topped the celebrations at the Motorsport Ireland Champions of Irish Motorsport awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel where their success is expected to ramp up their motorsport careers.
Cavan’s Craig Rahill (21) scooped the prestigious Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award. Wicklow’s Max Hart (23) won the coveted Sexton Trophy and was named the Young Racing Driver of the Year award winner and Offaly’s Alex Dunne (19) took the Manley Memorial Trophy as the International Racing Driver of the Year winner.
They were the principal award recipients on a day when Motorsport Ireland celebrated it’s champions across several disciplines of the sport and honoured former competitors and its volunteers.
Throughout the season Rahill, from Drung, showcased his talent on both tarmac and gravel surface - adept in both - and scored some stunning results to secure qualification for the award on no fewer than three fronts - winning Junior titles in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally Championship, he also won the MI Junior Rally Series at the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally4.
In addition to the €50,000 joint funding from Sport Ireland and Motorsport Ireland, he will benefit with another €50,000 from the Team Ireland Foundation thanks to the patronage of former Irish Tarmac champion John Coyne.
Runners-up were County Donegal duo Ryan MacHugh (26) from Frosses and Kyle McBride (21) from Clonmany will receive support from the MI Academy.
A delighted Rahill said: “What an honour, it’s a dream come true. I’ve looked up the drivers whose names are on this trophy, now my name is beside them, it’s unbelievable.
"At the moment my plan is to compete in the Junior European Rally Championship, but we’ll see what happens when I chat with the MI Academy people and decide what’s the best programme for me.”
After four previous attempts Hart finally clutched the Sexton Trophy, this year he contested the TCR Asia Series, finishing third overall, he was on the podium on six occasions. Just a few weeks ago in Macau, he made his FIA World TCR debut, while he was out of luck in both races, he set fastest lap in the second race.
In financial terms, he will also receive MI and Sport Ireland support to the tune of €50,000 for next season. The runners-up were Co. Kildare’s Jason Smyth (19) and County Donegal’s Joshua Henry (14).
Having thanked his sponsors and family Hart spoke about his plans. “I haven’t put pen to paper on anything yet, but there is plenty of conversations going on between myself and Hyundai. Potentially, it’s the World TCR which is the pinnacle and if not TCR Asia or TCR Europe. I am hoping to announce my decision before Christmas."
Meanwhile, former Sexton Trophy winner Dunne, from Clonbullogue, is part of the McLaren Junior Driver Programme and a former winner of the Sexton Trophy, competed in the FIA Formula 3 Series with MP Motorsport and finished sixth in the recent Macau Grand Prix in the Prema Racing. His goal remains to get to F1.
During the afternoon, the Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy was awarded to Alex Reilly (11) from Navan, Co. Meath, who was crowned 2024 Motorsport Ireland National Cadet Karting Champion.
Seventy-six year old Waterford co-driver Mickey Joe (MJ) Morrissey was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award for his World Championship victory in the FIA WRC Co-Drivers Masters Cup.
Meanwhile, the JC Millard Memorial Award for Clubman of the Year went to Birr & District Motor Club’s Pat Horan; the Ivan Webb Memorial Award for the Most Outstanding Contribution to Irish Motorsport went to Angela Henehan and the Mick Merrigan Memorial “Spirit of Irish Motorsport” award went to Tipperary’s Don Kissane.
