Michael Boyle has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in January and February.
The 19 year-old from Lettermacaward, Co Donegal, drove his Honda Civic to a clear win in the Junior section of the opening round of the Triton Showers National Championship, the Birr Stages Rally at Nenagh. With regular co-driver Dermot McCafferty, who has accompanied him from his first rally, Michael was four minutes ahead of his nearest class rival at the finish.
Michael began rallying in late 2015, making his debut in a virtually standard Civic in the Donegal Harvest Rally, where he finished fifth among the Juniors. Last year, in a more modified version, he took runner-up position in the Triton Showers Junior Championship, but the highlight of his season was taking victory in the hotly contested Junior section of the Donegal International Rally, by just three seconds in a grandstand finish.
Before starting his own driving career, Michael was already a regular attendee at Irish rallies, as he began going to events from the age of 12, with his father Declan, the National Rally champion in 2013 and 2014.
Michael is a publican, managing the Limelight Nightclub in Glenties and McCafferty’s Bar in Donegal Town. His main sponsor is Cherrymore Kitchens in Donegal.
Michael is contesting the National Championship this year, and would very much like to repeat last year’s success in the Donegal International in June.
The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives €50,000 worth of support to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2018 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-coordinator, Ger Healy, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of MI permitted events in 2018, along with co-coordinator support.
Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October, along with the highest placed eligible drivers from both the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series and the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.
