McSweeney gains Young Rally Driver of the Year nomination
Vincent McSweeney has been nominated for this year’s Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver Award for his performances in September and October.
The 26 year-old from Bandon, Co Cork, drove his Honda Civic to sixth place overall in the National section of the Cork 20 Rally and added to his impressive collection of class victories. Earlier in the year, he scored Junior wins in the Galway International and Birr Rallies, and the highlight was fourth overall and yet another class win in the National section of the Killarney Rally of the Lakes, behind three much more powerful cars. He has also won this year’s Southern 4 Championship.
Vincent began rallying in 2010, and apart from his first ever rally in a Suzuki Swift, has always driven Honda Civics.
He hopes to defend his Southern 4 title next year, probably driving the Civic again, although he would like to progress to a faster car in the future, possibly in the R2 class.
Vincent works as a design engineer in Liebherr in Killarney. His principal sponsor is Patrick Horgan Tyre Services (Bandon) and he very much appreciates the enormous assistance in car preparation and on-event servicing from his father, Vincent (Senior), and the contribution of his regular co-driver Michael Kearney and Michael’s father, Billy.
The winner of the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year Award receives support to the value of €50,000 to contest stage rallies nationally & internationally in 2016 along with the support of Billy Coleman co-ordinator, Tom Walsh, while the two runners-up will receive free entries into a number of events in 2016, along with co-ordinator support.
Five bi-monthly winners are selected from January-February, through to September-October. These are joined by the winner of the Junior Championship in the Triton Showers National series, the winner of the Junior category in the Valvoline National Forestry Championship, and a wildcard selection, as the award finalists.
