The 2025 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series (MIJRS) returns this weekend for its penultimate round, the demanding Fastnet Rally in Bantry. The battle for the highly sought-after prize packages and Billy Coleman Award nominations is heating up, and once again, the action has a distinctly Kerry flavour.

Two of the young drivers challenging for top honours have strong family connections to the Kingdom, specifically the West Kerry area famous for its rally stages.

In Class 2, third-placed Oran England will be aiming for a crucial points finish in his new Peugeot 208 Rally4. Oran’s grandmother is from Camp, a location well-known in the rallying community as the site of the famous Camp Mountain special stage.

Meanwhile, the leader in Class 2A, Jack Kennedy, also boasts strong Kerry roots. Jack’s grandmother is from Annascaul, placing his family firmly in the heart of the region that hosts much of the annual Circuit of Kerry Rally action. Kennedy, the most experienced driver in the class, will be looking to build on his previous Tarmac victories in Longford and Kerry to secure the overall title.

The Fastnet Rally is the fourth and final Tarmac event of the season, challenging competitors across nine notoriously tricky and slippy stages east of the West Cork town. The mixed-surface MIJRS is designed to develop future stars, and this weekend’s event is critical for all contenders. While Class 2 leader Cian Caldwell could potentially seal the title by finishing, the fight for the runner-up spots—and the subsequent prize funding—remains intense. In Class 2A, the fight between Kennedy, Tommy Furlong, and Ross Ryan is expected to push the title race down to the final round, the Donegal Forest Rally on November 8th.

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