Fastnet beckons for Penultimate MIJRS Battle

After a break of a number of months, the 2025 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series returns this weekend as ten crews head to Bantry to take on the Fastnet Rally, the penultimate stop on what has been an incredible season of MIJRS action.

Heading into the event, the fourth and final Tarmac battle of the mixed-surface season, the title and prize positions are still up for grabs in both Class 2 and 2A, with a host of young stars still in contention for some of the most impressive prize packages on offer in Irish Rallying.

With the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, the top three in both classes will receive prize funding toward their 2026 plans as well as support and guidance from the Academy, but for the class winners in both Class 2 & 2A there is also the life changing opportunity to compete for the Billy Coleman Award with a shortlist spot on offer to both.

Contested across four rounds of the Irish Forest Rally Championship and the Irish National Rally Championship, the mixed surface MIJRS is aimed at developing the future stars of the sport, and such has been the incredible action and drama we have seen right across the year to date, its fair to say that the final two events of the year are sure to be spectacular.

This weekends Fastnet Rally will see the MIJRS crews tackle nine notoriously tricky and slippy stages based to the east of the West Cork town, with the final round of the 2025 season then seeing crews head to Donegal Town for the re-scheduled Donegal Forest Rally on November 8th.

Heading into the weekend, here is how things look in the class battles;

Class 2

The fate of the 2025 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series Class 2 Title may be decided this weekend, as Cian Caldwell can round off an incredible season by scooping a second MIJRS title of his career on the Fastnet Rally. Having taken maximum points on four of the five rounds he’s competed on this year, simply getting to the finish of this weekend’s event will secure the title for the Meath ace.

With the Skibbereen and District Car Club event though being known as a tricky event in often testing and slippy conditions, there will be pressure on from the chasing pack to bring the fight to the final round in Donegal. The main charge will likely be from current second placed Ben McFall who has impressed massively in his debut season, with an obvious high point being victory in Cork on the last round, while third placed Oran England will aim to get another strong point scoring finish in his new Peugeot 208 Rally4.

Fellow circuit racer turned Rally star Jack Byrne has been setting remarkable times all season, and the mixed conditions expected on Sunday will be another massive learning opportunity. Local man Robert Cronin should know the terrain better than most, and he will be looking to get into a good battle right from the off, while Dean Murphy returns for his second appearance of the season having last competed in Kerry.

Class 2A

The penultimate round of the Class 2A battle is less likely to see a champion crowned as the fight is expected to go down to the wire on the final round of the season, but a huge step can be taken by those chasing glory as the season nears its conclussion.

Heading into the event, Championship leader Jack Kennedy will be aiming to take a massive step towards securing the title, the most experienced member of the crews heading to the event has already won twice on Tarmac this season by taking the win in Longford and Kerry.

Tommy Furlong has impressed massively since making the leap from J1000 this year, and has set some impressive times on the sealed surface events he has competed on this year and is rightly still in the mix as we get towards the business end of the season.

Ross Ryan was a winner on the last Tarmac round of the 2025 MIJRS, the Ravens Rock back in July, but a costly mistake in Cork Forest leaves the very exciting prospect of having to take maximum points on the final two rounds of the season, this weekend in Bantry and the season ending Donegal Forest Rally on November 8th, to have a shot at the title.

The final MIJRS Class 2A entrant this weekend is Cameron Crozier, another graduate of the J1000 ranks this year who has made the step up into a Ford Fiesta R2 the Northern Irish star has impressed on his first two outings in the series as he continues to get acquainted with an all-new machine and events.