Travers, McShea & Drury excel in Debut Season
As the 2026 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series (MIJRS) hit its halfway point with the recent Carlow Stages Rally, it’s been a remarkable season to date for the trio of Craig Breen Foundation supported drivers James McShea, David Travers & Kyle Drury as they each made their debut at R2 level, with Travers leading the Class 2A standings at the summer break.
With the trio having competed exclusively in the J1000 feeder series in their careers to date, 2026 has seen all three experience brand new cars, events and even surfaces, as none would have competed on Tarmac until this year. Having travelled to the John Haugland Winter Rally School in Norway with the Craig Breen Foundation, James McShea, from Donegal, wasted no time putting his newly acquired skills to use as he claimed victory on the season opening Yeats Ridge Forest Rally in a Peugeot 208 R2.
Speaking at the time, McShea said “It was my first time in the car, so I didn’t know what to expect. The main goal was to learn the car and get as many stage miles as possible so to come away with the class win more than I ever thought. What an enjoyable car to drive and I cannot wait for more. Huge thanks to everyone who put me in the position to make this happen!”
The season has continued for McShea with two further second place finishes, on the Moonraker Forest Rally and Carlow Stages Rally, to leave him sitting second in the standings. He is also aiming to become the youngest driver ever to take on the three-day Donegal International Rally in June.
At the head of the field, and another claiming a hugely deserved victory in his opening season is David Travers. The Kilkenny youngster took a commanding victory behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta R2T on his very first Tarmac event, the Birr Stages Rally. With podium finishes on the other three events so far this season, he holds a commanding lead in the MIJRS standings.
Speaking after his win in Birr, Travers stated “I’m delighted to come away with the win and top points in the MIJRS Class 2A. It was an extremely tough day with weather conditions and managing tyres on a whole new surface.”
With McShea & Travers excelling on their debut seasons, it was a frustrating few months for Kyle Drury as he had to miss the opening three rounds of the season as he waited for his sixteenth birthday in April, but preparations were well underway. Having learned a huge amount from his experiences at the John Haugland Winter Rally School in January, Drury got to grips with his Peugeot 208 R2 in a number of Sprint events before making his debut in recent weeks on the Carlow Stages Rally.
Sadly for Kyle, it would be a short day as a mechanical issue on the opening loop forced the Cavan star to retire in Service, but the times were remarkably strong, and he was quick to acknowledge the experience “Lots of learning done despite being down on power for the three stages. Massive thanks to everyone who made this possible and we hope to be back out soon.”
While Drury had a short day in Carlow, it was another Craig Breen Foundation supported star who shone brightest as 2024 award winner Oisin McShane took the win, backing up similar success on the Moonraker Forest Rally. Having travelled to Portugal last year to spend time with the Sports&You team as well as testing a Hyundai i20 Cup Car, McShane has shown incredible pace on Tarmac, something James McShea will be targeting as he prepares for a similar trip in the coming months with thanks to Sports&You and the Craig Breen Foundation.
With the on-going commitment to support the development of the future stars of Irish Rallying, the Craig Breen Foundation prize package has become an incredible opportunity for youngsters competing in the J1000 series, with every competitor in the field benefiting from the Foundation by way of Vouchers across the season as well as the headline trips and supports for the leading drivers.
After two rounds of the 2026 Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship, the J1000 field is led by Daniel Ormond after his victory on the Moonraker Forest Rally. He holds a six-point advantage over Dean Bonner, with Darragh McEnroe slightly further back in third. The J1000 championship, as well as the MIJRS season for those in the R2 class, resumes on August 9th with the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, an event Craig himself won in 2022 in a Ford Focus RS WRC.
