CRAIG BREEN HONOURED AT MAYORAL RECEPTION IN CARRICK ON SUIR
Mayor of Carrick on Suir, Sylvia Cooney-Sheehan, hosted a Mayoral reception for Craig Breen, local boy turned rally ace, in the Town Hall today, attended by a wide number of motorsport fans, sponsors and officials.
Just like his father and manager, Ray, Craig is a committed member of the Carrick Motor Club based in Carrick on Suir. All of the members of the club were out in force to see one of their own honoured at the reception.
Craig also used the occasion to unveil his newly purchased Ford Fiesta S2000 which he will use on all of his 2010 competitive events including several rounds of the WRC Cup. Co-developed between Ford Motor Company and its rally partner, M-Sport, in Cumbria, England, the Ford Fiesta S2000 was launched in November 2009. It made its competitive debut when BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team drivers Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen drove it to victory in the IRC Monte Carlo Rally last weekend.
“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of my new S2000 in a competitive event”, said Craig. “I have done a number of test runs in the car and it is the best car I have driven to date. I am sure it will help me in my ambition to get to the highest levels of rallying”.
Also in attendance at today’s reception for Craig was Ford of Europe’s Motorsport Director, Cork-born Gerard Quinn. “Craig Breen is a young man with a great future in rallying and we are delighted that he has chosen our new Ford Fiesta S2000”, said Quinn. “The new car is hugely important for Ford as it is our first global rally car and it is the first car to embody the sleek kinetic design features of Ford’s road cars”.
Craig is a native of Slieverue in Waterford and the talented 19 year old (who turns 20 next week) has had a short but hugely successful career in rallying. In 2009 alone, Craig had a string of successes in his previous car, a Ford Fiesta ST: Irish Fiesta Sport Trophy Champion; UK Fiesta
Sport Trophy Champion; International (WRC) Fiesta Sport Trophy Champion; winner of the National Junior Rally Championship; crowned Young Driver of the Year by Motorsport Ireland and thus, received the 2009 Billy Coleman Award; and winner of the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout.
As a result of winning the Fiesta Sport Trophy International Shootout, Craig won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a top level World Rally team, through a 12-month employment contract with M-Sport – the company chosen by Ford to provide the technical support for the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team. As part of his prize Craig is also provided with an apartment at M-Sport’s Cumbria HQ and a car for the year. He will have the chance to experience working in a number of different areas of the M-Sport team, travelling to the European WRC events with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team, attending press functions and driving at PR events. This will provide valuable experience to one of rallying’s brightest prospects for the future.