Ireland and Irish rallying meant the world to Craig Breen – the admiration for his Tipperary hero Frank Meagher well documented. At the start of this year, however, Breen had started to look to the future as well as the past.
In April this year Breen was present at the Tynagh kart track, surrounded by the next generation. Breen’s close friend Andrew Fanning had mentioned the Irish J1000 Rally Series days earlier and was surprised by the response.
Breen didn’t just want to attend, he wanted to start something substantial and sustainable to help future talent.
With input from Craig’s father Ray, Fanning and fellow family friend Andy Hayes have established the Craig Breen Foundation.
Fanning explained: “I sent Craig a message about the J1000 training day around nine or 10 in the evening. At seven the next morning, the phone rang. It was Craig. I was trying to pretend I’d been up for hours, while he was telling me he’d been thinking about the J1000 thing.
“He didn’t just want to go for the day, he wanted to set up some funding and come up with a plan to help the young drivers. He said to me: ‘Andrew, I’ve achieved so much with the help of people and motorsport in Ireland – I want to give something back, something to help the youngsters.’
“That was typical of Craig. He didn’t just want to go there and get the picture, he wanted to do the job absolutely properly. He wanted to try to secure the next Irish rally talent.
“I remember that day at Tynagh so well. He’d brought Ray’s [Subaru] Legacy along and was using the day as a bit of a test session. The J1000 drivers just loved it!
“Two days later, on April 13, everything changed. Everything.”
The Craig Breen Foundation is about continuing the work started by the 33-year-old himself.
Supported by Hyundai Motorsport, the Foundation will provide funding of €35,000 in next year’s J1000 Forestry series. With prizes available through the all-gravel 2024 series, the top-three in next year’s championship will share in a €16,000 purse for their 2025 programs.
The championship winner will get a funded drive on a Spanish/Portuguese Hyundai i20 Cup round. The car will be provided and run by Breen’s friend Ze Pedro Fontes’s firm Sports & You with support from Hyundai Spain and Hyundai Portugal.
In addition, the top two drivers will enjoy a day’s tuition at John Haughland’s Rally School while Breen’s friend and long-time co-driver Paul Nagle will provide a day of pacenote tuition for the top-three championship finishers.
“We know this is what Craig would have wanted to do,” said Fanning. “We talked about it and it’s so, so important that we make his vision come true. We have to say a very big thanks to Hyundai Motorsport. The support they’ve shown us all through this year has been incredible and that continues with their backing of the Craig Breen Foundation.
“It’s not just Hyundai, we’re very grateful to all the companies, organizations and individuals who have already supported us.
“Naturally, with a five-year commitment, we’re looking at further partnerships and ways to fund this initiative. We would be happy to hear from people interested in joining us on this journey in honoring Craig’s legacy.”
