Young Ardsallagh racing star finishes fifth in the world
Karting has become a true family affair for young Ardsallagh driver Alex Reilly, whose dedication and determination have seen him represent Ireland on the world stage at just 12 years of age.
The Cannistown National School pupil recently competed at the Rotax Max Grand Finals in Bahrain, finishing an impressive fifth against elite international competition after being crowned Irish champion earlier in the year. Motorsport runs deep in the Reilly family.
Alex first got into karting by following in the footsteps of his older brother Scott, a two-time world champion, while their father Dean has long been involved in cars and motorsport, having previously raced himself in Time Attack events at Mondello Park. According to Alex’s mum, Shirley Reilly, getting both boys involved from a young age was key.
“If you want to succeed in this sport, the earlier the better,” she said. “Dean raced himself and introduced the boys to karting very young. We support both Alex and Scott all the way, and we travel everywhere we possibly can with them.”
That commitment has seen the family travel extensively across Ireland and Europe. Last year alone, Shirley travelled to Italy eight times with Scott as he competed in the highly competitive ROK Championship. Scott spent the 2025 season racing in Italy with leading kart team Magik Reparto Corse.
Closer to home, much of the boys’ testing takes place at local tracks including Athboy Karting Track, Kiltorcan Raceway in Kilkenny, and Whiteriver Park in Collon, Co Louth, highlighting the strong grassroots motorsport scene in the region.
Alex has been racing competitively since the age of seven. He was crowned Irish IAME Cadet Champion in 2024 before switching to a Rotax engine in 2025, when he contested the Irish Rotax Mini Championship with Team OHR (Odhran Henry Racing) of Ballivor, Co Meath.
The championship, run by Motorsport Ireland, involved travel to tracks across the Republic of Ireland as well as rounds at Nutts Corner in Belfast.
Alex secured the overall title before the final round of the series, also claiming a number of prestigious awards along the way, including the Irish Grand Prix plate.
Most significantly, his championship success earned him selection to represent Ireland at the Rotax Max Grand Finals in Bahrain, an international “arrive and drive” event where all competitors race identical karts and engines.
After a setback in qualifying, where his fastest lap times were deleted for exceeding track limits, Alex started deep in the field but produced a series of determined drives to climb through the pack, eventually finishing fifth in the final.
“He never let the disappointment affect him,” Shirley said.
“He just focused on driving and kept pushing. To finish fifth in the world after that was an incredible achievement — we’re unbelievably proud of him.”
The result marked a fitting conclusion to Alex’s final season in the Cadet category. He is now set to move up to the Junior class in 2026, where he will compete in a larger kart with a more powerful engine.