Robert's Rally Buzz - December 2025

SEASON REVIEW

Another year bites the dust. In Northern Ireland we rally marshals have had quite a busy twelve months. As it turned out my first event of the year was not until March. We were due to begin the season in February with Rally Fivemiletown, but the gravel event was postponed because of the dreadful Storm Eowyn which reeked havoc with the forests tracks due to be used. I managed to help out on 10 stage rallies during the year, two rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship, five rounds of the Northern Ireland Championship and three rounds of the NI Forest Challenge.

The two-day-eleven-stage 2025 Circuit of Ireland Rally was based in Dungannon for the second year on the Easter weekend (18/19 April). The UAC event was a qualifying round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. We covered start radio on three of the Saturday stages. The weather was atrocious on Good Friday with heavy rain, and not much better on Saturday. There were 89 starters and the rally was won by Callum Devine in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Plans for the 2026 Circuit of Ireland Rally have yet to be announced. It is expected that the UAC will again run a two-day event on Good Friday (3rd) and Saturday 4th April. The rally should be part of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

In August we had the two-day Modern Tyres Ulster Rally. Based in Newry for the fifth year in succession, there was an entry of 87 cars. The penultimate round of the Irish Tarmac Championship was won by Callum Devine in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, the Claudy driver sealing his second ITRC title in three years. We were out in force covering rescue, stage marshalling and other official duties. My job was covering start radio on day-two Saturday. For a change the weather was kind, very warm both days with temperatures peaking in the mid twenties.

Next year the Ulster International Rally moves to a new base in Ballymena as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The two-day event will take place (no doubt using the famous Glens of Antrim stages) on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August. As well as a round of the ITRC, the Ulster will host the only UK round of a new 8-round FIA European Historic Rally Championship for Pre-2000 cars.

2025 NORTHERN IRELAND RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 1: Race & Rally Stages @ Bishopscourt race circuit was organised by Ballynahinch and District MC. The single venue rally produced a surprise winner. Favourite and 2024 Champion, Jonny Greer, had won here many times but he crashed his brand new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 on the second of eight stages. His retirement ultimately led to a rally victory for last year’s runner up Aaron McLaughlin in his VW Polo R5. My roll at Bishopscourt was as part of the start timekeeping team. There were 86 starters and 68 finishers. It was dry but very cold.

Round 2: “GO” Tour of the Sperrins in April. On a warm and sunny day, Garry Jennings dominated here in his Ford Fiesta Rally2 but Aaron McLaughlin claimed maximum championship points to extend his lead. I was covering start radio on SS2/5 near Cookstown. There was a maximum entry of 110 cars.

Round 3: Eakin Bros. Maiden City Stages Rally had seven stages on the closed roads of Co. Derry. There were 96 starters and 84 finishers. Again I was on start radio, this time covering three stages near Drumahoe. There was a first rally win here for Ryan Caldwell in his new Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. Garry Jennings was second but, unfortunately, the very next day the Kesh driver had a massive accident in Cavan which completely destroyed his Fiesta Rally2. Garry and co-driver Brian Hoy were both badly injured and are continuing to recover from the incident. Aaron McLaughlin continued to lead the NI Championship following the Maiden City event.

Round 4:  Loughgall Stages Rally on 5th July. For the first time since lockdown in 2021, North Armagh MC moved their Championship event to Loughgall Country Park instead of the racetrack at Kirkistown in Co.Down. The single venue rally attracted the smallest entry of the year with only 69 competitors starting. Aaron McLaughlin and his fellow Donegal co-driver Darren Curran sealed the 2025 Northern Ireland Rally Championship in Loughgall with one round still to come. They finished second behind winners Marty Toner/David Wright in the unusual Proton Satria Neo. I was on a mid-point radio for this one.

Round 5: Rathfriland MC’s Down Rally on 19th July was also a round of the Protyre Asphalt Championship and attracted a large entry of 99 cars to the classic South County Down closed road stages including Hamiltons Folly. Following the death of his father Pat two days before the event, Declan McAleer asked if I would act as Chief Timekeeper on the Down Rally. Of course I agreed. I also covered a start radio on stages 4/7 of the event, which was held on the same day as Pat’s funeral. Winner here was Cathan McCourt in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. Jonny Greer returned to the championship after his Bishopscourt accident and finished second overall and top points scorer with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

To summarise; the 2025 Brown & Brown ANICC MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship was dominated by Aaron McLaughlin in his Polo R5 following pre- championship favourite Jonny Greer’s crash on round one. The opposition was poor this year. Ok, second placed Conor Wilson was only nine points in arrears with his  Hyundai i20 R5, but a 2WD competitor, Joe Hegarty in a Ford Escort Mk2, was third overall. Eleven Rally2/R5 cars registered for the championship, but only three of them competed on each event!

2025 NORTHERN IRELAND FOREST RALLY CHALLENGE

Following the NI (Sealed Surface) Championship, it was into the woods in the Autumn for the Forest (Gravel) Rally Challenge. Also sponsored by Brown & Brown Insurance, there were five rounds In Counties Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.

Round 1: on September 6th was the Enniskillen MC’s Lakeland Stages Rally. No less than 104 competitors started the six-stage event. There were 30 class one (Rally2/R5) cars which was something of a Northern Ireland record! We were covering rescue and stage marshalling and I was on start radio on two stages. Winners were the O’Brien brothers Patrick & Stephen for the fourth consecutive year in their Skoda Fabia. Jordan Hone, with his father Paul co-driving, were the top registered challenge points scorers in their Ford Fiesta R5.

Round 2/3: Omagh Motor Club were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mc Kelvey Construction Bushwhacker Rally in mid-September. Run over two days in the usual forests of West Tyrone, points were awarded for the NI Forest Challenge on each day. Once again the O’Brien brothers dominated the rally in their usual Skoda Fabia R5. This was their fifth Bushwhacker win on the trot. With regards to the Challenge, top points scorer on day one were Jordan & Paul Hone in their Ford Fiesta R5 while Niall McCullagh and Martin Brady netted top points on day two with their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. I was covering finish radio in Killeter forest on day two. A total of 125 cars started, 23 of them were class one competitors (Rally2/R5).

Both the Lakeland and Bushwhacker were also qualifying rounds of the 2025 Irish Forest Rally Championship, which helped to boost the entry lists. Winners of the series were Jason Mitchell from Victoria Bridge, Co. Tyrone and Paddy McCrudden (Donegal Town) in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Round 4: The Premier Cars Parts Dogleap Rally was based in Ballykelly. There were six stages in the forests near Limavady Co. Derry. Maiden City MC were the organisers and had attracted 63 starters which included 21 Rally2/R5 cars. I was covering start radio on the longest 8.05 mile stage, SS3/6 Cam. The BMMC rescue crew were with me for the day which proved to be dry and reasonably mild for mid Autumn. Niall Devine won the rally in his VW Polo GTI R5 and claimed top challenge points in the process.

Round 5: The final challenge round was the Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown on 22nd November. Omagh Motor Club’s event was originally scheduled to take place in February, but was postponed due to storm damage. No less than five drivers started the seven-stage rally with a chance of the title. I wasn’t able to attend but our rescue crew and others made the trip to Co.Tyrone on a cold, foggy and damp Saturday. Winners were the unregistered crew of Mark Donnelly and Cathair Hughes from Omagh in their VW Polo GTI R5. Meanwhile fifth place overall (despite a puncture on the penultimate stage) was enough to seal the 2025 challenge win for Jordan and Paul Hone in their ageing Ford Fiesta R5. Congratulations to them both. There were 71 starters in Fivemiletown (23 Rally2/R5 cars) and 56 finishers.

The 2025 NI Forest Rally Challenge was very successful. As I said, five drivers were in contention for the title going into the fifth and final round in Fivemiletown. There were large entries of class one cars on all five events. The 2026 gravel series starts with Rally Fivemiletown back in its usual February slot; weather permitting!

OGIER IS NINE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION!

Congratulations to Sebastien Ogier. The Frenchman has just won the FIA World Rally Championship for a record-equaling ninth time! Ogier only intended to take part in his favourite rounds of the 14-round 2025 WRC, but after missing three rallies early in the season, Seb decided to enter all the remaining rounds, as he realised he had a chance of the title. Altogether he won six events! Heartbreak for Elfyn Evans then. The little “Welsh Wizard” led the series from round two right up to the last rally in Saudi Arabia. Ogier overtook his Toyota teammate and won the championship by just four points. Evans was a WRC runner-up for the fifth time!

Internationally, drivers from Northern Ireland performed well in 2025: Josh McErlean  experienced a steep learning curve in the top tier of the World Rally Championship. 2025 was the Kilrea driver’s first year in M-Sport’s Rally1 Ford Puma. He finished the championship in eleventh position, one behind his more experienced teammate Gregoire Munster. Meanwhile Jon Armstrong finished runner-up in the European Rally Championship, the M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver from Kesh in Co. Fermanagh won the final two events. Moira’s William Creighton won the British Rally Championship in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

LOOKING FORWARD: Diary Dates for next year:

2026 NORTHERN IRELAND RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

• Round 1: BISHOPSCOURT STAGES….7th March (single venue)
• Round 2: TOUR OF THE SPERRINS….25th April  (closed road)
• Round 3: LOUGHGALL STAGES………4th July (closed road & park stages)
• Round 4: BALLYNAHINCH STAGES…..25th July (a new closed road event)
• Round 5: DOWN RALLY…………………22nd August (closed road)

2026 NORTHERN IRELAND FOREST RALLY CHALLENGE

• Round 1: RALLY FIVEMILETOWN……..28th February
• Round 2: LAKELAND STAGES…………5th September
• Round 3: BUSHWHACKER RALLY……19th September
• Round 4: DOGLEAP RALLY…………….10th October

SEASONS GREETINGS TO YOU ALL🎄⛄️🤶

2024 Marshal of the Year

Sean Flynn wins the British Rally Marshals Club Marshal of the Year Award 2024 (The Jimmy McRae Award)

The British Rally Marshals Club (BRMC) are proud to announce that the winner of the 2024 Marshal of the Year Award (The Jimmy McRae Award) is Sean Flynn.

Sean has been a member of BRMC for many years and has supported the club. A regular on BRMC stages, ready to jump in and assist with any task needed to ensure events run smoothly and safely. He always leads and encourages his fellow marshals which always results in a safe and well-run sector which means that there are never any worries about spectator or marshal safety. His upbeat attitude and wealth of knowledge have also made him an ideal ambassador for the sport, as he's constantly encouraging new people to get involved and patiently showing them the ropes.