ABERDEEN FOR WRC?

Apparently Rally GB is set to return to the World Rally Championship. MSUK and the Scottish government are pushing for a gravel event based in Aberdeen. Not since Wales Rally GB in 2019 has there been a round of the WRC in the British Isles. With Elfyn Evans leading this year’s championship (yet again) interest is high for a return to the top tier of rallying in GB. The choice of Aberdeen is some what controversial. The northerly City can experience extreme weather conditions, very very cold in winter and recently Aberdeen has been described as “the dullest City in Britain” with very little sunshine. Despite this the stages in the area are in good condition and it will be interesting to see how the bid develops. It is possible that Rally GB could return as early as next year.

Meanwhile, it would appear that Motorsport Ireland are ramping up THEIR efforts to secure funding for a sealed-surface Rally Ireland return to the WRC. Talks had stalled as government backing was not forthcoming for submission of an event into the 2027 calendar. However, there is a renewed push from MI bosses to engage with the government and to clear the way for a return in the near future. If successful, the earliest Rally Ireland could realistically return to the WRC would be in 2028 or 2029, twenty years since the last time.

To have ONE round of the World Rally Championship back in the British Isles would be fantastic, to have TWO would be amazing!

CREIGHTON & REGAN FOR ERC

Northern Ireland pairing William Creighton and Liam Regan are set to compete in the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship. The current British Rally Champions have landed a lucrative deal with Stellantis Motorsport for a full season - starting in a Citroen C3 Rally2 before moving into the all-new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2! The duo will contest the seven-round series (5 asphalt 2 gravel) starting in April with the Andalusia Rally. This is fantastic opportunity for the Moira/Belfast pair who will continue to be supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and by Michelin.

WRC LATEST

On Rally Sweden last month, Toyota Yaris’s dominated the snow event taking the top four places. Elfyn Evans won for the third time and leads the WRC heading for round three, the Safari Rally, which runs from 12-15 March In Kenya. Hyundai were outclassed, their three i20’s finishing fifth, sixth and seventh. Let’s hope they can offer some sort of challenge to Toyota, otherwise the 2026 WRC is in danger of becoming a one-make-only series!

In the all-Northern Ireland battle at M-Sport Ford, Jon Armstrong was outstanding on his first Rally1 outing in Sweden, bringing his Puma home in eight place. In spite of loosing time with a snow-bank encounter on the very first stage, Armstrong was faster than Thierry Neuville on two of the final day’s Sunday stages. The more experienced M-Sport driver, Josh McErlean, was ninth overall after suffering two punctures on Friday, the first full day, and then incurring more problems with his Puma Rally1 on the Saturday. WRC Round 3 Safari Rally Kenya takes place from 12-15 March. How will Jon & Josh get on?

FIRST LOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown kicked off the stage rally season here in NI last month. On the last day of winter, Saturday 28 February, a surprisingly low entry of 43 cars started round one of the 2026 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. The rally, run as the final round of the 2025 challenge back in November, attracting 71 starters. Organised by Omagh MC, there were 10 gravel tests in the usual forests close to the Co.Tyrone town of Fivemiletown. Conditions were wet and slippery very. It had rained almost every day during January and February.

The rally was won by 2024 winners, Strabane man Niall McGonigle and co-driver Caolan McKenna from Ballinamallard in their VW Polo GTI R5. They finished well ahead of two of the latest spec Skoda Fabia RS Rally2’s driven Vivian Hamill and David Condell respectively. Local man Shane McGirr was the top two-wheel finisher in sixth place with his unique Lada Riva. There were 36 finishers. I know BMMC/BRMC was well represented covering rescue and stage marshalling, unfortunately I couldn’t make this one. The Forest Challenge now takes a break until round two, the Lakeland Stages in September.

RALLY DIARY

Sat. 7th March
RACE & RALLY STAGES @ BISHOPSCOURT

• Round 1 of the 2026 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

Organisers are Ballynahinch & District MC. Sign-on via rallyscore.net or at the venue; Bishopscourt Race Circuit in Co.Down from 7.30 - 8am. The rally starts at 9am. We are providing timekeepers and stage marshals.

Fri. 3rd-Sat 4th April.
CIRCUIT OF IRELAND RALLY

• Round 3 of the 2026 NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
• Round 2 of the 2026 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship

Organised by the UAC and sponsored by McKinney Competitions, the COI returns to Dungannon for the third year in succession. Leg 1 on Good Friday consists of four stages (2 run twice). Leg 2 comprises of a further eight tests (2 run three times and 1 run twice) on the Saturday. The ITRC competitors will contest all 12 stages while the NI Championship competitors will join them for the eight Saturday stages.

Full details of the 2026 McKinney Competitions Circuit of Ireland Rally can be found on the Sportity app..Passcode: COI2026.

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🎄⛄️🤶

NORTHERN IRELAND DRIVERS FOR M-SPORT

M-Sport have announced that, for the first time ever, their full-time WRC Rally1 crew line up for 2026 will be all-Irish! Northern Ireland drivers Josh McErlean from Kilrea and Jon Armstrong from Kesh will be joined by their respective co-drivers Eoin Treacy (Cork) and Shane Byrne (Donegal) in a pair of Ford Puma’s.

For McErlean this will be his second year at the top table. He and Tracey have had some success and some disappointing results in 2025. He will be expected to do better in 2026, having had experience all 14 rounds of the WRC. Of course M-Sport does not have ANYWHERE NEAR the budget of the two leading manufacturers Toyota or Hyundai. Malcolm Wilson’s team finished in a distant third place last year, once again, and will continue to struggle in 2026 without full support from Ford.

Armstrong, who replaces Gregoire Munster as a full-time driver, finished a close runner-up in the European Rally Championship last year for M-Sport in their Rally2 Fiesta and should be a perfect fit for the teams Rally1 set up.

Both Irish crews have been supported by the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for the past number of years. John Coyne (now living in the USA)  former ITRC winner and now a very successful businessman, is the patron and the driving force behind the Academy. Coyne has been instrumental in negotiating this unique M-Sport deal.

The 2026 WRC gets underway this month in Monte Carlo. Leading the entries will be record 10-time winner, and current World Champion, Sebastien Ogier in his Toyota Yaris Rally1. Ogier is contesting 10 of the 14 rounds this year. Toyota’s full time drivers will be Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, Sami Pajari and new-boy Oliver Solberg. Hyundai will have Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux full time plus Dani Sordo, Esapekka Lappi and Hayden Paddon sharing a third i20 Rally1 during the season.

For the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 all-Irish team, the Monte Carlo Rally will be a challenging start to the championship. It will be in at the deep end for Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne, but hopefully a successful return for Josh McErlean and Eoin Treacy, who finished seventh here in 2025.

M-Sport may be on the bottom rung of the WRC Rally1 pyramid, but at least we here in Northern Ireland will have a good reason (apart from Tyrone’s Aaron Johnston co-driving Toyota’s Katsuta) to follow the 2026 World Rally Championship. It will be fascinating to watch the local lads progress over the  course of a 14 round series. Who will be top M-Sport driver of the year after the final round in Saudi Arabia come November? 

Lancia return to the World Rally Championship in 2026 for the first time since 1992. The Italian mark will enter WRC2 with its new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. Other teams starting in Monte Carlo should include M-Sport, Toyota and Skoda.

You can stream all 14 rounds of the 2026 WRC live on Rally.TV or on TNT Sports channels (if you can afford the subscriptions!) Alternatively, a one-hour highlights program of each round can be viewed for free on ITV4, unusual the week after each event.

REGULATION CHANGES COMING IN 2027

Next year’s World Rally Championship top-tier category will be known as WRC27 Rally1, and ready-to-rally cars will be “cost capped” at £302,000. The new concept cars will deliver approximately 300 bhp. To insure the top class is heavily populated, WRC27 Rally1 cars will be eligible to compete alongside existing Rally2 machines. Toyota are the only manufacturer said to be planning a WRC27 car at the present time. The new regulations will span a 10 year period.

RALLY DIARY 📔

Wed. 22nd-Sun. 25th January
RALLYE MONTE CARLO

• Round 1 of the 2026 World Rally Championship

Thur. 12th-Sun. 15th February
RALLY SWEDEN

• Round 2 of the 2026 World Rally Championship

Sat. 28th February
SAMSONAS RALLY FIVEMILETOWN

• Round 1 of the 2026 Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. Organised by Omagh Motor Club. More details next month. Our first stage rally of the year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL🎉🥳🎊

Moira’s William Creighton and his Belfast co-driver Liam Regan are the 2025 Probite British Rally Champions. The Northern Ireland pairing, who were 2021 Junior BRC and 2023 Junior WRC champions, clinched the title on the sixth and final round, the Cambrian Rally in the world-famous North Wales forest complexes of Brenig, Clocaenog & Alwen.

Runners-up last year in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, Creighton & Regan led the 2025 British Rally Championship from round one in their Melvyn Evans Motorsport Castrol Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. A measured fourth place, in very difficult conditions on the gravel of the Cambrian, was more than enough for the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy backed duo to seal the coveted BRC title.

Estonian youngsters Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja finished the season in second place with their M-Sport Ford Fiesta, while Creighton’s MEM Toyota teammate Meirion Evans and co-driver Dale Furniss were third. Irish pair Kyle McBride (Carndonagh) & Darragh Mullen (Sligo) won the 2025 Junior BRC in their Peugeot 208 Rally4, they were also backed by MI Rally Academy.

Max McRae & Cameron Fair won the Cambrian Rally in a Skoda Fabia Rally2. Max of course is Alister’s son and the late, great, Colin McRae’s nephew. This was his first BRC victory and returns the McRae name to the top of the British Rally Championship time sheets after an absence of 27 years.

NIALL DEVINE DOMINATES DOGLEAP

Storm Amy raged over Northern Ireland on October 3/4. A week later the Dogleap Rally took place in the forests near Limavady in Co.Derry. Fortunately, all planned six stages were almost unaffected by the storm and, after some clearing-up, they ran as scheduled. Organisers, Maiden City MC struggled to attract a viable entry for the fourth round of the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK NI Forest Rally Challenge. Just two weeks before the event they only had a handful of competitors on their books! Then, after appealing for support and extending the closing date, the rally started with a reasonable 63 cars, 21 of which were Rally2/R5 class 1 machines.

As I indicated, there were three repeated gravel tests totalling 28.02 stage miles; SS1/4 Loughermore West (3.9 miles) SS2/5 Loughermore East (2.06 miles); SS3/6 Cam (the longest at 8.05 miles). The Service Park and Rally HQ were based in Ballykelly at the Shackleton Complex. I was start radio on the flagship Cam stage and had Rory and his rescue crew for company. Both of our stages ran without any major incidents, although three cars went off during SS3 and a further six retired on the final test. The day was good weather wise, “calm”, dry and reasonably mild for mid October.

Winners of the 2025 Premier Car Parts Dogleap Rally were Donemana man Niall Devine (his first ever rally victory) and Letterkenny’s Liam McIntyre in their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. They led the event from start to finish and were fastest on four of the six stages including both the long Cam tests. It was an emotional victory for Devine, his father Sean won the Dogleap back in 2009. Second place (12.2 seconds down) went the way of the Ford Fiesta Rally2 of Gareth Mimnagh/J Barry McCarney while a similar car, crewed by Alan Smyth and Martin Brady, finished third. Best 2WD were Sam Stewart/Alan Johnston who were 12th in their Ford Escort Mk2. Only 45 cars finished.

Three interesting entries on the Dogleap came from Northern Ireland Rally Champions. Best of them was current champion Aaron McLaughlin who finished 10th in his Fiesta R5 with his usual co-driver Darren Curran. The legend that is Kenny McKinstry finished in last place following a day of problems with his Ford Fiesta Rally2, son-in-law Kenny Hull was on the notes. Meanwhile Jonny Greer and Niall Burns eventually retired their newly-built Historic-Spec Ford Sierra Cosworth with mechanical issues. They were on a testing exercise for the forthcoming marathon Roger Albert Clark Rally with its classic gravel stages in Wales, England and Scotland, scheduled for 19th -24th November.

FOREST CHALLENGE GOES DOWN TO THE WIRE!

No fewer than SIX drivers can win the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge going into the fifth and final round later this month: Stephen Dickson (5th on the Dogleap Rally) leads on 104 points from his dad Ashley who finished the Dogleap in 8th. Both were in Fiesta Rally2 cars. Ashley Dickson has 95 points followed by Jordan Hone (who retired on the Dogleap). Jordan, driving an older Fiesta R5, has 89 points. Sam Stewart leads the 2WD section and is fourth overall with 84 points. Fifth is the Dogleap winner Niall Devine who has 82 points. 2024 champion Derek Mackarel is sixth on 77 points. When dropped scores are taken into account (the best four count) it’s all to play for on Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown (22 November). Any one of the “super six” can take the title!

LOOKING BACK

40 YEARS AGO….1985

Kevin O’Kane and Noel Alexander won the 1985 Omagh Car Auction Centre Bushwhacker Rally in their Talbot Sunbeam with a special BRM engine! (photo below). I was covering radio on the Omagh MC event in the forests of West Tyrone. This was my third successive year officiating on the Bushwhacker. Since then I have worked on all 38 rallies that have taken place, either as a radio operator or part of the timekeeping team. The annual event (also known as the “Tyrone Gravel Grand Prix”) was cancelled on just two occasions: in 2001 due to a foot and mouth outbreak, and then again in 2020 due to the covid pandemic.

We were timekeeping at Nutts Corner when a bright new star, 18-year-old Stephen Finlay, driving a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus (PIA 21), won the SC Engines sponsored Autumn Stages Rally organised by North Armagh Motor Club. Finlay was co-driven by Norman Kittle (photo below from Carsport) Second overall was Dungannon’s Kenny Colbert in a similar car. Harry Burke finished third in a Ford Escort 1600. The event included 14 special stages on a variety of surfaces, with a total of 20 stage miles. The majority of the tests were in and around the old runways of the Nutts Corner complex In Co.Antrim.

30 YEARS AGO…..1995

Derek McGarrity won the Castle Inn Bushwhacker Rally driving an MG Metro 6R4 when local star Robbie McGurk surprisingly rolled out of the event in a borrowed Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth. Peter McCullagh was second and George Elliott third, both in Ford Escort Cosworth’s. There were 93 entries. We were timekeeping. There were 11 stages in Lough Bradan, Carrickaholten and Killeter Forests. George Robinson had already won the 1995 Maxol Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

Colin McRae became Britain’s first World Rally Champion when he and fellow Scot Derek Ringer clinched the title on the final round, the 1995 Network Q RAC Rally based in Chester. We were there to see it! John Hughes and I marshalled on the two Hafren Sweet Lamb stages on the Tuesday (SS16/21) in mid-Wales and witnessed McRae blow Prodrive Subaru teammate Carlos Sainz into the weeds! Colin’s speed in the iconic blue 555 Impreza (L555 BAT) was mesmerising, especially on the second run of the stage which was in darkness. This was when he stamped his authority on the rally. We marshalled on a total of five stages, from SS1 Tatton Park on Sunday through to SS23 Dyfi on the Wednesday morning. A total of 200 cars entered the 28-stage event.

20 YEARS AGO….2005

Kevin Lynch won the McGillin Bros. Bushwhacker Rally, and as a result the 2005 Pacenotes Northern Ireland Rally Championship, in his Subaru S9 WRC. There were 13 gravel stages in Gortin Glen Forest Park, Lough Bradan, Carrickaholten and Killeter. We were timekeeping on SS1 in Gortin Glen and then on SS6/11 Slievedoo in Killeter Forest. 110 cars started and 71 finished. John Hughes’s car was damaged by a large stone which left a huge dent in the bonnet of his Seat Leon. Part of our timing team, John was at the start of SS1 when this happened, and in my report back then, I highlighted the dangers of parking at stage starts and how organisers should insure safe locations for us volunteers! (nothing has changed in the 20 years since, see last month’s RallyBuzz) Glenn Allen was second on the rally and runner-up in the Championship.

October 2005 saw the first Rally Ireland test event. We provided a team of 11 timekeepers for the Sligo-based mixed-surface WRC prequel. After just two hours of training on the Friday evening it was straight into action on Saturday when we covered SS1/6. The Lake Isle of Innishfree (Easterly and then Westerly) was a twelve-mile tarmac stage between Sligo and Drumahair. Day two Sunday saw us on a nine-mile gravel stage; Lough Navar Forest near Derrygonnelly in Co.Fermanagh. The event ran well and we would be back for another trial WRC event the following March, this time it would be a full tarmac rally.

10 YEARS AGO…..2015

Back in 2015 the McKelvey Asbestos Removal Bushwhacker Rally was celebrating its 40th anniversary. This was the eighth and final round of the 2015 MSA McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship, which had been already won by Derek McGarrity. Organisers Omagh MC had obtained a “mini road closing order” which meant they were able to join their two Lough Bradan stages together using a short tarmac section and the same with the normal two Killeter stages. SS3/6 Lough Bradan ran at 6.57 miles and SS2/5 Killeter was now 9 miles long. A third stage in Carrickaholten was 100% loose surface. The three stages were run twice. Victor and I were timekeeping at the finish of the 4.55 mile SS1/4 Carrickaholten tests. There were 108 starters and 78 finishers. Winners were Mark Donnelly/Barry McNulty in a Subaru S10 WRC by 20 seconds from the Mitsubishi Evo.9 of Josh Moffett and Jason McKenna. Desi Henry/David Moynihan in a Skoda Fabia S2000 were third. Jon Armstrong finished down in 19th place on the 2015 Bushwhacker. He missed out on a “Road to Wales” prize drive by one point to Killarney’s Rob Duggan, but the young Kesh man did enough to win the 2WD Northern Ireland Rally Championship driving a Peugeot 208 R2. Fast forward ten years and the same Jon Armstrong has just finished runner up in the 2025 European Rally Championship with co-driver Shane Byrne in their M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Rally Diary

Sat. 22nd November
Samsonas Rally Fivemiletown

Omagh MC are the organisers for this the fifth and final round of the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge. As I indicated earlier, six drivers can win the title. Based at Campbell Contracts Yard in Tempo, County Fermanagh. There are eight gravel stages (four repeated) totalling 29 miles in the forests to the south of Fivemiletown, Co.Tyrone. We are due to cover radio, stage marshalling, rescue and timing on this event which was postponed from February due to the extensive damage caused to the forests by Storm Eowyn. Let’s hope the late autumn weather will be kind to the event!