SEB’S PERFECT TEN!

Sebastien Ogier won the 2025 Monte Carlo Rally for a record 10th time last month. The Toyota Yaris Rally1 driver lead for most of the 18 stages. Not much snow and ice this year but nevertheless it was a tricky event. Second and effectively leading the WRC points table, as Ogier is once again only doing a part-time season, was his Toyota Yaris teammate Elfyn Evans.

Perhaps the “drive of the rally” went to third placed Adrien Formeaux in his first drive for Hyundai. The Frenchman’s i20 was only 4 seconds behind Evans in the end. In fact these two drivers battled all rally long for the runner-up position. Good championship points for Rovenpera (Toyota) in fourth and Tanak (Hyundai) fifth. Neuville (Hyundai) was sixth after a challenging event, while our own Josh McErlean had a steady rally to finish seventh. In fact Josh’s machine was the only M-Sport Ford Puma to finish as his teammate Munster crashed out. McErlean did what he had to do in his first Rally1 drive, learn the car and the Monte stages. To finish the event was fantastic as other more experienced crews were not so lucky. Toyota full time drivers Pajari and Katsuta both crashed out big time on the final day.

WRC ROUND 2…..RALLY SWEDEN 13th-16th February. How will Josh get on?

STORM DAMAGE

Round 1 of the 2025 NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the Galway International Rally due to run on 1st-2nd February, has been postponed due to widespread damage caused to the area by Storm Eowyn the previous weekend. Galway suffered wind gusts of over 100mph causing power cuts which lasted for several days. Roads which would have been on the rally route were blocked by fallen trees and other debris. Galway Motor Club hope to reschedule the rally for a date later in the year. Round 1 of the ITRC will now be WEST CORK…14th-16th March.

The Donegal Forest Rally, which would have been the first round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship on Sun.16th February, has also been postponed due to storm damage. Donegal MC will try to find a new date for this event later in 2025.

LOOKING BACK

40 YEARS AGO…….1985

Londoner, Colin Richards (whatever happened to him?) won the 1984/85 Belfast Car Ferries Rallycross Championship at Boyd’s Quarry. The final two events were held in snowy conditions resembling Finland rather than Northern Ireland. Richard’s mighty black 400bhp Porsche 911 proved to be no match for the chasing pack. Jackie Harris finished the championship second overall in his MG Metro with Ronnie White’s Ford Fiesta third, just one point behind. Larne MC were the organisers of the four round championship. We provided marshals for the series.

Rallycross returned to Kirkistown for the first time since 1979. Ronnie White was the winner in his Fiesta 1990 with Davy Francis second in his Escort RS1800. Conditions were dreadfully cold with snow showers. Of the 50 entries only 29 competitors were able to turn up after Northern Ireland experienced it’s worst winter storm just 24 hours before the event. We were marshalling at the Co. Down circuit.

Forty years ago a young, fresh faced, Colin McRae picked the fourth round of the 1985 Northern Ireland Beginner’s Autotest Championship to make his Irish four-wheel competition debut. The future World Rally Champion drove a Mini saloon on loan from Ken Irwin and was watched over by Ronnie McCartney. Colin, in only his second ever autotest, put in a fine performance, finishing third overall and winning his class. We were running some of the tests for organisers the UAC at Bangor’s Castle Park.

30 YEARS AGO..…..1995

One of my first Rally Reports for the magazine gave a full review of the 1994 season in NI. We provided timekeepers, radio and rescue cover for all nine rounds of the Maxol NI Rally Championship. Sean Haveron had been my driver of the year with many heroic displays in his ageing Ford Escort Mk2.

Sadly our team of Roy Bowman, Gordon Laird and self, gave a good account of ourselves but ultimately failed to win any money for the club at the Regional Final of the Shell Helix Quiz in Glasgow.

20 YEARS AGO……2005

Kris Meeke and Chris Patterson won the Junior WRC category on the Monte Carlo Rally. Our first rally of 2005 was the 500 Club’s New Year Stages at Kirkistown. The 62 car field was headed by Denis Biggerstaff in a 1997 Subaru WRC. In the end, after six stages, the winners were Maurice Gass and his son Darren (co-driving for the first time) in their Subaru Impreza WRC S8. Nigel Hicklin was second in the magnificent sounding Skoda Octavia WRC. Biggerstaff and son Stuart (also co-driving for the first time) were third. Were were timekeeping in freezing conditions.

10 YEARS AGO……2015

The Eurocables Stages Rally @ Kirkistown was round one of the 2015 McGrady Insurance NI Rally Championship. A cracking entry of 90 competitors took part in the six-stage event. We were marshalling our usual sector which proved quiet and uneventful. Quite a few club members signed-on. The weather was kind for once with a high February temperature of 8%! Defending NI Champion Derek McGarrity won by six seconds in his Mini WRC from Kenny McKinstry’s Subaru S14. A distant third was Kevin Barrett also in an S14. The top eight positions were filled by Prodrive products (2 Mini’s and 6 Subaru’s). Interestingly, Josh McErlean won the junior section in his Peugeot 107. A total of 71 cars finished. The rally was well organised by North Armagh MC and they looked after all marshals with breakfast and lunch. Starting at 10am we were finished around 4.30pm.

Rally Diary

SAT. 22nd FEBRUARY
SAMSONAS RALLY FIVEMILETOWN

With the S.V.R. Kirkistown Stages (15th Feb.) now cancelled, Fivemiletown will be the first stage rally of the year in Northern Ireland. Round 1 of the 2025 Brown & Brown Insurance ANICC Forest Rally Challenge, the event will utilise four repeated gravel stages in the Fivemiletown area of Co.Tyrone. We are due to cover rescue, radio, timekeeping and marshalling points. Let’s hope the forests will have been cleared of any debris or fallen trees in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn. The Fivemiletown area was one of the worst affected areas in Northern Ireland. Sign-on for all officials is available via rallyscore.net (or on the event). Omagh MC are the organisers.

SAT. 8th MARCH
RACE & RALLY STAGES @ BISHOPSCOURT

Round 1 of the 2025 Brown & Brown Insurance ANICC Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship. We are providing marshals and timekeepers for this Ballynahinch & District MC event.

SAT. 5th APRIL
GO! TOUR OF THE SPERRINS

Round 2 of the NI Rally Championship. This Magherafelt & District MC event will be held over closed roads in counties Tyrone & Derry. More information next month.

FRI. 18th—SAT. 19th APRIL
CIRCUIT OF IRELAND

Round 2 of the 2025 NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Based in Dungannon (as it was in 2024) the Ulster Automobile Club organised event will be run over two days. Starting on Good Friday there will be just one nine-mile stage repeated. The classic “Sweathouse” test has been used many times in the past when the “proper Circuit” was in its heyday. A further four repeated stages are scheduled for Saturday. Again more details will follow later.