Second Down Rally Win for McCourt
It’s been two years since the Down Rally last took place. Back then the winner was Cathan McCourt in his Ford Fiesta Rally2. Fast forward to 2025 and the result was the same, but this time the Omagh driver was in a latest-spec Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
The Down Rally was the fifth and final round of the 2025 MSUK Brown & Brown NI Rally Championship and round five of the 2025 MSUK Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship. Organised by Rathfriland Motor Club the closed-road event was based in Banbridge and consisted of eight bumpy-roller-coaster special stages in the Dromara hills area of County Down.
Stage one was new to the rally. At 8.75 mile in length, Thornhill proved to be a challenging start. McCourt & Barry McNulty were fastest, 2.9 seconds ahead of Jonny Greer/Niall Burns in their Toyota Yaris Rally2. This was Greer’s first NI Rally since his big crash on round one at Bishopscourt back in March
On a foggy and damp second 8.71 mile test, the famous Hamilton’s Folly with its many bumps and jumps, McCourt beat Greer by 12 seconds to stamp his authority on the event. Following a service halt in Banbridge a repeat of Thornhill was followed by another new stage, the short but technical 4.65 miles of Beechgrove. By the end of SS5, Hamilton’s Folly 2, Cathan McCourt led the rally by 39.3 seconds. Jonny Greer remained second while Jersey visitor Sam Touzel and Max Freeman from Stafford were the leading Asphalt Championship contenders in third with their Ford Festa Rally2.
A final visit to the service park and it was back to Thornhill for the third time. Beechgrove 2 followed and then the last stage SS8 Hamilton’s Folly 3. The top three remained the same in the end. Cathan McCourt had dominated the 2025 Down Rally leading throughout and with six fastest stage times. Jonny Greer finished 58.6 seconds behind while Sam Touzel was a further 17.1 back in third, enough to secure the Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship with one round remaining. Greer & Touzel each had a fastest stage time. Best 2WD finishers were Lee Edwards from Oswestry and Sam Spencer in their Ford Escort G3. There were 99 starters (22 Rally2/R5 cars) and 73 finishers.
With regards to the NI Rally Championship; last year’s champ Jonny Greer scored maximum points while second was the already crowned champion, Aaron McLaughlin who finished fifth overall in his VW Polo GTI R5, this time giving his mechanic Kevin McLaughlin a run in the hot seat (usual partner Darren Curran had already won the co-drivers title). Championship runners up, Conor Wilson/Kyle McDaid, were the next registered crew to finish (7th) with their usual Hyundai i20 R5.
The 2WD NI Rally Championship for drivers was decided when Draperstown’s Joe Hegarty and his Cookstown co-driver David Turkington finished 14th on the Down Rally in their Mk.2 Escort. Somewhat disappointingly, due to a lack of top class Rally2/R5 competitors this year, Hegarty & Turkington actually finished up third overall in the drivers and co-drivers championships.
Attention now turns to the woods for the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK NI Forest Rally Challenge. The five-round gravel series runs through the Autumn months. In September we have the Lakeland Stages & the two-round Bushwhacker. October sees the Dogleap Rally. The Challenge then finishes with Rally Fivemiletown in November.
Pat McAleer
My job on the Down Rally was covering start radio on SS4/7 Beechgrove. As well as this I offered my services as Chief Timekeeper for the event at the last moment. Unfortunately two days before the rally, Pat McAleer sadly passed away. Most motorsport marshals, officials and competitors in Northern Ireland will have known the legendary Omagh man. Pat was in his 95th year and father of Declan who was scheduled to be Chief Timekeeper on the Down Rally. Pat (as always) had been helping Declan and his other sons, Ronnie and Dessie, operate the timing equipment on all events this year right up until his passing. I first came across him many, many, years ago when Pat and his late wife Mary were covering time controls on various events. They always had time for a chat and a cup of tea in their camper van at stage starts/ends.
On behalf of us all in BMMC/BRMC NI Region I wish to pass on my condolences to all the McAleer family circle. Father Time has left the stage. Pat McAleer’s funeral was on the same day as the Down Rally. Those of us who couldn’t be there were thinking of him and knew that he would have wished for the rally to go ahead. I organised a minute’s silence in memory of Pat before the start of our stage. My thanks go to all the timekeepers (many of whom were BMMC members) involved on the Down Rally, and particularly to Eamon McGee and Tony from Donegal MC plus our own Rory O’Neill who set up the timing equipment on all three stages.
Friends Rally Round
Both runs of the Down Rally Beechgrove stage were dry and ran to schedule, but after the last car left the start of the first run, all services were ordered into the stage. Apparently one of the final cars to start caught fire around a mile into the test. Both crew members (Josh Baird and his very experienced Armagh co-driver John Henderson) managed to escape unharmed but the fire became so intense that their Vauxhall Corsa was totally destroyed in the blaze. Our rescue crew had to call in the local Fire Brigade to assist them. Friends have since set up a gofundme.com page on Facebook to help the young Portadown driver Josh Baird replace his car and eventually get back out on the rally stages. As a Club, BMMC have donated £100 to the fund. To date a total of £13,275 has been raised.
No WRC for British Isles
The 2026 World Rally Championship calendar has been announced, and once again there is no place for an event in the United Kingdom. Of course Motorsport Ireland revealed last year that they had (for the meantime) abandoned ambitious plans for a three-year WRC deal due to lack of funding from the Irish Government.
The last time Wales Rally GB took place was back in 2019, now six years ago. It had been reported that MSUK were close to securing a deal with the FIA and the WRC promoter to run an event in Scotland as soon as next year, it would now appear that those plans may indeed come to fruition in 2027. Watch this space!
The 14-round 2026 World Rally Championship calendar features 13 of the events used in 2025. The only exception being Rally Croatia replacing the Central European Rally. Some of the other events have changed dates. Oh! and contrary to rumours, Hyundai have decided to remain in the WRC next year.
Looking Back
40 Years Ago…..1985
The British Midland Ulster Rally was won by Russell Brookes in his new lightweight Opel Manta 400 with the Co. Antrim registration number ADZ 31. The GM Dealer Sport team manipulated the result as it had done on the Circuit of Ireland, only this time Jimmy McRae lost out to his teammate Brookes. Finn Mikael Sundstrom was third in his Peugeot 205 T16. There were 28 stages in Counties Antrim, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone. We were timekeeping as usual plus covering other marshalling duties. The Ulster started and finished in Belfast. The rally was a round of the Shell Oils RAC Open Championship and the STP Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
In Lurgan Park, Kenny McKinstry took his second Burmah Rally win. Co-driven by Brian McNamee this would be the Banbridge man’s last win in a Ford Escort Mk.2. Second were Bertie Fisher and Austin Frazer in their Opel Manta 400 while sprint and hillclimb expert Fred Crawford (second in 1984) was third in his usual Escort Mk.2 with Drew Todd in the hot seat once again. Austin McHale and Vincent Hogan were fourth in another Manta 400. We were covering a sector under the control of Neil Boulton. An estimated 10,000 paying spectators watched an enthralling sunlit battle as Fisher was never more than 7 seconds behind McKinstry but ultimately unable to close the gap. Cannot believe it was 40 years ago!
30 Years Ago…..1995
David Greer unexpectedly won the Burmah Rally in Lurgan Park. Driving his Ford Escort Cosworth with Michael Reid co-driving, Greer was in second place 8 seconds behind Kenny McKinstry’s Subaru Legacy going into the final stage but Kenny crashed out leaving David to take the victory by 4 seconds from the similar car of Frank Meagher. I was acting as an area controller for the bridge section that year. 1995 marked the final year of Burmah Oil sponsorship.
20 Years Ago…..2005
Magherafelt man Barry McKenna won the third round of the NI Clubman’s Rally Championship at Bishopscourt. Wesley Patterson was second 28 seconds down. Both were driving Ford Escort MK.2’s. I was Chief Timekeeper for the eight stage event which had an entry of 50 cars. Ballynahinch & District MC were the organisers.
Cathal Arthurs in his Hyundai Accent WRC was the winner of the Maiden City MC’s Lark in the Park which took place in St. Columbs Park, Londonderry. We were marshalling a sector of the 5-stage event. Kevin Lynch joined us as he was unable to compete due to a back injury (see below)
In 2005 the Lurgan Park Rally was sponsored by Triton Showers and Kevin Lynch scored his second win in a row. The Dungiven Subaru S9 WRC driver started the event against doctors orders due to the aforementioned back injury. Lynch was fastest from the first stage and controlled his pace thereafter to take the victory by almost 7 seconds from Eugene Donnelly’s Toyota Corolla WRC. Kenny McKinstry was third in his Subaru S9. We covered the various fire points that year.
10 Years Ago.….2015
Garry Jennings, fresh from his second Donegal victory just two-weeks before, romped to a third consecutive Lurgan Park Rally win. Driving his usual Subaru Impreza S12B WRC (which also won in 2008 with Kevin Lynch) the Kesh man finished the 8-stage event 6.8 seconds ahead of Kenny McKinstry’s S14. Derek McGeehan, who led briefly through the early tests, completed the podium places with his Mini WRC. Northern Ireland Champion Derek McGarrity had a few spins in the slippery conditions and could only manage fourth in his beautiful S14. Wesley Patterson won the Escort Mk.2 Challenge from David Bogie and Frank Kelly. 58 cars started and 51 finished. I was Fire Officer for the 19th year in succession and a dozen or so BMMC/BRMC members turned out to cover the important fire points on the stages. We had supported the event each year since 1981.
Peadar Hurson and Damien Connolly in a Subaru Impreza S10 led the fifth round of the NI Championship, The Tyrone Stages Rally from start to finish. Hurson was driving the only World Rally Car on the start list so he had an unchallenged run to victory. For me the real “drive of the rally” came from Frank Kelly who finished second, 56.9 seconds behind, after a rally long battle with local driver Camillus Bradley. The gap between the two Ford Escort Mk.2 drivers was less than 4 seconds at the finish. Kelly had led throughout but Bradley put in a scorcher of a time on the penultimate stage to close to less than 2 seconds behind, meaning Frank had to drive the “stage of his life” on the last test to take the 2-wheel-drive win! This was the first time Cookstown Motor Club had organised a round of the NI Championship and they had assembled a huge entry of 103 cars for the POC NI Oils sponsored six-stage closed-road event. BMMC/BRMC marshals were out in force covering time controls.
Rally Diary
Fri 15th-Sat 16th August
Modern Tyres Ulster Rally
Round 5 of the 2025 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Championship leader Callum Devine heads a 90-strong entry list (plus 10 Micra’s/Juniors) on the two-day Ulster Rally. Based at the Modern Tyres complex in Newry, there are 12 closed-road stages in counties Down & Armagh. On Friday there are 6 stages (3 run twice) SS1/4 Slieve Row (11.80 miles) SS2/5 Camlough (4.43 miles) SS3/6 Slieve Gullion (6.04 miles). The second runs will end in darkness. On Saturday there are a further 6 tests run twice; SS7/10 Kernan Lough at 5.91 miles SS8/11 Banbridge North (9.32 miles) and SS9/12 Bronte Homeland (12.60 miles). We will be out in force over the two days covering rescue, radio points, timekeeping and stage marshalling. Sign-on via rallyscore.net
Sat. 6th September
Lakeland Stages Rally
Round 1 of the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge
Based as usual in Enniskillen and organised by the local motor club. Sponsored by Trailer parts & spares.com. The first of five rounds of the 2025 Gravel series. If you remember the original round one (Fivemiletown) was postponed back in February due to severe storm damage. That event is now scheduled to take place in November! All I can say is, good luck with that! We are due to provide rescue, radio cover plus timekeepers and stage marshals on the Lakeland. No stage details as I write, but all will be available on the Sportity app. Sign-on via rallyscore.net as usual.
Fri. 19th-Sat. 20th September
50th Bushwhacker Rally
Rounds 2 & 3 of the 2025 Brown & Brown MSUK NI Forest Rally Challenge
A special two-day-10-stage-event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famous Bushwhacker Rally. Organised by Omagh Motor Club and sponsored by McKelvey Construction. Based at Omagh Showgrounds where there is a centralised service park. On Friday (Round 2 of the challenge) there are two stages run twice, the second of which will be in darkness. Then on Saturday (Round 3) will see a further three stages run twice. Further details next month or on the Sportity app. Sign-on via rallyscore.net
