Ulster Rally - 7-8 Aug 26

Ulster Rally is ready to burst into life for 50th anniversary special

Posted: August 1, 2026 9:58 AM

The countdown is on to the golden anniversary edition of the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally, with organisers preparing to welcome thousands of fans for two days of world-class motorsport, free family entertainment, and spectacular action across the County Antrim countryside on the 7/8 August.

Featuring many of the UK and Ireland’s leading rally drivers, iconic closed-road stages, and a new state-of-the-art service park in the heart of Ballymena, the fiftieth running of one of the province’s biggest outdoor sporting events promises to be a fitting way to mark the milestone occasion.

Excitement is steadily building ahead of Thursday evening’s opening ceremony, where fans will have the opportunity to get up close to the stars and their cars. As well as the rally cars there will be a host of entertainment - including a live DJ, trade stands and exhibitors, rally merchandise and a car show. Spectators will have further chances to enjoy the sounds and smells of rallying at the Regroup on both Friday and Saturday at Castle Tower School in Ballymena.

Spectators can also enjoy free access to the Ballymena Showgrounds where Rally HQ and the Service Park are based. There, an eclectic mix of machinery spanning more than four decades of rallying will be on display as services crews prepare cars between stages. Top seed Josh Moffett arrives in his Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Rally2 knowing that victory on Saturday afternoon will require a faultless performance over twelve demanding special stages covering one hundred competitive miles through north and mid-Antrim

Clerk of the Course Wayne Turkington has assembled a route worthy of the rally’s golden anniversary, featuring iconic tests including the 9.04-mile Glendun stage, the demanding 7.9-mile blast over Torr Head, and the 9.08-mile Slemish test, ensuring competitors face one of the toughest and most rewarding challenges on the motorsport calendar.

Moffett will face stiff competition from reigning Irish National Rally Champion Eddie Doherty, this year’s Circuit of Ireland Rally winner David Kelly, Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver Desi Henry and Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 contenders Cathan McCourt and Sam Touzel. And fresh from clinching a sixth Northern Ireland Rally Championship drivers’ crown, Jonny Greer has decided to enter the mix in another Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Rally2.

But all eyes will be on Moffett’s bid for a third Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title this weekend.

The Modified category also promises plenty of excitement, with County Armagh brothers Jason and Gareth Black flying the flag for Toyota in their rear-wheel-drive Starlets. They will be joined by Ford Escort Mk2 drivers John Devlin, Declan McNaughton and Camillus Bradley, while Geoffrey Dolan's Talbot and John O'Donnell's BMW add further variety to an already impressive line-up.

The entry has been further strengthened by the rally's inclusion as a counting round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship. Spectators can look forward to seeing four iconic BMW E30 M3s, a Ford Escort Cosworth WRC, a Subaru Legacy and a legendary Group A Subaru Impreza tackle the same demanding stages as the modern machinery. Wayne Turkington said: “Reaching the fiftieth running of the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally is a fantastic milestone, and everyone involved has worked incredibly hard to make this year’s event a fitting celebration.

“We have assembled a challenging route featuring some of the most iconic stages in Irish rallying, attracted a top-class entry across the modern, modified and historic categories, and created a fantastic experience for spectators with our new service park and the Regroup at Castle Tower School.

“Whether you are a lifelong rally fan or attending for the first time, there is something for everyone, and we are looking forward to welcoming thousands of people to Ballymena and the surrounding area for what promises to be a memorable weekend of motorsport,” he added.

Seeded Entry Lists

Posted: August 1, 2026 9:56 AM

H1 Eamonn KELLY/Rory KENNEDY (BMW M3 E30) [4 - J2C]
H2 Tomas DAVIES/Eurig DAVIES (BMW M3 E30) [4 - J2C]
H3 Alan RING/Adrian DEASY (SUBARU Impreza 555) [5 - A8]
H4 Will GRAHAM/Karen GRAHAM (BMW M3 E30) [7 - GT]
H5 Jason MCSWEENEY/Liam BRENNAN (FORD Escort WRC) [5 - WRC]
H6 Raymond BREEN/Damien MORRISSEY (SUBARU Legacy RS) [4 - J2D]
H7 Ernie GRAHAM/Anna GRAHAM (BMW M3 E30) [7 - GT]

1 Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) [1]
2 Eddie Doherty/Tom Murphy (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
3 David Kelly/Shane Buckley (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
4 Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
5 Desi Henry/Gary Byrne (Ford Fiesta Rally2) [1]
6 Sam Touzel/Max Freeman (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
7 Jason Dickson/Tbc Tbc (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
8 Mark Kelly/Will Atkins (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
9 Jason Black/Karl Egan (Toyota Starlet) [3]
10 Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Citroen C3 Rally2) [1]
11 Niall Henry/Peter Ward (Ford Fiesta Rally2) [1]
12 Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierons (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) [1]
14 Wayne Sisson/Harry Stubbs (Skoda Fabia R5) [1]
15 Steve Wood/Kenny Hull (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5) [1]
17 Johnnie Mulholland/Ryan Farrell (Ford Fiesta Rally3) [4]
18 Stewart Morrison/Tbc Tbc (Ford Escort) [6]
19 Gareth Black/Connor Dunlop (Toyota Starlet) [6]
20 Conor McCrossan/David Burns (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) [1]
21 John Devlin/John McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
22 Alexander Cochrane/Chris Johnston (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
23 John Bradley/David Turkington (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
24 Shane Murray/Ben Teggart (Ford Fiesta Rally2) [1]
25 Declan McNaughton/Shane Maguire (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
27 Tomas O Rourke/Tomas Scallan (Mitsibushi Lancer Evo 9) [2]
28 Geoffrey Dolan/Connor Murphy (Talbot Sunbeam) [6]
29 Gordon Cunningham/Stuart McManus (Mitsibushi Lancer Evo 9) [2]
30 Graeme Nesbitt/Stephen Reynolds (Citroen C3 Rally 2) [1]
31 Camillus Bradley/Crawford Henderson (Ford Escort) [3]
32 Paddy McToal/Connor O'Loan (Ford Escort) [3]
33 Oran Donnelly/Michael Johnstone (BMW 1M) [3]
34 Adrian Grant/Olivia Chambers (Ford Escort Mk2) [3]
35 Liam McFall/Ivor Lamont (Ford Fiesta Rally2) [2]
36 Jamie Grant/Oisin Joyce (Toyota Starlet) [6]
37 Rodney White/Sam McMullan (Talbot Sunbeam) [3]
38 Stanley Orr/Paul McCann (Ford Escorrt MK1 RS1600) [H2 - Category 2 - H3]
39 MacWalsh/Cathair Hughes (Ford Escort) [6]
40 Owen Mallon/Keith Hall (Ford Escort MK2) [6]
41 Alastair Cochrane/Tba Tba (Ford Escort) [6]
42 Pj Junior McDermott/Johnny Baird (Peugeot 208 Rally4) [5]
43 Richard O Lone/Darragh Mullen (Ford Fiesta Rally3) [4]
44 Niall Donnelly/Dave Birt (Ford Escort mk2) [3]
45 Barry O’Brien/Declan Buttimer (Honda Civic) [8]
47 Darrel Quinn/Sean Devlin (Ford Escort MK2) [6]
48 Trevor Wilson/Paul Mulholland (BMW M3) [H9 - Category 4 - H12]
49 Ronan Campbell/Declan McGarrity (Ford Escort MK2) [H5 - Category 3 - H8]
50 Jimmy Mills/Ash Trimble (Ford Escort) [H5 - Category 3 - H8]
51 Andy Johnson/Jim McSherry (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) [H5 - Category 3 - H8]
52 John Adams/Ian Kidd (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H5 - Category 3 - H8]
53 Philip White/Bonnie Papper (Nissan Micra) [9]
54 Colm McFall/Margo Christie (Honda Civic) [8]
55 Niall Carey/Ciaran Carey (BMW Compact) [3]
56 Simon Gordon/W John Henderson (Vauxhall Astra) [6]
57 Aidan O Connor/Ian Regan (Ford Escort) [H2 - Category 2 - H3]
58 Sarah Hunter/Lorcàn Conlon (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [5]
59 Sam McDonnell/Mattew McMahon (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [5]
61 Berwyn Evans/Rhys Edwards (Ford Escort) [3]
62 Robert Dowey/Oran Reid (Ford Escort MK2) [6]
63 Andrew Bushe/Geraldine McBride (Vauxhall Chevette HSR) [H5 - Category 3 - H8]
64 Marshall Kennedy/Davy Young (Peugeot 306) [6]
65 Gareth Hughes/Glen Cinnamon (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
66 Cameron Crozier/Christopher Newell (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [5]
67 Stephen Conn/Darren Curran (BMW 1M) [3]
68 David Herbert/John Burke (Peugeot 208 Rally4) [5]
69 Mathew Lewis/Rachael Lewis (Ford Escort F2 Maxi) [6]
70 Gavin Grant/Tbc Tbc (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
71 Andrew Mackarel/Richard Cassidy (Opel Ascona) [6]
72 Richard Somerville/John Nicholl (Ford Escort) [6]
73 Tommy Maxwell/Wendy Blackledge (Ford Focus RWD) [3]
74 Adam Brogan/Adrian Murdoch (BMW E36) [3]
75 John McCullough/Dessie Wilson (Ford Escort Mk 2) [H5 - Category 3 - H6]
76 Aidan Jackson/Neil Quinn (Vauxhall Nova) [H9 - Category 4 - H9]
78 Barry Leeson/Stephen Smith (Mini Clubman) [8]
79 Aidan J O’Neill/Ryan O’Neill (Nissan Micra) [9]
80 Roger Kennedy/Adam McMullan (Peugeot 306 S16) [6]
81 Alex McNaughton/Nathan Lawlor (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
82 Malcolm Beattie/John Miller (Peugeot 208 Rally4) [5]
83 Kym Moore/Jessica Halpenny (Citreon C2 R2 Max) [8]
84 Kevin Daly/Ashley Boulton (Honda Civic) [6]
85 Eddie Colton/Enda Shiels (Hillman Avenger) [H2 - Category 2 - H2]
86 Liam Regan/Sean Hassett (Skoda Favorit) [H9 - Category 4 - H9]

87 Ryan Loughran/Dale McGettigan (Ford Fiesta Rally2) [1]
88 Jonathan Greer/Niall Burns (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) [1]

Ulster Rally to host the FIA European Historic Rally Championship in 2026

Posted: August 1, 2026 9:33 AM

The organising committee of the Ulster International Rally is delighted to confirm that the 2026 edition of the event will form a counting round of the 2026 FIA European Historic Rally Championship (EHRC). This prestigious inclusion was announced by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) in its recently published calendar for the rapidly-growing historic rallying championship.

The Northern Ireland Motor Club showpiece event in recent years has played host to both the prestigious British and Irish championships, and now Europe awaits in 2026 - as the Northern Ireland event will welcome crews taking part in the FIA EHRC Pre-2000 Championship.

The inclusion of the Pre-2000 category, open to cars built between 1993 and 2000, is particularly exciting for rally fans. This era represents one of the most iconic periods in World Championship and Irish rallying history — the dawn of the World Rally Car regulations and the height of fierce manufacturer and driver rivalries. Spectators could see legendary machinery such as the iconic flat-four Subaru Impreza, dominant Toyota Celica GT-Four, and cutting edge 1999 Ford Focus WRC taking to the Northern Irish lanes once again. For many enthusiasts, these cars define the sights, sounds, and spirit of rallying’s modern golden age, making their return to competitive action a thrilling prospect.

The Ulster Rally – a fixture of Northern Ireland sporting calendar, will celebrate 50 years in 2026 with the date confirmed for the celebrations to be the 7-8 August 2026. The event has seen the very best drivers from around the world take to the Northern Irish lanes across the years, with heritage spanning five decades. Now the rally takes its place among other popular European events, with the inclusion on the FIA calendar - this further underlines its growing stature on the international stage.

“We are extremely proud to be joining the 2026 FIA European Historic Rally Championship,” said Wayne Turkington, Clerk of the Course for the Ulster Rally. “This inclusion recognises the rich rallying heritage of Northern Ireland, the challenging terrain and roads as well as the passionate support from the wider community. We are also delighted to confirm our 2026 date. By moving forwards a week we can accommodate the European championship, while still providing similar conditions, as well as the successful two-day format which worked well this year. Planning is well underway for the 50th anniversary next year and we look forward to welcoming many historic rally competitors and fans from across Europe in August 2026.”

Sportity / Event Website

Posted: August 1, 2026 9:30 AM

Ulster Rally