Ulster Rally - 19-20 Aug 22

Event Preview - TARMAC TITLE RACE REACHES ITS CLIMAX ON ULSTER RALLY

Posted: August 16, 2022 5:18 AM

All eyes will be on Josh Moffett at this weekend’s Modern Tyres Ulster Rally as he aims to wrap up the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title for a second time after seven hard-fought events. A winner of the title in 2018, the Monaghan man will be assured of glory for a second time if he ends either the Friday or Saturday leg of the Ulster as the highest-placed points scoring driver.

However, given his pace and consistency in what has been a remarkable year for Moffett so far, few would bet against him making it victory number five in the cross-border series. Already, he has won February’s Galway International Rally, the West Cork Rally over St Patrick’s weekend, June’s three-day Donegal International and July’s Cork ‘20’ International. He has also earned consecutive runner-up results at the Circuit of Ireland and Killarney International rallies.

It means he enjoys a sizeable 32-point lead over Meirion Evans in second place – the only one who can deny him the crown at the Newry-based meeting. For that to happen, the Welshman – at the controls of a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 – must claim maximum points on both days of the Tarmac classic and hope that Moffett’s Hyundai i20 R5 hits trouble – or finishes fifth or lower at the end of Friday and again on Saturday.

A four-horse race for the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship crown has been whittled down to two as Claudy’s Callum Devine has opted to miss the Northern Ireland Motor Club showpiece after failing to bank the second victory of 2022 he so desperately needed on last month’s Cork ’20’ International.

Another non-starter is Alastair Fisher – the nephew of four-time Ulster Rally winner, Bertie. His title prospects were snuffed out early on the final day of the Cork ‘20’ International while leading when he damaged the suspension on his Modern Tyres liveried Volkswagen Polo. “We won’t be competing this time around,” he confirmed. “Of course, we’re disappointed not to be supporting the event on this occasion.”

Other standout Rally2/R5 drivers include reigning Northern Ireland champion Jonathan Greer (Citroen C3 Rally2) and former Northern Ireland Rally champion Stuart Biggerstaff (Ford Fiesta R5), multiple rally winner Desi Henry (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and the experienced Alan Carmichael (Hyundai i20 R5).

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship’s Rally4, Modified and Historic titles will also be decided on the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally. The Junior trophy’s already been settled in Ryan MacHugh’s favour after he completed the penultimate counter in Cork despite fuel distributor issues dropping him to the back of the field. He persevered, however, and went on to score the points he needed to get the title over the line. The 2022 Ulster Rally begins with a ceremonial start at Modern Tyres’ state-of-the-art facility in Newry’s Carnbane Industrial Estate, with the same location hosting the post-rally celebrations. This will also be the venue for the service park where fans of all ages can see the cars up close.
Spectators will have further opportunities to look around the cars, and meet the drivers and co-drivers at rally regroups in Banbridge town centre on Friday, August 19 at 6.30pm and again at Armagh City Hotel car park from 11.45 the following morning.
Those wishing to follow the action on both days will be able to do so by visiting the Ulster Rally website (www.ulsterrally.co.uk) or Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ulsterrally). Results and commentary will also form part of the live action across the weekend.

Irish Tarmac titles to be decided on Ulster Rally

Posted: August 16, 2022 5:16 AM

It all comes down to this. Two days, and 150 kilometres of tough Ulster Rally stages. The 2022 Acesigns Irish Tarmac Rally Championships has been asphalt rallying at its best. Looking at the Ulster Rally itinerary - you wouldn’t rule out one last twist in this ultimate Irish Tarmac tale.

Untouchable - how else would you describe Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes’ Irish Tarmac performance in 2022? Four wins and two seconds from six appearances is a testament to the Hyundai i20 R5 crew’s speed, consistency, and all-around rallying ability.
But somehow, the 2018 Irish Tarmac Rally champions head to the Ulster Rally with a job still to do. Moffett and Hayes must score 20 points on the double-points finale to be certain of sealing this year’s ITRC title.
Irish Tarmac Rally Championship crews will be scored on Friday’s overnight leaderboard in the usual 17-14-12-10… format. The clocks will be reset on Saturday morning with another 17 points up for grabs on the next six stages.
So, two fourth-placed finishes on Friday and Saturday are all Moffett needs to secure the title. Meirion Evans and Callum Devine completed the Cork 20 as Moffett’s only remaining challengers. Alastair Fisher had looked like Moffett’s most likely rival up until his unfortunate accident on Cork 20’s 10th stage.
With both Devine and Fisher opting to miss the Ulster, Evans and co-driver Jonathan Jackson will be the only crew standing in the way of Maffett and Hayes.
Northern Ireland’s Jonny Greer returns to ITRC action after skipping the Cork 20 and could well find himself in the hunt for his first ITRC victory come the end of this weekend’s Ulster Rally.

Rally4
Ryan Caldwell, Joseph Kelly, and Jason Dickson continue their three-way battle for ITRC 3’s Rally4 honours.
Dickson might be the outside bet, 25 points off leader Caldwell, but he has been the recent pacesetter with a hat-trick of top scores in Killarney, Donegal, and Cork.

Modified
ITRC’s modified battle is one to keep a close eye on throughout the Ulster Rally. South coast drivers James Stafford, Colin Byrne, and Simon Reid fought for the modified championship’s top spot on last month’s Cork 20.
Stafford started out in front before a collapsed rear suspension forced his Darrian into retirement. Bryne picked up the lead which he gradually built over Reid before his Ford Escort Mk2 collided with a baled chicane on Sunday.
Suddenly, Reid found himself leading Cork’s national race and set to score a maximum haul of points that would propel him to the top of ITRC’s modified leaderboard.
Reid now leads Byrne by 12 points ahead of Ulster’s double-points decider. James Stafford is sandwiched between the Mk2 Escort pilots, four points adrift of Reid, but it looks like he won’t compete on the final round.
Gareth Black and Damian Toner are within touching distance as well - if they secure strong scores on their home rally a surprise modified title could be an unbelievable reward.

Historic
Six drivers are still in with a chance of winning the Irish Historic Tarmac Championship heading into the final round - the Ulster Rally. Neil Williams holds a three-point lead over Luke McCarthy after topping the competitive class in Cork.
Duncan Williams, Maurice Meskell, Berian Richards, and Craig MacWilliam all finished ITRC’s penultimate round within 24 points of the championship-leading Welshman. Meskell looks set to be the only one missing the Ulster Rally, leaving the remaining five to fight for the sweet-sounding historic series.

NIGHT STAGE RETURNS FOR REVAMPED MODERN TYRES ULSTER RALLY

Posted: August 9, 2022 10:57 AM

Next week’s Modern Tyres Ulster Rally is switching back to its popular two-day format, with a night stage on the Friday evening promising to add to the challenge for those taking part and the excitement for the thousands of people who are expected to line the route.

The Northern Ireland Motor Club event has traditionally started late on Friday afternoon and concluded the following day and that format is returning in this its 45th year. Event Director Philip Murray says the re-think follows talks between competitors and officials from the rally.

“A single day rally proved popular and it was very successful but the team running this year’s Ulster Rally much prefer the idea of a two-day event. That train of thought has been backed up by competitors,” explained Murray. “A two-day event differentiates it from other events here in Northern Ireland. As for the stages themselves, they are of an exceptionally high quality.”

The Friday leg commences at 5pm and consists of three special stages in both the Newry and Loughbrickland areas, with the highlight being the challenging 15-mile ‘Bronte Homeland’ test. On the Saturday, two loops of three stages totalling the best part of 70 competitive miles are set to challenge crews who will travel from across the UK and Ireland to take part.

“The Saturday stages last appeared on the Ulster Rally some 15 years ago,” Murray explained. Continues “They are a good mix of fast roads and tight, twisty sections. They are demanding, they have a bit of everything – the exact type of roads you relish as a driver because they challenge you.

“As for the Friday stage running in the dark, the Ulster Rally is renowned for that. When we sat down to start planning the route for this year’s event it was agreed that every crew should run in the dark,” he added. “That was important because a night stage is not all that common now.”

The 2022 Ulster Rally begins with a ceremonial start at Modern Tyres’ state-of-the-art facility in Newry’s Carnbane Industrial Estate, with the same location hosting the post-rally celebrations. This will also be the venue for the service park where fans of all ages can see the cars up close.

Spectators will have further opportunities to see the cars, and meet the drivers and co-drivers at rally regroups in Banbridge town centre on Friday, August 19 at 6.30pm and again at Armagh City Hotel car park from 11.45 the following morning.

Those wishing to follow the action on both days will be able to do so by visiting the Ulster Rally website (www.ulsterrally.co.uk) or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ulsterrally). Results and commentary will also form part of the live action across the weekend. 

Seeded Entry List

Posted: August 8, 2022 6:23 AM

No. Driver/Co-Driver (Make Model) [Class]
1 Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Hyundai i20 R5) [RC2]
2 Alastair Fisher/Gordon Noble (VW Polo GTi R5) [RC2]
3 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5) [RC2]
4 Jonathan Greer/Niall Burns (Citroen C3 Rally2) [RC2]
5 Desi Henry/Paddy Robinson (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [RC2]
6 Jason Mitchell/Paddy McCrudden (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [RC2]
7 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Ford Fiesta R5) [N10]
8 Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai R5) [N10]
9 Niall Henry/Barney Mitchel (Ford Fiesta R5) [N10]
10 Michael McGarrity/Damian Garvey (Skoda Fabia R5) [N10]
11 Cal McCarthy/Eric Calnan (Citreon DS3 R5) [RC2]
12 Niall Devine/Liam McIntyre (Ford Fiesta R5) [N10]
14 Damian Toner/Denver Rafferty (Ford Escort) [N7]
15 Marty Toner/Ben Teggart (BMW 1 Series) [N7]
16 Simon Reid/John Murphy (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
17 Colin Byrne/Stephen Quin (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
18 Camillus Bradley/Crawford Henderson (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
19 John Devlin/John McCarthy (Ford Escort) [N6]
20 Colin Price/Chris Johnston (Toyota Starlet RWD) [N6]
21 Jonny Cargo/David McElroy (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
22 John Bradley/Cathal Mulgrew (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
23 Gareth Black/Connor Dunlop (Toyota Starlet) [N6]
24 Matthew McGaffin/Mo Downey (Ford Escort) [N6]
25 John Gordon/Paul McPhillips (Ford Escort) [N6]
26 Oliver Benton/Johnny Baird (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
27 Willie Bonniwell/Allan MacDougall (Ford Fiesta R5) [N10]
28 Paul Britton/Peter Ward (Subaru Impreza) [N8]
29 Casey Jay Coleman/Adam Coffey (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [RC4]
30 Jason Dickson/Dylan Doonan (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [RC4]
31 Ryan Caldwell/Grace O'Brien (Ford Fiesta Rally4) [RC4]
32 Joseph Kelly/Ronan Comerford (Peugeot 208 Rally4) [RC4]
33 Eugene Meegan/Paul Kelly (BMW CSL) [N7]
34 Philip Greenlee/Terry Walkingshaw (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
35 Declan McNaughton/Paul Hughes (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
36 Neil Williams/Anthony O'Sullivan (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
37 Mark O'Connor/Dean Kelly (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
38 Sam Adams/Michael Johnston (Ford Escort) [N5]
39 William Armstrong/Tba (Ford Escort) [N5]
40 Adrian Grant/Olivia Chambers (Toyota Starlet) [N6]
41 Stanley Orr/Tba (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1) [H2]
42 David Armstrong/Ashley Trimble (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
43 Luke McCarthy/Brian Duggan (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H5]
44 Scott Singleton/Kyle Diffin (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
45 Harry Johnston/Ashley Boulton (BMW 325i) [N7]
46 Shane Cullen/Michael Laverty (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
47 Duncan Williams/Guy Weaver (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
48 Patrick Fitzpatrick/James McEneaney (Ford Escort Mk2) [N3]
49 Steven Armstrong/Philip Armstrong (Ford Escort) [N5]
50 Hugh McQuaid/Declan Casey (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
51 Craig MacWilliam/Guy MacWilliam (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1) [H2]
52 John O'Reilly/Nick Sparks (Ford Escort RS1600 Mk1) [H2]
53 Berian Richards/Frank Curtin (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
54 John Adams/Noel Watt (Ford Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H3]
55 Micheal Magee/John Magilton (Subaru Impreza) [N8]
56 Philip Hamilton/Tba (Ford Escort Mk2) [N5]
57 Ben Walsh/Damien Sheridan (Ford Escort) [N4]
58 William McClurkin/Kyle McDaid (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
59 Robert Erwin/Neil Ervine (Toyota Corolla) [N4]
60 Quentin Park/Tba (Ford Escort Mk2) [N5]
61 John O'Rourke/Conor Moloughney (Opel Adam R2) [RC4]
62 Anthony O'Brien/Harry Stubbs (Ford Escort) [N4]
63 Simon Gordon/John Henderson (Vauxhall Astra) [N6]
64 Ben Howlett/Simon Howlett (Peugeot 306) [N6]
65 Fabian McAleer/Steven Monaghan (Ford Escort) [H3]
66 Steve Benton/Ian Kidd (Ford Escort Mk2) [H3]
67 Fergal McGuigan/Michael Moran (Ford Escort) [N6]
68 Richard Somerville/John Nicholl (Ford Escort) [N6]
69 Daniel Hamill/Stephen Smith (BMW 318 Compact) [N6]
70 Noel Vallely/Neill Vallely (Toyota Corolla) [N5]
71 John McCullough/Rachael McCullough (Ford Escort Mk2) [N5]
72 Chris George/Philip McLaughlin (BMW 325i) [N7]
73 Joe Kelly/Tony McGovern (Ford Escort Mk2) [N7]
74 Garry Armstrong/Chris Simms (Ford Escort) [N6]
75 Aidan Donnelly/Arthur Loughran (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
76 Stephen McGurk/Mark O'connor (Escort Escort Mk2) [N6]
77 James Wylie/Adrian Mudock (Ford Escort) [N5]
78 Jim Feenan/Barry McParland (Ford Fiesta S2000) [N9]
79 Andrew Simms/Robert Harold (Ford Escort Mk2) [N6]
80 David Pedley/Grace Pedley (Ford Escort Escort RS1800 Mk2) [H5]
81 Iarla Carty/Jack Carty (Vauxhall Nova) [H4]
82 Johnny Armstrong/Phill Mitchell (Citroen C2) [N4]
83 Ivan Warwick/Claire Rodgers (Audi Quattro) [H5]
84 Brian Crawford/Finian Hannigan (Talbot Sunbeam) [H3]
85 Philip McKibbin/Tommy Commane (Ford Escort Mk1) [H2]
86 Trevor Wilson/Paul Mulholland (Porsche 911) [H2]
87 Michael Nutt/James McKeefry (Ford Fiesta) [N3]
88 Nicholas Alcorn/James McGlinchey (Honda Civic) [N4]
89 Charlie Wright/Ashley Ramsey (Peugeot 106 GTI) [N4]
90 Arnold Lutton/John Henderson (Ford Ka) [N3]
91 Raymond McLaughlin/Martin McBrearty (Honda Civic FN2) [N1]
92 Gerard Sharkey/Tba (Renault Twingo R2) [N4]
93 Malcolm Pedlow/Billy Regan (BMW 2002tii) [H2]
94 Malcolm Johnston/Sam Magill (Skoda Felicia) [N3]
95 Harold Bunting/Dessie Wilson (Morris Cooper S) [H5]
96 Letisha Conn/Stephen Conn (Peugeot 106) [N4]

Junior
98 Lorcan Moore/Jordan Murphy (Honda Civic) [J1]
99 Christy McLaughlin/Aaron McCarron (Honda Civic) [J1]
100 Garth Neill/Darren Curran (Peugeot 106) [J1]

Entries Received

Posted: July 26, 2022 3:16 PM

www.rallyscore.net/#/entry-list/2205?Modern-Tyres-Ulster-Rally-2022-Ulster-Rally-Entry-Form

BIG NAMES CONFIRMED FOR MODERN TYRES ULSTER RALLY

Posted: July 26, 2022 3:13 PM

Entry numbers for next month’s Modern Tyres Ulster Rally are steadily building, with many of the top drivers from the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship among those set to tackle the event.

Taking place on the weekend of August 19 and 20, the Northern Ireland Motor Club meeting will host the seventh and final round of the cross-border series, which Josh Moffett currently leads.

The County Monaghan man tops the points’ standings following victories at the season-opening Galway International Rally, March’s West Cork Rally and June’s Donegal International Rally.

The Hyundai i20 R5 driver – who was recently crowned Irish National Rally champion – will face competition on the Ulster lanes from a trio of Volkswagen Polo GTI R5s piloted by Welshman Meirion Evans and the Northern Irish duo of Trillick’s Alastair Fisher and Claudy’s Callum Devine.

Although he is not registered for the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, Darren Gass is a former champion and should also go well on home soil at the wheel of his Citroen Racing C3 Rally2 car.

Looking ahead to the event, Modern Tyres-backed driver Alastair Fisher said: “The Ulster Rally is a classic event with top class stages and organisation. The stages always offer up a big challenge for competitors, normally with a balance of technical and fast sections. And the night stage throws another element into the mix, so we will have to be on our toes for that.

“With Modern Tyres the headline sponsor, it is important to have our car on the start-line and hopefully we’ll still be fighting for the Tarmac Championship to make things more interesting.”

Competitors are being reminded by Event Director Philip Murray that there is still time for those wishing to take part, to register their interest before the August 4 deadline. “The response so far has been very positive. We are very happy with the calibre of crews – and cars – that are going to be making the trip to Newry in just a few weeks’ time,” said Murray. 

"We have two days of exciting competition planned – including the return of a night stage – more details on which will be announced in the coming days. My message to those wishing to be part of the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally is: please submit your entry on, or before, August 4.”

MODERN TYRES RETURNS AS ULSTER RALLY HEADLINE SPONSOR

Posted: June 29, 2022 4:51 AM

For the second consecutive year, Modern Tyres will be the headline sponsor of the Ulster Rally when it runs over the weekend of Friday 19th and Saturday August 20th, it has been announced.
Started in 1965 by the late Jimmy Byrne, Modern Tyres has grown to become Ireland’s largest retail tyre company. It has 45 branches in Ireland, including its state-of-the-art facility in Newry’s Carnbane Industrial Estate – the backdrop for the rally’s service park and finish celebrations.
Commenting on the renewed sponsorship deal Stephen Shaw – Modern Tyres’ Group Sales and Marketing Manager – said:
“Following the success of the rally last November, we are delighted to be back on board as title sponsor for the 2022 Ulster Rally. We are looking forward to working with the organisers from Northern Ireland Motor Club to put on another great event.”

Having been staged later than normal last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Ulster Rally will return to its traditional summer slot and host the final round of the Irish Tarmac Championship. After round five of the cross-border series, Josh Moffett currently tops the standings courtesy of victories on the Galway International, West Cork and recent Donegal International rallies.

The Ulster Rally will also revert back to a popular two-day format, with the Friday leg totalling 27 competitive miles and the deciding Saturday leg challenging crews to the tune of 67 miles.

Ulster Rally Clerk of the Course Philip Murray said:
“Plans are progressing well for the rally and to secure a title sponsor in Modern Tyres is a big piece of the jigsaw. I’m incredibly grateful for the business’s continued support, and given its long association with the sport of rallying – and its support of drivers such as Alastair Fisher – it just seems like a natural fit for both parties.
“Like many large-scale sporting events that are held in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Rally relies on sponsorship to make it viable and safeguard its future going forward,” continued Murray.

Supplementary regulations & On Line are now available.

Sportity / On Line Entry / Regulations / Details

Posted: June 29, 2022 4:47 AM

Sportity Password:

UR2022
(Download Sportity from App Store)

webapp.sportity.com/channel/UR2022

On Line Entry System by RallyScore

Ulster Rally