Robert's Rally Buzz - February 2026

CIRCUIT OF IRELAND BACK IN N.I. CHAMPIONSHIP

For the first time since 2012, the Circuit of Ireland Rally returns to the Northern Ireland Rally Championship. In a revised 2026 calendar, the Saturday stages of the two-day Circuit replace the Tour of the Sperrins Rally originally planned for 25th April.

The “short-sharp” two-day 2026 Circuit of Ireland Rally returns to a Dungannon base for the third consecutive year, with a new title sponsor, McKinney Competitions. The full event, starting on Good Friday (3rd April), will be round three of the seven-round NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

For us, the rally season here in Northern Ireland kicks off this month with round one of the 2026 Forest Rally Challenge. Brown & Brown Insurance are back as title sponsors for both the Forest series and the Northern Ireland (Asphalt) Rally Championship which starts at Bishopscourt on March 7th.

FOR YOUR DIARY: The revised 5-round 2026 Brown & Brown ANICC MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship is now as follows;

1: RACE & RALLY STAGES @ BISHOPSCOURT…..Sat. 7th March
2: CIRCUIT OF IRELAND RALLY……………………..Sat. 4th April
3: LOUGHGALL STAGES RALLY…………………..…Sat. 4th July
4: BADMC SUMMER STAGES………(Downpatrick) Sat. 25th July
5: DOWN RALLY……………………...(Banbridge) Sat. 22nd August

In the event of the cancellation any of the above events, two separate reserve dates, the 7th & 14th November, have been added to the calendar.

The 2026 Monte Carlo Rally was the toughest for years. Oliver Solberg dominated, becoming the youngest Monte winner, beating Elfyn Evans by almost a minute! Pre event favourite Seb Ogier finished a subdued third. The three Toyota Yaris Rally1 drivers were in a class of their own.

Jon Armstrong looked as if he would finish sixth on his first event in a Rally1 car, but crashed out on the snowy and treacherous penultimate Monte stage. On day one he was as high as third. Jon’s Ford Puma M-Sport teammate Josh McErlean had a rally to forget. Josh went off in the snow three times, eventually crashing out on the same stage as Armstrong. How will Josh & Jon get on this month in Sweden?

Congratulations to William Creighton and Liam Regan. The current British Rally Champions have just picked up the ANICC Northern Ireland Motorsport Award for the second consecutive year. The pair also won the Award in 2023 while William Creighton was the 2021 winner, making him a record four-time recipient!

So sad to hear of the passing of William Fullerton last month following a short illness. William was a founder member of North Armagh Motor Club. He was Clerk of the Course and then Event Director for the club’s innovative event, the Lurgan Park Rally which ran from 1980-2016, and then latterly COC on the Loughgall Stages Rally.

Under William’s leadership the Lurgan Park Rally regularly attracted up to 10,000 paying spectators. It was a unique festival type of event, and one of the summer highlights on the Irish rallying calendar. The invited entry lists always featured many International stars.

William will be sadly missed by everyone involved in Motorsport throughout Ireland and further afield. My heartfelt condolences to his Wife Hazel and to all the family circle.

LOOKING BACK

Marshalling Memories

40 YEARS AGO

The article below appeared in the February 1986 edition of Carsport Magazine. The photo was obviously from our 1985 Training Day. Can you spot anyone you know?

Patrick Young wrote the words.

This was Fred Crawford in his Mk.2 Escort winning at Larne Motor Club’s Boyd’s Autodrome Rallycross. Note the amazing crowd! Can’t believe it was 40 years ago! We were marshalling as usual. Another Carsport photo.

30 YEARS AGO

February 1996 was Roy Bowman’s first BMRMC Northern Ireland Region Newsletter. Our Training Day was planned for Saturday 9th March at Purdysburn Hospital Complex. The annual Dinner Dance was to be held the same night in Carmichaels of Hollywood. Cost would be £13 per head.

20 YEARS AGO

Kevin Lynch was selected as our 2005 Driver of the Year and I had the privilege of presenting the current Northern Ireland Rally Champion with the David Gillespie Memorial Trophy at a glittering ANICC prize giving in January 2006 at the Seagoe Hotel in Portadown. He was totally gobsmacked and speechless! Kevin later said that our award meant more to him than any Championship win! “Without marshals there would be no rallying or racing in NI, simple as that!”

Denis Biggerstaff and his co-driving son Stuart won our first event of the year in a Subaru Impreza WRC. The New Year Stages took place at Kirkistown in January and we were covering Timekeeping and Rescue.

10 YEARS AGO

Current NI Champion Derek McGarrity won the 2016 500 MRCI New Year Stages at Kirkistown. He and Kieron Graffin were in a Ford Fiesta WRC. There were only 35 starters plus 4 competitors in the junior event which was won by Josh McErlean in a 1 litre Peugeot 107. I wonder what happened to him? I was marshalling and other club members were covering timekeeping and rescue.

RALLY DIARY📔

Sat. 28th February
SAMSONAS RALLY FIVEMILETOWN

Round 1 of the 2026 Brown & Brown NI Forest Rally Challenge. Omagh MC are the organisers and have promised new revised stages. We should be providing rescue and radio cover plus stage marshals. Sign-on via rallyscore.net or at the Spar garage in Fivemiletown from 7.30am on the day.

Sat. 7th March
RACE & RALLY STAGES @ BISHOPSCOURT

Round 1 of the 2026 Brown & Brown ANICC MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship. The only single venue rally on the Championship calendar is organised by Ballynahinch & District Motor Club. Same 8-stage format as last year. We are providing timekeepers and stage marshals. Sign-on via rallyscore.net or from 7.30am on the day of the event.

Ballynahinch & District MC are also running a new closed-road rally which will be the penultimate round of the NI Championship in July. Apparently based at Downpatrick Race Course, further details of the “Summer Stages Rally” will appear in due course.

2024 Marshal of the Year

Sean Flynn wins the British Rally Marshals Club Marshal of the Year Award 2024 (The Jimmy McRae Award)

The British Rally Marshals Club (BRMC) are proud to announce that the winner of the 2024 Marshal of the Year Award (The Jimmy McRae Award) is Sean Flynn.

Sean has been a member of BRMC for many years and has supported the club. A regular on BRMC stages, ready to jump in and assist with any task needed to ensure events run smoothly and safely. He always leads and encourages his fellow marshals which always results in a safe and well-run sector which means that there are never any worries about spectator or marshal safety. His upbeat attitude and wealth of knowledge have also made him an ideal ambassador for the sport, as he's constantly encouraging new people to get involved and patiently showing them the ropes.