Dave Storms to Circuit Victory

Donegal Town driver David Kelly (on the right above) had never won an Irish Tarmac Championship rally until last month. That all changed when the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 crewed by Kelly and Killarney co-driver Shane Buckley scored the narrowest victory EVER on the Circuit of Ireland. Just half-a-second was the margin of their win over Josh Moffett’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Dublin man Eddie Doherty in another Skoda Fabia RS was third almost a minute behind.

Just who is David Kelly? The young spectacled man was seeded fourth on the COI Easter classic. He graduated this year from a VW Polo R5 to the latest Skoda Rally2 machine. David has been third for the past two years on the ITRC Donegal International Rally. Kelly is making a habit of close rally victories this year; in early March he won the Irish National Championship Mayo Rally by just one-tenth-of-a-second from Eddie Doherty.

Callum Devine, winner last year, was odds-on favourite to repeat his Circuit win again in 2026. The Claudy driver led Josh Moffett by 26 seconds after the four stages on day one of the two-day rally. Then as Moffett closed the gap to 2.7 seconds, Devine, under pressure, slid off into a field on the second run over the events longest stage, the 14 miles of SS9 Brantry Lough on day two. Callum lost almost 6 minutes and dropped from 1st to 11th place, but he was fastest on the final three stages and eventually finished eighth in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.

The 2026 McKinney Competitons UAC Circuit of Ireland Rally was round three of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Championship and round two of the Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Championship. Based in Dungannon Co. Tyrone for the third consecutive year, there were four stages totalling 32.34 miles on Good Friday 3rd April and a further eight on Saturday (4th) totalling 82.51 miles. The ITRC competitors would tackle all 12 stages but the NI Championship participants would only score points on the Saturday stages.

The weather in Dungannon was typical for an early Easter, all four seasons in two days! Friday wasn’t too bad but Saturday was very wet all morning and then conditions were slightly better in the afternoon. STORM DAVE was forecast to hit the area around 2pm but actually; it didn’t really materialise at all. The winds remained light for the entire event!

For my contribution to the 2026 Circuit of Ireland, I acted as start radio operator on SS6/9 Brantry Lough on the Saturday. At 14.17 miles this was the longest stage of the rally. The first run was 50 minutes late starting due to marshalling issues. We eventually got up and running and the stage ran smoothly. A total of 105 cars started and 100 finished. Then the competitors returned for stage nine. It was here that Devine had his excursion, handing the rally lead to Moffett. A couple of issues led to stage stoppages and we eventually ran out of road-closed time so not all the remaining competitors were able to start the stage. We were stood down at around 3.30 pm and I was back home in Bangor around an hour later. Lots of our marshals and officials were assisting over the two days.

There were 87 starters in the main COI event and 47 finishers. In the “Saturday Only” Rally; 28 started and 20 finished while in the Junior Rally on Saturday, 8 cars started and 6 finished. David Kelly scored top points in the ITRC, the third different winner in three events. In the NI Championship, Sam Moffett driving his Hyundai i20 was best finisher (4th overall) with Jonny Greer’s Toyota GR Yaris next up in 7th place.

The NI Championship now on a break until Round 3; Loughgall Stages Rally on Saturday 4 July. Greer still leads, but is only 2 points ahead of Moffett with Aaron McLaughlin, Alan Smyth and Stuart Biggerstaff close behind. Shaping up to be a classic local championship this year!

By the way, COI organisers, Ulster Automobile Club, have an exhibition (The Birth of Irish Motor Racing) celebrating over 100 years of Motorsport at the North Down Museum in Bangor from now until 9th August. Could be worth a visit, and it’s FREE!

2-In-Row for Taka & Aaron!

Takamoto Katsuta and his County Tyrone co-driver, Aaron Johnston, won the Croatia Rally early last month. Having also won the previous round, the Safari Rally Kenya, the pair led the WRC before round five; Rally Islas Canarias (Rally of Spain) at the end of April. This was the first time since Terry Harryman partnered Ari Vatanen way back in 1985 that a Northern Ireland co-driver led the WRC!

In the Gran Canaria ultra-smooth-tarmac event, part-time driver Sebastien Ogier was back and won from Elfyn Evans. Sami Pajari was third and Katsuta fourth, all of them in Toyota Yaris’s. The three Hyundai i20’s of Fourmaux, Neuville and Sordo were well beaten and finished fifth, sixth and seventh. M-Sport’s Ford Puma Nothern Ireland drivers had mixed fortunes, Josh McErlean was eighth, but Jon Armstrong had a challenging event, he had two incidents which dropped him back to finish eleventh at in the end of four days of fast and furious competition.

With regards to the Championship, Evans leads, but only by two points from Katsuta as they head for the gravel of round number six; Rally Portugal (7-10 May)

Looking Back

Marshalling Memories

40 Years Ago…1986

Amazingly it’s now been 40 YEARS since David Llewellin & Phil Short won the 1986 Rothmans Circuit of Ireland Rally in the famous white MG Metro 6R4. It was a rare International victory for the “sometimes temperamental” Group B supercar. This was the UAC’s Golden Jubilee Circuit (the first real one having run at Easter in 1936). An entry of 69 included both superstars & supercars and after one of the toughest Circuits in years, Llewellin emerged victorious when many others fell by the wayside during the marathon 5-day rally. Russell Brooks was a superb second in his 2WD Opel Manta with Austin McHale finishing third in a similar car. Only 33 cars finished the 51-stage event. The rally was a round of three major championships, the European, British and Irish Tarmac. I was part of the timekeeping team.

Davy Francis in his Mk.2 Escort was the class of the field at the Craigmore Quarry round of the Northern Ireland Loose Sprint Championship. Mid Antrim MC staged the Randalstown event at which we were marshalling. Jackie Harris was second in his MG Metro while George Robinson finished third in his usual Toyota Starlet.

At Ballycastle Forest last month Mid Antrim held a six-stage Single Venue Rally. BMMC (NI) were marshalling the event which saw John Kennedy fastest on all stages in a Vauxhall Chevette HSR. George Robinson was second in the Starlet followed by Dessie McCartney’s Talbot Sunbeam.

North Ulster Car Club ran their Conecrusher Rally for the second time. Starting at 10pm on Friday 3rd May in Ballymena Showgrounds, the rally ran through the night, finishing in Cushendun at 8am on the Saturday morning. The 20-stage gravel event covered 70 stage miles in the forests of Counties Antrim and Derry. We were running a stage. Those were the days my friend! Winners were George Robinson and Dermot Carey in their ultra successful Toyota Starlet.

30 Years Ago…1996

Steven Finlay won the AA Circuit of Ireland in his Escort Cosworth from Andrew Nesbitt’s Toyota Celica. Liam O’Callaghan, also in a Celica, was third while Kenny McKinstry took victory on the NI Championship Easter Stages event. I was Chief Timekeeper for the second year and the rally was based in Bangor with a mid-point halt in Limerick.

20 Years Ago…2006

Billy Stevenson from Newtownards won the “Spirit of the Rally” award for his contribution to the three-day 2006 Circuit of Ireland. The then BMMC member was second (just 3 seconds behind the winner) in the Historic Rally, which ran on Easter Sunday and Monday, driving his 1959 Ford Anglia. Prior to his event, Billy also acted as one of my Timekeepers on day one (Saturday) for the International event.

Once again I was Chief Timekeeper on the 2006 Meteor Circuit of Ireland. Based in Londonderry, the rally was a round of the Irish Tarmac Championship. Everything went according to plan with only a few minor hiccups, which were easily sorted. Eugene Donnelly won the rally in his Toyota Corolla WRC. Almost all the 17 stages ran bang on time over the three days with no timekeeping issues reported. 55 cars started and 36 finished.

10 Years Ago…2016

Marty McCormack and his niece Caron were the winners of the NI Championship Tour of the Sperrins. The local pair were in a Skoda Fabia S2000 which wasn’t the most powerful car to start the gravel rally. Magherafelt & District MC put together a total of 9 stages, some of which hadn’t been used for years. We were covering radio at the start of SS3/7 Wolf’s Hill in the Davagh Forest complex. There were 72 starters and 47 finishers. Our club also covered rescue, stage marshalling and timekeeping.

Rally Diary

Sat. 6th June
Tyrone Stages @ Benone

A round of the 2026 Border Championship this 14-stage tarmac event is promoted by Cookstown MC. We have been asked for assistance. Check with organisers for more information.

Sat. 4th July
Loughgall Stages Rally

Round 3 of the 2026 Brown & Brown MSUK Northern Ireland Rally Championship

Six closed-road stages (2 run three times) close to Loughgall village in Co.Armagh. Organised by North Armagh MC and running as a tribute to William Fullerton who sadly passed away in January. William was COC on this event for many years. We will be covering rescue, radio, timekeeping and stage marshalling. Sign-on remotely via rallyscore.net