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Entries are now open for the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally, scheduled for Saturday, 17 August. The rally will serve as the penultimate round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
After five rounds, Keith Cronin, the 2016 Tarmac champion, leads the championship standings with 73 points, thanks to victories in Galway and West Cork, with Mikie Galvin as his co-driver. Success for Matt Edwards on the Circuit of Ireland and consecutive wins for Callum Devine have also positioned them as strong contenders. This ensures representation from manufacturers like Skoda, Ford, Citroen, Volkswagen, and Hyundai.
The event, promoted and organised by Northern Ireland Motor Club Ltd, has already seen interest from over forty crews. Wayne Turkington, the Clerk of the Course, confirmed that the Ulster Rally will be conducted over a single day in 2024 to manage costs for organisers and teams. Despite this, the rally will feature eight closed-road stages, covering a total of eighty-three competitive miles.
The action will commence with a loop of two stages – ‘Shinn Bridge’ and ‘Banbridge North’ – followed by service at Modern Tyres’ Carnbane Industrial Estate headquarters in Newry. The second loop will include ‘Tyrone Ditches’ and ‘Babylon Hill,’ followed by another service and a second pass over ‘Shinn Bridge.’ Crews will regroup at 2 pm at Banbridge Civic Building on Downshire Road before tackling ‘Banbridge North’ again. The final two stages will be repeats of ‘Tyrone Ditches’ and ‘Babylon Hill.’
Wayne Turkington believes significant changes to two stages and reversals and modifications to two others will create new challenges for competitors and enhance the experience for spectators. "With that in mind, I believe that next month’s event will offer the best stages to be run locally this year.” he said.
Supplementary regulations and a rally guide for fans are available on the official Ulster Rally website (www.ulsterrally.com).
