Osian Pryce and James Morgan win R Kings Down Rally

Osian Pryce and James Morgan have sealed victory on the 2026 R Kings Down Rally, completing a hard fought fightback after trailing Jason Dickson for much of the day. A late time penalty on the final stage scuppered Dickson's charge for the win, allowing Pryce and co driver Morgan to take the victory.

The event began with drama on the opening stage as Meirion Evans slipped off the road and was forced to retire, handing an early advantage to team mate Pryce, with Dickson not far behind at Thornhill. Dickson then seized the lead as Pryce's Toyota suffered set up problems at Hamiltons Folly, where Alan Smyth also went out of the rally after becoming beached. Smyth had been the fastest of the Brown & Brown NI Rally Championship contenders up to that point.

Dickson extended his lead over Pryce by the halfway stage, while Alan Carmichael led the battle for top Brown & Brown NI Rally Championship points, 14 seconds ahead of Marty Toner. Pryce fought back on stage five to move into the lead, but with just a second separating the pair heading into the closing stages, the contest remained finely balanced until the penalty on the final stage decided the outcome.

Dickson and co driver Neill Shanks took a solid second place, with Cal McCarthy and Niall Burns completing the podium in third.

In the Northern Ireland Rally Class, Alan Carmichael held off a late charge from Stuart Biggerstaff to take top Brown & Brown NI Rally Championship points by seven seconds on the final round of the year.

Jason Pritchard secured maximum Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points on the R Kings Down Rally following a strong drive in his Pirelli shod North Road Garage/Guttercrest Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Pritchard was locked in a battle throughout with Brad Cole and Jamie Vaughan in their Hydroline Solutions Ford Fiesta Rally2, with the Somerset driver leading the BTRDA field at mid distance. Pritchard took the Protyre Asphalt lead by just 0.1 seconds after stage five and finished the eight stage event 3.1 seconds ahead of Cole, ending fourth overall.

Lee Edwards and Sam Spencer were the leading two wheel drive crew home, securing a strong third place Protyre Asphalt result overall in their rear wheel drive Blakemore's Autos/Evans Construction Ford Escort G3.