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Rathfriland Motor Club will host the final round of the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship this weekend, alongside round six of the Protyre UK Asphalt Championship. More than 100 crews from Ireland and the UK are due to compete over eight stages, including the well known Hamilton's Folly test.
The event gets under way on Friday 21 August with a Fan Zone at The Boulevard in Banbridge. Running from 7pm to 8pm, the Fan Zone will give visitors, shoppers and families the chance to view the rally cars on display, meet the drivers, listen to live interviews and take photographs before competitive action begins on Saturday morning.
The Castrol MEM Rally Team will field a two-car entry, with Osian Pryce and co-driver James Morgan joined by team-mate Meirion Evans and co-driver Dale Furniss, both driving Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars. Pryce, the 2022 British Rally Champion, currently leads the British Rally Championship standings after winning at the Voly Grampian Forest Rally a couple of weeks ago. Evans, from Lampeter, has been part of the Castrol MEM team since its formation and finished on the podium at Grampian, completing a Castrol MEM one-three result behind Pryce.
The Northern Ireland Rally Championship challenge will be headed by 2025 champion Aaron McLaughlin, partnered by Darren Curran in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. Also competing is 2012 Down Rally winner Derek McGarrity, with Damian Garvey calling the notes, again in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. Local drivers taking part include Stuart Biggerstaff in a VW Polo GTI R5, along with John Devlin and John Gordon, both driving Ford MK2 Escorts.
Among the visiting Protyre Asphalt Rally Championship entrants, Aled Wyn Morgans will aim to hold on to his lead in the standings, with Brad Cole, Ian Forgan and John Stone all chasing to close the gap.
The rally starts from The Boulevard on Saturday 22 August, just before 9am, with cars returning to the venue at 10:55am and again at 2:30pm. The winners are expected to be presented shortly after 5pm.
