TWO-time Down Rally winner Cathan McCourt will kick off the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship final as car one, writes William Neill.
The Fivemiletown man, with Barry McNulty on the notes, returns to the R Kings-supported event in a Skoda Fabia Rally2 following last year’s win by almost a minute.
Welshmen Meirion Evans and Dale Furniss will switch from the gravel of the Grampian Forest Rally earlier this month to start as car two and, with an entry after seeding, British Rally Championship leader Osian Pryce and James Morgan form a two-car outing for the MEM Rally Team.
There will be a third Toyota Yaris Rally2 in the hands of Jason Pritchard, who has two maximum scores in the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Championship – that also visits the Down Rally – with championship leader Aled Wyn Morgans and second-placed Brad Cole the competition.
The Brown & Brown champion was decided at July’s Rallye Lecale in nearby Downpatrick where Jonathan Greer took his sixth series win with Niall Burns picking up the co-driver title for a second time.
Sam Moffett and Pierce O’Callaghan can’t be shaken from second either and in turn both crews are not on the entry list, leaving a race for the final podium spot.
Alan Smyth is best placed, five points ahead of Marty Toner and a further 16 points clear of 2025 champion Aaron McLaughlin.
There will be competition too from Stuart Biggerstaff on his local rally and second outing in a Volkswagen Polo R5.
Derek McGarrity is currently eighth but could move up with another good result and dropped scores coming into play.
The Rathfriland Motor Club event, starting at 8.45am on Saturday, August 22, features eight stages over 61.4-miles with Hamilton’s Folly, Tory Brae and Thornhill on the menu.
There is also a chance to see the cars and meet the drivers pre-rally on Friday,August 21 at The Boulevard in Banbridge from 7pm to 8pm with trade stalls and live music building up the atmosphere.
To keep up-to-date on the day of the R Kings Down Rally visit the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship Facebook page.
Entry list (full entry list via rallyscore.com)
1: Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty (Skoda Fabia Rally2)
2: Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss (Toyota Yaris Rally2)
3: Jason Pritchard/Rob Fagg (Toyota Yaris Rally2)
4: Marty Toner/Conal McNulty (Ford Fiesta R5)
5: Aaron McLaughlin/Darren Curran (Volkswagen Polo R5)
6: Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Skoda Fabia Rally2)
7: Aled Wyn Morgans/Jack Bowen (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
8: Brad Cole/Jamie Vaughan (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
9: Derek McGarrity/Damien Garvey (Volkswagen Polo R5)
10: Steve Wood/Kenny Hull (Volkswagen Polo R5)