Tough Ulster tests to host terrific Irish Tarmac showdown

August 13, 2024 Rallyinsight

It is almost two months since the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship’s best duelled in the hills of Donegal. Now it is time for them to brave the Ulster Rally’s demanding selection of County Down and Armagh stages.

Saturday’s ten stages are as intense as you’ll find on the Emerald Isle with the single day of action packed in between nine to five.

The Irish Tarmac Rally Championship’s penultimate round might follow Dolly Parton’s famous time schedule but crews will need more than a cup of ambition if they are to survive these epic stages.

Ambition won’t be lacking, however, with Keith Cronin, Matt Edwards, and Callum Devine locked in a fantastic battle for this year’s Irish Tarmac crown.

After a tough start to his season, Devine is looking for his third win on the bounce. A streak that has got even more interesting since his last-minute switch to Skoda power in Donegal.

Cronin, and co-driver Mikie Galvin, lead the series thanks to early victories in Galway and West Cork. Blows in Killarney and Donegal have slipped them back into the grasp of Edwards and Devine with 10 points covering the top three crews.

Edwards looked set to secure his first-ever Donegal International Rally win last time out only to damage a steering arm on the final day. Still, his never-give-up attitude ensured he picked up third-place points to move within 1.5 points of Cronin.

Two-time Irish Tarmac Champion Josh Moffett is seeded fourth for the Ulster Rally. Although he seems too far back to challenge for a third Tarmac title, Moffett has nothing to lose in his bid for a maiden Ulster Rally victory.

Local ace Jason Black tops the Ulster Rally’s modified entrants alongside Galway co-driver Karl Egan. The Toyota Starlet duo finished inside the top ten last year as they took Ulster’s two-wheel-drive victory.

Black will face stiff opposition from Ulster rivals Damian Toner and Frank Kelly who themselves are in an intense battle for the Modified ITRC title.

Kelly holds a slender one-point advantage with two rounds remaining and will have to be at his best to withstand Toner who has narrowly missed out on Ulster success in recent years.

Camillus Bradley, Oli Benton, John Devlin, and Gareth Black will provide further two-wheel-drive entertainment on the stages outside Newry.

Wales’ Tomas Davies could seal the Historic ITRC title if results go his way on the Ulster Rally. West Cork and Circuit of Ireland wins have helped give him a 37-point lead over Ray Breen with two rounds to go.

Breen, and co-driver Damien Morrissey, will be hoping to utilise their Subaru Legacy’s power to take their second top-points finish of the year.

Davies will have 2022 championship-winning co-driver Anthony O’Sullivan calling his pacenotes on Saturday with O’Sullivan currently leading the co-driver standings by 12 points.

2023 Ulster Historic winners Trevor Wilson and Paul Mulholland start just behind Davies and O’Sullivan as they look to record their first ITRC Historic win of the year.

Spectators will be treated to the spectacular sights and sounds of Adrian Hetherington’s Fiat 131 Abarth with David Armstrong’s Ford Escort completing the top five Historic entries.

Shinn Bridge (14.7 km) – SS1/6

Crews will be greeted by a fresh loose surface running for the opening mile of this Shinn Bridge test.

It is a difficult stage to start the rally with a big mixture of corners and road conditions. The road surface constantly evolves through the stage which switches from wide, fast roads to narrow lanes.

Banbridge North (15.0 km) – SS2/7

Another tricky test on the Ulster Rally – an epic challenge for the crews. There are plenty of blind, sudden corners again on a mixture of wide and narrow roads.

The Ulster’s first set of stages will really reward those who are on it from the word go.

Kilrea Hill (10.9 km) – SS3/8

The action doesn’t get any easier as the crews head back out to the stages after Saturday morning’s service halt. Kilrea Hill features a choppy road surface that makes it hard to get a flow on thanks to the narrow sideroads.

Crests into sudden corners is another challenge of this test sandwiched between the main Newry-Armagh Road and the Newry Canal.

Tyrone’s Ditches (10.8 km) – SS4/9

Tyrone’s Ditches starts a few hundred metres after the end of Kilrea Hill and the characteristics are virtually the same.

This year’s Ulster Rally may only be a single-day event but the nature of the 10 stages crews face makes it a proper Irish Tarmac challenge.

Babylon Hill (14.0 km) – SS5/10

The speed picks up a bit on the Ulster Rally’s finale but it still keeps the rally’s demanding style of stages.

The delivery of pacenotes will be crucial with a selection of late, long, and sudden corners. There is time to be gained on this rally decider but it isn’t without its risks and requires the perfect partnership between driver and co-driver.

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