A double header Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge awaits with the two-day McKelvey Construction Bushwhacker Rally among the most anticipated events this year, writes William Neill.
Leaving the start ramp on Friday at 7pm, the opening 7.3-mile stage will get underway at 8pm before a Castlederg regroup. Two more stages are tackled once before a repeat of the opening stage sees the 130 plus crews arrive at the overnight halt at Omagh Showgrounds just before midnight as part of an epic celebration of 50 years of the rally.
Saturday’s day two – featuring the Micra Challenge – will have six stages, three repeated twice, in Lough Bradon, Killeter and Carrickaholten forests from 10.30am to 5pm with the Omagh Showground service area activity in full flow at around 1pm.
Fresh from winning the Lakeland Stages earlier this month brothers Patrick and Stephen O’Brien start as favourites having won the event four times with a Skoda Fabia.
At two is Fivemiletown’s Cathan McCourt and Barry McNulty while Jason Mitchell, originally from Castlederg, is on home grown with Paddy McCrudden, at three. The pair will be keen to get a result following a non-finish last time around.
Vivian Hamill went off the road at the Enniskillen event but the pair were as high as third and, again, finished third at the 2024 Bushwhacker so another strong contender running first of the Ford Fiesta Rally2 runners ahead of Niall McCullagh on the road as part of a 35-strong class one.
Leading Brown & Brown registered drivers include last year’s champion Derek Mackarel and current leader Jordan Hone, who hopes to take on the entire series this season with father Paul who will sponsor the upcoming Dogleap via Premier Car Parts.
Sam Stewart and Alan Johnston head the two-wheel-drive race in car 27 with fellow Ford Escort Mk2 crew Paddy McToal and Connor O’Loan following ahead of Lithuanian Martynas Samsonas in a BMW E36 M3.
