The 2026 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is set for a magnificent seven-round showdown spanning England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and the Isle of Man – with the calendar featuring familiar favourites (some with new dates, new routes and/or new formats) and an exciting brand-new event location to guarantee a fresh and exhilarating challenge for every competitor.
The championship format sees the best five scores from seven rallies count towards the end-of-season points tally, with no double-header rounds.
The 2026 Protyre Asphalt season launches into action on 21/22 February with the East Riding Stages Rally. The BTRDA series will hold top billing at the Beverley & District Motor Club-organised event, which is based in the centre of Beverley and features fantastic closed-road stages across East Yorkshire.
New for 2026 are four Saturday evening stages run in the dark over the Yorkshire Wolds just to the west of Beverley, providing an extra 18 stage miles and further spectating opportunities, and the remaining 10 stages run in daylight on the Sunday.
Round 2 is the classic Manx Rally on 8/9 May, which returns to its traditional spring date. Organised by Manx Auto Sport, the iconic Isle of Man closed road stages annually attract one of the biggest Protyre Asphalt entries of the season. With superb ferry and accommodation deals, plus significant stage miles, the Manx Rally offers competitors excellent value.
The series then moves to Scotland for Round 3 and the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally (22/23 May). The Duns-based event will have a new format next year, with 35 stage miles / four stages on Friday evening and 65 stage miles / six stages on Saturday.
To help minimise cost and time, registered Protyre Asphalt competitors will have the option to either recce all the stages on the Friday (whilst their cars are being scrutineered) and be ready to start the event later the same day, or recce earlier in the week and do the shakedown stage on Friday.
Round 4 keeps the series in Scotland for the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally on 19/20 June. The Mull Car Club-organised event ran as a closed road stage rally for the first time in 2021 and has been on the Protyre Asphalt calendar every year since 2022, with picturesque closed road stages held in the stunning Argyll and Bute region.
The focus shifts next to Wales for Round 5 and the Tour of Epynt on 25/26 July. The Port Talbot Motor Club-organised event hosted the final round in 2025, and next year a new date sees it run in the height of summer.
There are few more spectacular motorsport venues than Mynydd Epynt on a sunny day, with a promise of fast and sizzling action over the famous rollercoaster military range roads above Sennybridge.
There is also a new date for the penultimate Round 6, with the Down Rally moving from mid-July to 22 August. The Rathfriland Motor Club-organised event is famous for its incredible Northern Ireland closed road stages, including the legendary Hamilton’s Folly, and they’ll play a pivotal role in determining the overall and class titles next year.
The seventh and final round of the series will be the Hills Ford Stages on 19/20 September. This will be a brand-new challenge, as Cheltenham Motor Club moves the event to the Shrewsbury area, with stages in the grounds of historic private estates and through the stunning Shropshire Hills.
