Ulster off Northern Ireland series calendar

Next year’s MSA Northern Ireland Rally Championship provisional calendar has been trimmed from eight rounds to seven, with the Ulster Rally among the casualties.

The decision reached by members sitting on the ANICC’S Stage Rally Committee means the re-jigged championship will be without a flagship event in 2017 with the Circuit of Ireland not running due to funding concerns.

“The Ulster has been dropped for next year, a decision taken by the championship organisers,” said Ulster clerk of the course Gary Milligan. “The Ulster and the Circuit are the two most expensive events for competitors in the Northern Irish championship, I can understand where they’re coming