ULSTER RETURNS TO 2012 STAGES
August’s Ulster Rally route will closely resemble that of the 2012 event – and the Circuit of Ireland – with stages in the north Antrim area totaling a third of the mileage crews from the Irish Tarmac and British Rally Championships will face.
Organisers have decided to exercise their road-closing powers to produce an itinerary they believe competitors want, meaning the return of the infamous Glendun and Torr Head stages, used on the Circuit of Ireland Rally, for the opening leg of the meeting.
On day two, crews will head to the Sperrin Mountains in-between two town centre regroups.
“The stages we are running, especially those towards the coast, are some of the best roads you are going to find anywhere in the country,” said clerk of the course, Philip Murray. “Speak to any driver from either championship and they’ll tell you they are the ones they want to pit themselves against.
“The reception during the Ulster Rally’s time in Enniskillen and particularly Londonderry was mixed. Anytime we have spoken to drivers about these classic stages the feedback has been really positive.
“I think this year is going to be a return to the Ulster Rally that we all know and love.
“We had to find a balance between smooth stages and technical stages and I think we’ve done that.”
Planning hasn’t been all plain sailing as the Easter Stages’ presence in County Antrim over the April period meant a rethink was needed by Murray and his backroom team. “Avoiding overlap has been a challenge. You don’t want to run two rallies in similar locations because everyone suffers,” he said.
“The only downside is road mileage – it is more than we would have liked and probably competitors, too. But in order to get the stages that everyone likes, on this occasion it is a sacrifice worth paying.”
Promoted by Northern Ireland Motor Club Ltd and sponsored by John Mulholland Motors, the 2018 Ulster Rally gets underway at 1300hrs on August 17 and will conclude the following day around 1800hrs.