FIVEMILETOWN SPRING RALLY JOINS NEW CHAMPIONSHIP
Event will be first round of the new-for-2020 Northern Ireland Gravel Challenge
The Fivemiletown Spring Rally will be the opening round of an all-new championship next season, which will consist of four forest-based events.
The Northern Ireland Gravel Challenge has been formed and consists of the Fivemiletown (February 22), Lakeland Stages (September 5), Bushwhacker (September 26) and Glens of Antrim rallies (November 14).
Despite holding clubman status until now, the Fivemiletown Spring Rally has proven popular with many Irish-based
British Rally Championship drivers given its early date on the calendar.
Those who have entered it in the past include Sam Moffett – the winner from 2016 at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta R5 – and ex-pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly aboard a Citroen DS3 R3.
This year’s winner was Niall Mccullagh at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer E9.
“We love to see developments like this in rallying,” said a spokesman from Omagh Motor Club, which will promote the rally. “We are honoured to get the chance to host the first round of the championship and also the penultimate round when it’s the turn of the Bushwhacker Rally. Everyone associated with the rallies and the championship as a whole is hoping that as many crews as possible will support the series to ensure that it is a success.”
The new championship has been formed as the Northern Ireland Rally Championship will cease to exist in
2020. Instead the Gravel Challenge will form a four-round forest-based contest while the Motorsport UK Stage Rallies will be a five-round battle on Tarmac.
Given the changes that are coming down the line, those involved in the planning of next year’s Fivemiletown intend to increase stage mileage for teams, which this year was just under 27 miles.
“Every one of the crews we spoke to after this year’s rally told us that they wanted longer stages but as the safety plan has not been finalised yet we are not able to say by exactly how much,” added the spokesman.
Sponsored again by the owner of motorsport transmission manufacturer Samsonas, Martynas Samsonas, all proceeds from the rally will go to the Northern Ireland
Air Ambulance charity.