Motorsport: Irish looking to shine as British Rally Championship comes to Newry

The BRC bid is a straight contest between Welsh aces and team-mates Matt Edwards and Osian Pryce, but several Irish drivers will look to make a mark in Newry

The BRC bid is a straight contest between Welsh aces and team-mates Matt Edwards and Osian Pryce, but several Irish drivers will look to make a mark in Newry

Saturday's Modern Tyres Ulster Rally will decide the destiny of the British Rally Championship title with several Irish drivers intent on event victory in the nine stage Newry based encounter.

The BRC bid is a straight contest between Welsh aces and team-mates Matt Edwards and Osian Pryce, both in VW Polo GTi’s run by Melvyn Evans Motorsport.

Edwards is seeking a third title and has Darren Garrod on pacenote duty while Pryce has Killarney’s Noel O’Sullivan guiding him through the Ulster lanes.

Pryce/O’Sullivan are the current leaders and can afford to adopt a wait and see policy unlike Edwards, who must take maximum championship points to lift the title — any other result and Pryce/O’Sullivan will take the crown.

Derry’s Callum Devine (Ford Fiesta Rally2) is very much the in-form driver but the Monaghan duo of Sam Moffett (Ford Fiesta Rally 2) and his brother Josh (Hyundai i20 R5) and Jonny Greer (Citroen C3) will all have their eyes firmly on event victory.

Garry Jennings in his right-hand drive Fiesta and former four-time British champion Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) are both former Ulster winners. Cronin’s season is primarily centred on development work with Hankook tyres and Saturday will be his first outing on tarmac. Ulster duo Cathan McCourt (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and James Wilson (Hyundai i20 R5) round out the top ten.

Although Down’s William Creighton has the edge in the Fiesta Rally4 BRC Junior title, Donegal’s Eamonn Kelly still has a mathematical chance of success. The opening stage is at 8.40am.

Meanwhile, the World Rally Championship finale on Rally Monza, that begins on Friday morning, is also between two team mates with Team Gazoo Racing’s French ace Sebastien Ogier and Welshman Elfyn Evans vying for the title.