Jonny Greer and Niall Burns win Premier Car Parts Dogleap Rally

They finished 7.7s ahead of Strabane's Niall Devine and Donegal's Liam McIntrye (VW Polo GTi R5)

Carryduff's Jonny Greer (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and his Sligo co-driver Niall Burns slide their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 through a bend during the Premier Car Parts Dogleap Rally. Pic: Courtesy of William Neill.

Sun, 18 Oct, 2026 - 15:03

Martin Walsh

Taking the lead on the penultimate stage, Carryduff's Jonny Greer (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) and his Sligo co-driver Niall Burns won the Premier Car Parts Dogleap Rally, the final round of the Irish National Forest Rally Championship and the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge.

They finished 7.7s ahead of Strabane's Niall Devine and Donegal's Liam McIntrye (VW Polo GTi R5) with the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Derry's Jordan and Paul Hone 36.3s further behind in third.

Sixth place for Carlow's David Condell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) was enough to clinch the NI Forest Rally Challenge series.

Hone led initially with Newtownstewart's Stephen Dickson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) edging in front on SS2 and a stage later 3.8s ahead of Hone with Greer third and 5s off the lead.

On SS4, Cam (7.1miles) Greer set the pace to move into second 3.5s behind Dickson even though he declared the jumps were hard to gauge. Rally leader Dickson, seeded at eleven, benefitted from his road position as those ahead scrubbed off the loose gravel. Hone punctured and slipped down to eighth.

All four stages were repeated with Greer, Devine and Hone taking the respective stage wins on the shorter three stages. Dickson's grip on the rally loosened on SS5 and by the penultimate stage Greer had overtaken him albeit by a solitary second. Devine, whose VW Polo GTi R5 showed some cosmetic damage, occupied third.

On the final stage Dickson slid off and although Greer had a moment, he went on to win from Devine and Hone, who secured the final spot on the podium and runner-up in the Irish Forest series.

Cavan's Craig Rahill (Ford Fiesta Rally3) impressed on his way to seventh overall, the Junior WRC driver, on his first home appearance of the season, changed to a harder compound tyre for the final loop and clocked the fourth overall fastest time on the final stage.

Clonmel's Casey Jay Coleman (Ford Fiesta Rally2) was eight on his shakedown for this weekend's final round of the European Rally Championship in Portugal.

In the Sanremo Rally Storico, the Killarney/Newcestown crew of Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Subaru Impreza 555) finished seventh overall and second in Class A8A.

The Cork Startrek Navigation Trial that was based in Lisgoold and dovetailed as the opening rounds of the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial Championship and its Munster counterpart, was won by the Cork crew of Ovens driver Owen Murphy and Drinagh navigator Denis O'Donovan (Subaru Impreza).

They completed the 85-mile route on three penalties with the similar car of reigning national champions Ulster's Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes incurring seven penalties with former champions Andy Mackarel/Greg Shinnors third (10 pens).

Killeagh's WRC co-driver Eoin Treacy partnered Brian Oakes to victory in the Novice section and fourth overall, top seeds James Fitzgerald/Ken Carmody retired at TP5 with power steering failure, both in Subaru Impreza's.

Premier Car Parts Dogleap Rally (Trailer Parts & Spares Irish National Rally Championship & Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge)

1. J. Greer/N. Burns (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 33m. 37.4s

2. N. Devine/L. McIntyre (VW Polo GTi R5)+07.7s

3. J. Hone/P. Hone (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+44.0s

4. A. Smyth/E. Sherry (VW Polo GTi R5)+47.5s

5. V. Hamill/P. Robinson (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+54.3s

6. D. Condell/M. Coady (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)+1m. 08.1s

7.C. Rahill/D. Mullen (Ford Fiesta Rally3)+1m. 13.4s

8. C. J. Coleman/K. McArdle (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 26.9s

9. I. Dickson/M. McGeehan (Ford Fiesta Rally2)+1m. 46.4s

10. J. Brennan/D. Harrington (Ford Fiesta Rally3)+2m. 05.6s.

Cork Startrek Navigation Trial (Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial Championship & Munster Navigation Championship) Lisgoold, Co. Cork