Two of Northern Ireland’s blue riband stage rallies will take place over two days next season instead of just one, and form part of a new-look NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (ITRC).
The Circuit of Ireland Rally is reverting to its traditional Good Friday and Easter Saturday schedule for the first time since 2022 when Alastair Fisher and Gordon Noble took the win.
A similar Friday-Saturday itinerary has also been ratified for the Ulster Rally — one of only two international-status events in the UK — with it taking place on the weekend of August 15/16.
This year’s instalment of the Northern Ireland Motor Club event saw Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin emerge triumphant on the Newry-based meeting — a result that paved the way for them to wrap up the ITRC’s Fisher Memorial Perpetual Trophy for the second time as team-mates.
The Ulster Rally’s Deputy Clerk of the Course Philip Murray said: “I am really pleased we are returning to a two-day format with more than 100 stage miles planned — approximately 50 per cent for each day.
“The current rally plan contains several completely new stages that are going to be mixed with some that have not been used for many years, so that will add to the challenge.
“The entire organising team is once again delighted to have the support of Modern Tyres and we plan to be based at their world-class warehousing facility in Newry next August.”
Meanwhile, 2023 Irish Tarmac champion Callum Devine believes having a new title sponsor in NAPA can only raise the profile of the cross-border series and attract further big Rally2 names.
National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) moves from being an associate sponsor to the main supporter in a deal that has taken 12 months to complete according to those who were close to negotiations.
It currently operates 300 shops in Great Britain and others in mainland Europe, and is represented in various motorsport codes, including the British Touring Car Championship where it continues to support a four-car effort, including that which belongs to four-time champion Ash Sutton.
“I think it is great news for the Irish Tarmac Championship,” said Devine.
“I hope the buzz this announcement has helped create can attract even more crews next year, definitely.
“There were some great battles on every round of the Championship this year and I would really like to think that shows to people in the UK and Ireland just how competitive it is.”
One other change that had been discussed by Championship organisers was restricting tyre usage, like the British Rally Championship, but the cost-saving idea has been shelved.