The Modern Tyres Ulster Rally will return to a two-day format instead of one as part of a new-look NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship in 2025.
The Northern Ireland Motor Club-organised event has been rubber-stamped for a two-day itinerary spread across Friday, August 15 and Saturday, August 16.
The Ulster Rally will also be a counting round of the European Rally Trophy in 2025 and is set to take place across over 100 stage miles with just one special stage carried over from the 2024 event. Keith Cronin and co-driver Mikie Galvin are looking to retain their crown following victory in 2024’s Newry-based meeting in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Night stages will also be present in 2025, and Clerk of the Course Wayne Turkington expects competitors to be pushed to their limits with completely new stages being introduced alongside others that have not featured in recent years.
He said: “I am pleased to confirm that we are returning to a two-day format in 2025, with more than 100 stage miles planned – approximately 50 per cent for each day of this popular Tarmac meeting.
“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 really add to the challenge.
“This decision is influenced by the positive feedback we received from crews this year.”