Brown & Brown challenge begins! 

A quick turn around from hosting the 2025 final, Fivemiletown returns to its traditional spot at the start of the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge on Saturday February 28, writes William Neill.

The popular compact format, sponsored by Samsonas, features a schedule shakeup that will see Brown Hill start the action, Mullaghfad feature and both Jenkin and Crocknagrally visited three times.

Service and finish ramp is at Campbells Contracts, close to Tempo following a 9.30am kick off where, among the starters, will be World Rally Championship co-driver Aaron Johnston following a second-place finish in Sweden with Takamoto Katsuta. The Fintona man will continue to represent the Toyota brand with a Corolla.

A regroup at Fivemiletown High School from 1.45pm will provide a chance to meet the drivers before they tackle the final four stages, ending with an altered Jenkin test.

Strabane’s Niall McGonigle will hope to put gear linkage issues at the 2025 version to bed to race against last year’s winner Mark Donnelly starting in car one with another Volkswagen Polo.

Vivian Hamill has scored a third and second-place finish in Fivemiletown to start among the favourites with Paddy Robinson on the notes as one of three Skoda Fabia RS entries, alongside David Condell and James McCarville.

Omagh’s Gareth Mimnagh and Clones’ Derek Mackarel start as the top two Ford Fiesta seeds challenging for a win.

Following a runner-up spot finish in the also Brown & Brown sponsored Northern Ireland Rally Championship for sealed surface events, Conor Wilson and Kyle McDaid will be in their familiar Hyundai i20 R5.

Owen Mallon finished sixth in the standings after five rounds last year, just a point shy from making the top five to become another to watch out for this season.

Historic entries feature Adrian Hetherington who will opt for his Ford Escort over the Fiat Abarth 131 option. Competition comes from the likes of Nigel Creagh traveling from Mullingar and Drumquin’s David Dennison.

Looking at the two-wheel-drive category, Wesley Patterson is making his way back to the stages with familiar co-driver Johnny Baird while Paddy McToal starts as first of the Escort runners in car 14.

It has to be said Shane McGirr, in a Lada Riva, is a strong favourite with two-wheel-drive and class wins alongside a third overall back in 2013 among the Fivemiletown successes.

To keep up-to-date with both the rally and championships follow the Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Facebook. Rally programmes will be available from nearby shops to assist spectators visiting the forests.

Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship 2026

07 Mar Bishopscourt Stages

04 Apr Circuit of Ireland (Saturday only)

04 Jul  Loughgall Rally

25 Jul  Rallye Lecale

22 Aug Down Rally

07 Nov Reserve date

14 Nov Reserve date

Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge 2026

28 Feb Fivemiletown Rally

05 Sep Lakeland Stages

19 Sep Bushwhacker Rally

17 Oct Dogleap Rally

07 Nov Reserve date