GO Tour of the Sperrins sold out

THE sold out GO Tour of the Sperrins is headed by Desi Henry and Dean O’Sullivan with eight of the top ten point-scoring drivers from round one of the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship visiting Magherafelt on Saturday April 5, writes William Neill.
Henry, in a Citroen C3 Rally2, starts favourite thanks to the Kilrea driver finishing third in 2023 before going one place better last year - only his cousin, the globe-trotting Josh McErlean, was ahead before he moved up to the M-Sport World Rally Championship team earlier this year.
Peadar Hurson recovered from an off-stage excursion at Bishopscourt to finish eighth but it was enough to claim fourth-place points and remain a contender this season. Damien Connolly returns to the notes in the Newry-based Volkswagen Polo R5.
At what will be their first rally of the season, 2023 winners Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy are in car three as the leading Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew.
Donegal’s Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney start ahead of fellow county men and Brown & Brown Championship leaders Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran. McGonigle is Citroen C3 Rally2 mounted while McLaughlin is in the round one winning Volkswagen Polo R5.
Derek McGarrity starts two points behind McLaughlin but with much success in the championship’s history, he will provide strong competition. Paddy Robinson is alongside, taking over from Conor Duffy on this occasion.
Wicklow’s Daniel Barry makes the occasional appearance and the stages on offer from Magherafelt and District Motor Club have lured the Volkswagen Polo Rally2 driver to mid-Ulster with Lorcan Moore.
Martin Brady finished fifth last year co-driving for Jason Dickson but will guide Martin Cairns in car eight ahead of both Niall Henry and a trio of Strabane drivers - Skoda Fabia entrant Gary Cairns, Loughgall winner Aidan Wray and car 12’s Niall Devine.
Scottish visitor David Bogie won two-wheel-drive in 2021 and is back with John Rowan to race the likes of Armagh’s Damian Toner and an overall Tour of the Sperrins winner, Camillus Bradley - all in Ford Escort Mk2s. Following the two-wheel-drive win at Bishopscourt, Jaye Nevin’s Peugeot 205 will be back to score points and aim to increase his advantage over an absent James Kennedy.
Service will be at Ronan Valley Business Park in Magherafelt where cars will start from 10.30am and head to SS1, Gortanewry, for 10.55am before Creevagh and Crockandun tests. Following a half-time service there will be a repeated loop with the first car due to finish around 3pm.

Entry list (Full list via www.rallyscore.net)

1. Desi Henry/Dean O’Sullivan (Citroen C3)
2. Peadar Hurson/Damien Connolly (Volkswagen Polo)
3. Garry Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Ford Fiesta)
4.Joseph McGonigle/Ciaran Geaney (Citroen C3)
5. Aaron McLaughlin/Darren Curran (Volkswagen Polo)
6. Derek McGarrity/Paddy Robinson (Ford Fiesta)
7. Daniel Barry/Lorcan Moore (Volkswagen Polo)
8. Martin Cairns/Martin Brady (Ford Fiesta)
9. Niall Henry/Peter Ward (Ford Fiesta)
10. Gary Cairns/Mark Preston (Skoda Fabia)

Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship 2025

RD1:March 8 Race & Rally Bishopscourt Stages - Ballynahinch & District MC

RD2:April 5 GO Tour of the Sperrins - Magherafelt & DMC

RD3:May 24 Eakin Brothers Brian James Trailers Stages - Maiden City MC

RD4:July 5 PRM Loughgall Stages - North Armagh Motor Club

RD5:July 19 Down Rally - Rathfriland Motor Club

Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge 2025

RD1:February 22 Samsonas Fivemiletown – Omagh MC

RD2:September 6 Trailer Parts Lakeland Stages – Enniskillen MC

RD3:September 19 McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally – Omagh MC (Leg 1)

RD4:September 20 McKelvey Bushwhacker Rally – Omagh MC (Leg 2)
RD5:October 11 Dogleap Rally – Maiden City MC