Moffett storms to Bushwhacker Rally victory

Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes claimed victory on the McKelvey Construction Bushwhacker Rally by 4.6 seconds after climbing two places on the penultimate stage, writes William Neill.

The Hyundai i20 R5 crew overcame a strong field of Skoda Fabia Rally2 contenders, led by Brown & Brown points leader Mark Donnelly. Partnered by Martin Brady, the Greencastle driver set the pace on the opening Slievedoo stage before Patrick O’Brien moved into the lead on stage three. O’Brien remained at the front until stage eight, but was later excluded after initially finishing fourth overall.

Jordan and Paul Hone were fastest on both runs through Lough Bradan as they secured third place, improving on their seventh-place finish at last year’s event. The AP/Art Rally Team crew finished 4.8 seconds behind Donnelly and 17.1 seconds clear of Donegal pairing David Kelly and Shane Buckley.

Vivian Hamill, co-driven by Paddy Robinson, recorded a second-fastest stage time on his way to fifth overall and third among the Brown & Brown contenders. He finished 24.5 seconds behind Kelly and 2.6 seconds ahead of Strabane’s Ryan Caldwell and Dean O’Sullivan.

Jonathan Greer and co-driver Niall Burns reported losing time with several issues on the opening loop, but their seventh-place finish still added valuable points to their tally. Niall Devine, David Condell and Alan Smyth completed the top ten.

Just 0.7 seconds separated the leading two-wheel-drive crews, with Paddy McToal and Connor O’Loan edging Paul Barrett and Paddy McCrudden. Barrett’s determined challenge in his Ford Escort RS1800 was rewarded with victory in the Historic class.

Sam Stewart made it three Escorts at the head of the two-wheel-drive order, followed by Oran Donnelly’s BMW 1M and Shane McCanney’s Toyota Corolla AE86.

Elsewhere, Dean Humphrey dominated Class 2, while Jack Harris finished more than a minute clear of his Rally4 rivals. Ryan McCanney won his class by more than 30 seconds and also secured the Charleton Trophy as the highest-placed Vauxhall.

Fraser Mulholland and Simon Morrow led the Micra Challenge runners, while just 1.3 seconds separated the leading Rally3 crews, with Darragh Kelly defeating Kalum Graffin.

The 2026 Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge concludes with the Premier Parts Dogleap Rally on Saturday, October 17. Updates are available through the Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Facebook.

Top 10 results (full results available at rallyscore.com)

1 Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes (Hyundai i20 R5)

2 Mark Donnelly/Martin Brady (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

3 Jordan Hone/Paul Hone (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

4 David Kelly/Shane Buckley (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

5 Vivian Hamill/Paddy Robinson (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

6 Ryan Caldwell/Dean O’Sullivan (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

7 Jonathan Greer/Niall Burns (Toyota Yaris Rally2)

8 Niall Devine/Liam McIntyre (Volkswagen Polo Rally2)

9 David Condell/Micheal Coady (Skoda Fabia Rally2)

10 Alan Smyth/Emmet Sherry (Volkswagen Polo R5)

2026 Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Forest Rally Challenge

28 Feb Fivemiletown Rally

05 Sep Lakeland Stages

19 Sep Bushwhacker Rally

17 Oct Dogleap Rally