The car in front is a Toyota…
Jonathan Greer and Niall Burns sealed Rallye Lecale victory by almost a minute — and with it the 2026 Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship crown, Greer’s sixth provincial title, writes William Neill.
For much of the opening loop, however, nothing looked settled. Cathan McCourt threw down the first marker on Bucks Head, edging the Toyota Yaris Rally2 crew by 1.5 seconds on stage one. Greer’s response was immediate on Dunmore Mountain, where he moved ahead by the slenderest of margins — just two-tenths of a second.
By the time the crews emerged from stage three, the gap had tightened to a single tenth, with McCourt back in front after an absorbing display of precision driving. As the field headed for service in Downpatrick, Rallye Lecale had all the ingredients of a classic duel.
A duel decided in an instant
The contest turned on the first stage of the second loop. McCourt, leading on the road and on the timesheets, went off, leaving Greer with a 34.8-second cushion over Niall McGonigle. The Strabane driver kept the pressure on and was fastest on stage six, holding second until the final test, where his Skoda Fabia also left the road.
That late drama opened the door for Sam Moffett and Pierce O’Callaghan, who vaulted from fourth to second on the final stage. Their Hyundai i20 R5 finished 54.1 seconds shy of Greer’s benchmark, completing a hard-earned runner-up finish.
Depth behind the winner
Jason Dickson and Neil Shanks produced one of the steadier climbs of the day, improving from sixth fastest on the opening stage to claim third overall. Their Skoda Fabia RS finished 18 seconds behind Moffett and ahead of the third Brown & Brown registered crew, Alan Smyth and Emmet Sherry.
A further 4.1 seconds back, Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank made their trip across the Irish Sea worthwhile with fifth in a PB Engineering-run Ford Fiesta Rally2. Cork’s Cal McCarthy added further variety at the sharp end, making it six different manufacturers inside the leading positions with his Citroen C3.
Fresh from victory on gravel at the Greystoke Stages earlier in the month, Alan Carmichael finished seventh in Downpatrick, ahead of Marty Toner, who was fourth of the Brown & Brown championship finishers.
Richard Moffett and Martin Connolly headed the two-wheel-drive contingent in their Toyota Starlet, finishing 8.1 seconds clear of the top Brown & Brown registered pairing in the category, Joe Hegarty and David Turkington.
Elsewhere, Dromore’s Stuart Biggerstaff continued to familiarise himself with a newly purchased Volkswagen Polo and was rewarded with tenth overall. Stanley Orr, meanwhile, chose his Ford Escort Mk1 RS1600 over the Nissan Micra he also campaigns in the Micra Challenge and went on to win the Historic category.
One round to go
The R Kings Down Rally will bring the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship to its conclusion on Saturday 22 August. Run by Rathfriland Motor Club, the event is now accepting entries via rallyscore.com.
For updates, follow the Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Facebook.
Results
Full results available via rallyscore.com
1 Jonathan Greer/Niall Burns (Toyota Yaris Rally2)
2 Sam Moffett/Pierce O’Callaghan (Hyundai i20 R5)
3 Jason Dickson/Neil Shanks (Skoda Fabia RS)
4 Alan Smyth/Emmet Sherry (Volkswagen Polo R5)
5 Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank (Ford Fiesta Rally2)
6 Cal McCarthy/Peter Ward (Citroen C3)
7 Alan Carmichael/Arthur Kierans (Skoda Fabia RS)
8 Marty Toner/Conal McNulty (Ford Fiesta R5)
9 Ian Dickson/Mark McGeehan (Ford Fiesta)
10 Stuart Biggerstaff/Anthony Nestor (Volkswagen Polo R5)
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
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