Aaron McLaughlin and Darren Curran dominated from start to finish to claim maximum points at the Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship opener at Bishopscourt’s Race & Rally Stages — but their win didn’t come without pressure. Despite leading comfortably early on, a mid-event push from Stuart Biggerstaff and Stephen Jess threatened to turn the result on its head.

McLaughlin, in his Volkswagen Polo R5, set the early pace with a 2.6-second lead on the first 3.9-mile stage. The tricky damp conditions, following a light shower, kept competitors guessing, but McLaughlin and Curran kept their cool.

Behind them, Bishopscourt regular Derek McGarrity was quick out of the blocks, while Jonathan Greer, debuting his Toyota Yaris Rally2, lost time after opting for slick tyres and would later crash out on stage two — ending his challenge. This handed Biggerstaff a clear run to second place.

By the end of stage three, Biggerstaff had reduced McLaughlin's lead to just 1.4 seconds, with the latter also nursing front-end damage. The pressure was on, and after the mid-event service, Biggerstaff continued his charge, closing the gap to a mere 0.6 seconds.

But McLaughlin wasn’t giving up. On the penultimate stage, he delivered a blistering run, stretching his lead by 6.7 seconds and sealing the win by 15.9 seconds after the final stage.

Final Top 5 Overall Results:
🥇 Aaron McLaughlin / Darren Curran – Volkswagen Polo R5 – 39:20.1s
🥈 Stuart Biggerstaff / Stephen Jess – Ford Fiesta Rally2 – +15.9s
🥉 Derek McGarrity / Conor Duffy – Skoda Fabia R5 – +28.7s
4th Cal McCarthy / James McBrearty – Citroen C3 Rally2 – +44.6s
5th Michael Cullen / Eamonn Kelly – Volkswagen Polo R5 – +50.1s

Big Names in Action
2021 Irish Tarmac Rally Champion Darren Gass, piloting a WRC-spec Subaru Impreza S12B, was a crowd favorite. Despite limited seat time and an aging car, Gass and Enda Sherry impressed with a fourth fastest time on stage four, finishing sixth overall.

Peader Hurson and Damien Connolly also caught attention after an off-stage excursion on stage one cost them over ten seconds and a front bumper. They eventually finished 0.7 seconds behind Derek and Mark McGeehan in a nail-biting battle for seventh place.

Two-Wheel-Drive Battle
The two-wheel-drive class delivered thrilling action, with Ballymoney’s Jaye Nevin and Eoghan Moore overcoming a stage three stall to secure victory by 11.8 seconds in their Peugeot 205.

2WD Top 3 Results:
🥇 Jaye Nevin / Eoghan Moore – Peugeot 205 – 12th Overall
🥈 James Kennedy / Heather Kennedy – Ford Escort Mk2 – +11.8s
🥉 Brian O’Neill / Richard Cleary – Ford Fiesta Rally5 – +21.5s

Close Finish in Micra Challenge
The ever-popular Micra Challenge didn’t disappoint, with Andrew Bushe and Geraldine McBride edging out their competition to win the class by 14.9 seconds, showcasing the continued affordability and competitiveness of the series.

Next Round

The Brown & Brown Northern Ireland Rally Championship now heads to Kirkistown Stages, where competitors will look to close the gap on championship leader Aaron McLaughlin.

Who’s your money on for the next round? 💭💬