Josh Moffett wins 50th Ulster Rally by three seconds after late Cairncastle attack
Josh Moffett and co-driver Andy Hayes took their first Ulster Rally victory on 8 August 2026, winning the fiftieth-anniversary edition of the event by just three seconds after chasing Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy for most of two days. Moffett’s Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 moved ahead of Doherty’s Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 on the penultimate stage at Cairncastle. A competition that initially appeared to favour the Skoda crew was transformed over the final loop of tests around mid-Antrim. This was not a victory decided by a mechanical retirement ahead: both crews fought to the finish.
How a seven-second deficit disappeared
Doherty had established the early lead on Friday, setting the fastest times throughout the first loop even while reporting a suspected pop-off-valve problem. He began with a 2.3-second advantage and increased that to almost seven seconds after servicing in Ballymena. Moffett was struggling to make his Toyota work consistently over the bumpy, jumping Northern Ireland roads. The problem was not a lack of commitment but the way the car responded to the changing surface and stage character. He held on close enough that another day could still produce a contest.
Saturday brought a different range of tests. Over the 6.4-mile Tardree stage, Doherty’s advantage fell from 6.8 seconds to 2.1. A repeat of Tardree reduced it to 1.7 seconds. The decisive change occurred on Cairncastle 2, when Moffett put together a stage fast enough to take the lead by four seconds. Doherty fought back over the closing miles, but the final margin was three seconds. That progression is essential to understanding the result: the winner did not dominate from the start, and the runner-up did not simply collapse. A measured late increase in pace changed the order at precisely the moment it mattered.
A landmark edition with a demanding route
The Northern Ireland Motor Club’s fiftieth-anniversary rally was based at Ballymena Showgrounds and ran across Friday and Saturday. There were twelve special stages covering about 100 competitive miles. Friday brought Knockboy, Glendun and Torr Head, including a night-time conclusion to the second Torr Head test. Saturday used Tardree, Cairncastle and Slemish, each driven twice. The roads required competitors to adapt from flowing coastal sections to tighter, more abrupt changes of direction. That explains why a car apparently superior on one part of the itinerary might become more vulnerable on another.
The final podium went to Cathan McCourt, who beat newly crowned Northern Ireland champion Jonny Greer in a separate fight for third. Jersey driver Sam Touzel completed the top five. McCourt’s result came despite a moment earlier in the rally that damaged rear steering components, making third place an achievement in its own right. Greer was not a passenger in a processional result; the pair swapped third position twice before McCourt made his final move. The fight for the last podium place continued even as the leading two competed for overall victory.
The Irish Tarmac title fight and 50th anniversary
Moffett entered the Ulster as a major Irish Tarmac Championship contender. Winning this round strengthened his position ahead of the Cork 20, the remaining event in the championship. The Northern Ireland victory therefore had consequences in an all-Ireland title campaign rather than being a standalone weekend trophy. It also corrected a gap in his record: although he had contested the Ulster several times, he had never previously won it. The milestone fiftieth running proved the occasion for that breakthrough.
