Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes added one of the biggest prizes in Irish rallying to their record when they won the 2026 Modern Tyres Ulster Rally. The victory came at a landmark edition of the event: the Ulster Rally was celebrating its 50th anniversary and returned to roads around Ballymena on 7 and 8 August.
The event carried major championship significance and was also a celebration of the Ulster Rally's history. The organisers combined the modern competition with FIA European Historic Rally Championship involvement, giving spectators a mix of contemporary Rally2 machinery and important historic cars across the weekend.
Moffett converts late pace into victory
Moffett's win was his first on the Ulster Rally. The Monaghan driver mounted a strong late charge with Hayes co-driving, adding the result to an already impressive 2026 campaign. The official Ulster Rally described the performance as a masterful drive at an event where changing road conditions and repeated closed-road stages put a premium on confidence and precision.
The victory also strengthened Moffett's wider Irish championship position. His 2026 season later included success on gravel and another Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title, demonstrating how effectively the crew moved between asphalt and forest surfaces.
Greer returns as six-time NI champion
The Ulster Rally also brought Jonny Greer and Niall Burns back into one of Northern Ireland's biggest events after they had already secured the 2026 Northern Ireland Rally Championship. Greer's sixth drivers' title was confirmed before the Ulster Rally, making his home championship status one of the major local storylines of the anniversary weekend.
The Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 represented the latest generation of machinery at the front of the field. Its presence alongside Skoda, Ford and other Rally2 cars reflected the increasingly modern technical standard of Northern Ireland's leading rallies.
Two days around Ballymena
The Department for Infrastructure issued the 2026 Road Races Order allowing Northern Ireland Motor Club to close the required public roads on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August. That legal framework is essential to the event: unlike a permanent circuit meeting, the rally depends on carefully timed road closures, resident access arrangements, marshals and emergency planning.
For the 50th anniversary, the organisers also placed a strong emphasis on spectator safety. Fans were directed to official information rather than informal roadside access, an increasingly important part of how modern closed-road rallying is managed.
Why the 50th anniversary mattered
The Ulster Rally has brought generations of leading drivers to Northern Ireland, and its anniversary was more than a branding exercise. It linked the current Rally2 era with the event's long history and underlined the continuing importance of Northern Ireland within Irish and international rallying.
Moffett's first Ulster victory therefore had additional weight. It came at a milestone edition, against a high-quality field, and during a season in which he was competing for major titles on more than one surface. For PureCar Motorsport, it is exactly the kind of result that belongs in the permanent record of Northern Ireland motorsport rather than disappearing after race weekend.