Round 1: Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally, 9 February

Connor McCloskey, navigated by Francis Regain, piloted his Subaru Impreza S9 WRC to victory over the seven forest tests that made up the Pirelli MSA Welsh Stage Rally Championships opening round and in doing so became the first Ulster crew to win the event.

Going into the final stage Hugh Hunter led with his Ford Focus WRC, though McCloskey, David Wright and Euan Thorburn were still in the fight for victory. With just 11 seconds separating the top four positions, there was all to play for.

The drama then unfolded as Thorburns car failed to start and leader Hunter developed a gearbox problem which made way for a flat-out charge from McCloskey to win the rally by seven seconds over Wright in his Mitsubishi.

Results 1 Connor McCloskey / Francis Regan (Subaru Impreza S9 WRC) 0h46m13s2 David Wright / Michael Wilkinson (Mitsubishi Evo 9 WRC) 0h46m20s3 Hugh Hunter / Andy Marchbank  (Ford Focus  WRC) 0h46m23s

Provisional championship standings1 Connor McCloskey 30 points2 Hugh Hunter 273 Matt Edwards 254 Luke Francis 245 Will Onions 23