Decided by Seconds: Greer and Burns Win a Thrilling Loughgall Stages Rally

Loughgall Country Park roared into life on Saturday as around 90 rally crews descended on the village for one of County Armagh's biggest motorsport days of the year.The Loughgall Stages Rally, organised by North Armagh Motor Club and backed by RPM & PRM Motorsport, brought thousands of spectators to the Country Park on Saturday 4th July — with local roads around the village closed from morning until early evening as crews tackled three loops of stages both inside the park and on the surrounding closed public roads. And what a finish it produced in tricky wet conditions. Carryduff's Jonathan Greer and Letterkenny co-driver Niall Burns led from start to finish in their Toyota Yaris Rally2, taking three stage wins along the way — but Sam Moffett and Pierce O'Callaghan never let them breathe, winning the second pass of the five-mile Springhill test in the Hyundai i20 and closing to within 0.1 seconds heading into the final loop, before Greer dug deep to stretch the winning margin to 4.1 seconds. Strabane's Niall McGonigle and Caolan McKenna completed the podium in their Volkswagen Polo R5, 17.3 seconds behind Moffett — an eventful run that included a spin at a junction on the opening stage, a stage win on the repeat that briefly lifted them ahead of Moffett, and time lost late on after catching a spun car.The result carries real weight beyond Saturday. This was first versus second in the Brown & Brown Motorsport UK Northern Ireland Rally Championship — Greer and Burns arrived in Loughgall just two points ahead of Moffett in the standings, so their head-to-head duel through the park was effectively the title fight played out stage by stage. For Greer, a four-time NI champion chasing another crown, maximum points from one of the tightest finishes Loughgall has seen strengthens his bid considerably. There was plenty for the home crowd to cheer, too. Marty Toner — the Armagh driver who thrilled spectators with his first Loughgall win last year in the Proton Satria — put his knowledge of the park to good use, bringing the Ford Fiesta R5 home fourth overall with Conal McNulty on the notes: top County Armagh finisher at his home event, ahead of reigning champion Aaron McLaughlin in fifth, and rewarded with third-place championship points — the crew's best score of the season so far. Armagh's Jason Black and Karl Egan battled engine issues yet still hustled the Toyota Starlet to a superb eighth overall, second two-wheel-drive car behind Dungannon's Barry Morris, whose Darrian T90 shrugged off a spin to take top 2WD honours by 20.1 seconds in sixth.The village itself was represented on the podium ladder as well: Loughgall's Philip McKeever was on the notes at his local rally, guiding Adrian Hetherington's Ford Escort MkII to twelfth overall, third in the two-wheel-drive category and first of the ever-popular Escorts home — while Banbridge's Kenny Hull guided Steve Wood to ninth. Further Armagh interest came from Gareth Black (15th, Toyota Starlet), Philip Hamilton with Loughgall co-driver David Wright (26th), Gavin McGivney (27th) and the all-Armagh crew of Chris Murphy and Shea Breen (33rd), while Camillus Bradley's Escort finished 21st.Away from the stages, families made a day of it inside the Country Park, with a static car show running alongside the service area — where spectators could get within touching distance of the machinery between loops — and a stage finishing right inside the park grounds. The Loughgall Stages has been a fixture on the local calendar for more than a quarter of a century, and Saturday showed why: fast cars, a family-friendly venue, and a village that embraces its big day. If you were there, we'd love to see your photos — send them to us via the LivingABC Facebook page.Top ten:Jonathan Greer / Niall Burns (Toyota Yaris Rally2)Sam Moffett / Pierce O'Callaghan (Hyundai i20 R5)Niall McGonigle / Caolan McKenna (Volkswagen Polo R5)Marty Toner / Conal McNulty (Ford Fiesta R5)Aaron McLaughlin / Darren Curran (Volkswagen Polo R5)Barry Morris / Denver Rafferty (Darrian T90 GTR+)Alan Smyth / Martin Brady (Volkswagen Polo R5)Jason Black / Karl Egan (Toyota Starlet)Steve Wood / Kenny Hull (Volkswagen Polo R5)Shane Murray / Gary Hade (Ford Fiesta R5)Full results are available at RallyScore.com. The Brown & Brown NI Rally Championship continues with the Rallye Lecale on Saturday 25th July. With thanks to North Armagh Motor Club. Event reporting information courtesy of William Neill. All photos: www.NeillPics.com.