The Countdown is on to the start of the 2026 Alekto Irish Hillclimb & Sprint Championship.
The start of the Irish Hillclimb & Sprint season is almost upon us and we are delighted to have Alekto on board once again as Championship Sponsors for 2026.
2025 proved to be a hugely exciting year with fine margins separating the top Competitors in a number of Classes heading into the final rounds which created a fitting finale to the season where defending Champion Billy White left it until the penultimate round in Connacht to wrap up the 2025 Championship. Billy will need to hit the ground running in 2026 as last year’s runner-up Siobhan McCann will hope to build on a fantastic 2025 in her Ray to become the 1st Lady to be crowned Champion since 1992 when Jenny Kennedy took the title. 2023 Champion Russell Stanworth who finished 3rd Overall in 2025 will be another to watch out for in 2026 in his Reynard Opel Lotus. The fabulous Gould of Ben O Brien featured in selected rounds in 2025 and is more than capable of upsetting last year’s top 3 should he decide on a full Championship campaign this season.
2024 & 2025 Saloon Champion Brian Kirwan will be bidding to make it 3 in a row in 2026 in his rapid RWD Peugeot 205 but there are a number of challengers waiting in the wings to dethrone the current champ as 2026 shapes up to be the most competitive yet in the Saloon Championship. 2025 Runner-Up Christopher Snow is rumoured to have been busy over the winter with a new engine being bolted into his Civic. Subaru driver Shane Bell is set to return to try and reclaim the title he last won in 2023 and Super Charged Civics of Willie Barrett and Championship Sponsor Tommy Gardiner are sure to feature at the top of the time sheets over the course of the season.
The 2026 season will kick off in the picturesque village of Ballyorgan, Co. Limerick on the 21st & 22nd of March where Limerick M.C host Rounds 1 & 2 of the 2026 Alekto Irish Hillclimb & Sprint Championship. The Limerick event will be Round 4 of the MIJRS J1000 Championship while also being Rounds 1 & 2 of the inaugural “King of the Hill” Rally Challenge which is a new initiative for 2026 and is Co-Hosted with Carrick on Suir M.C & Wexford M.C. After a successful Non-Championship event in 2024, Carrick on Suir M.C are a new addition to the Championship Calendar and will be the home to Rounds 3 & 4 on April 11th & 12th.
This event will also be Rounds 3 & 4 of the King of the Hill Rally Challenge.
We are staying in the Sunny South East for Rounds 5 & 6 on the 25th & 26th of April where Wexford M.C will welcome the Championship Competitors to the familiar Newbawn Venue.
This year the Irish Competitors will be able to gauge the talents against top Welsh Competitors as the Wexford Club have been chosen to host a round of the WAMC Welsh Sprint and Hill Climb Championship. Here we will also see the finale of the King of the Hill Rally Challenge.
After a mid-season break in May we head to the midlands on the 13th & 14th of June where Westmeath & District M.C will host Rounds 7 & 8. It’s across to Connacht for Rounds 9 & 10 on the 11th & 12th of July before heading to Mondello Park on the 15th & 16th of August for Rounds 11 & 12 where MEC will host the season finale.
Sunday 22.02.2026 we are having a virtual launch of the Championship and Vantage Point Videos will be in attendance. We will then go live with the Championship entries on Monday 23.02.2026.