'Record' numbers to take on 2026 Manx National Rally

Two-day racing series starts today with 170 crews involved

What's believed to be a record number of racing teams are set to take on the 2026 Manx National Rally which gets underway later today (8 May).

The two-day series across Friday and Saturday (8-9 May) will see competitors cover more than 130 classic stage miles with the event also forming parts of five different championships.

In total, 170 cars are signed up to be involved which organisers, Manx Auto Sport, believe to be the biggest single entry for a rally in the 60-year history of closed-roads rallying on Manx shores.

Deputy Clerk of the Course, Mark Ellison, says it's currently estimated that the event could provide an economic boost to the Island of more than £2million:

An untimed shakedown session took place for competitors last night (7 May) with the first official stage getting underway this morning (8 May) from 9.15am.

Along with forming the second round of the ProTyre Asphalt Rally Championship, the 2026 Manx National Rally will also be a double-header round of the Fuchs Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championships and the newly-formed Roger Albert Clark Historic Asphalt Rally Championship.

Outside of those, the meeting will also welcome contenders involved in the ANWCC Stage Rally Championship and also form the opening phase of this year's Manx Auto Sport Stage Rally Championship.

In one of a number of changes to the format for 2026, the Manx National Rally will be based this year at Andreas Airfield in the north of the Island - in previous years, the event has operated out of the TT Grandstand area in Douglas.

You can find full details of the road closures for this year's Manx National Rally across today and tomorrow below: