Leading local convenience store, Today’s, has been announced as the headline sponsor of the 2019 Ulster Rally, which will be taking place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th of August.

Today’s is operated by local wholesaler Savage and Whitten (S&W) and is based at Carnbane Business Park in Newry – the new host city of the 2019 Today’s Ulster International Rally.
The Managing Director of Today’s, Dessie Boyce, and the business’s Marketing Director, Julie Burden, said they are “delighted” to be joining forces with the closed-roads meeting.

“The Ulster Rally has a proud history and reputation for exciting competition,” they said. “We are especially pleased to support the event as it will, for the first time in its history, be based in the city of Newry against the backdrop of the beautiful Mourne Mountains and receive support from Newry Mourne and Down District Council,” added Dessie and Julie.

S&W Wholesale’s history dates to 1916 with the establishment of Newry Cash and Carry and again to 1920 when J&E Whitten was formed. Both firms merged in 2000 to become S&W – one of the largest independent wholesalers in Northern Ireland and distributor for Today’s.

Today’s currently has 135 shops and local convenience stores throughout Ireland. At the heart of Today’s ethos is providing customers with the best prices and offering an excellent choice of everyday products that have been sourced locally. This is achieved through regular promotional cycles so that Today’s customers are offered non-stop deals all year round. The leading retailer gives customers attractive deals that are unmatched by any of their rivals.

Welcoming Today’s as the headline sponsor of the event, Event Director, Richard Swanston, said: “This will be an exciting year of new beginnings for the Ulster Rally, with the move to Newry and now a new title sponsor. Planning by our experienced team of volunteers has been underway now for several months and after much hard work the arrangements for the 2019 event are now well advanced. The event will take place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th of August. Full details of the route will be announced at the rally launch on Tuesday, June 25th.”

Once again, the Northern Ireland Motor Club organised competition will be a round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Trophy. The FUCHS Lubricants Motorsport UK British Historic Rally Championship and the FUCHS Lubricants Historic Asphalt Rally Championship will also be represented at the new-look Today’s Ulster Rally.

(ENDS)

Captions
Pictured, from left, is Robert Harkness, the President of Northern Ireland Motor Club, Julie Burden, Marketing Director of Savage and Whitten, Michael Skelton, Savage and Whitten Sales Director, and Ulster Rally Event Director Richard Swanston.

Notes to the Editor

  • This year’s Ulster Rally is sponsored by Today’s, your local convenience store;
  • Based in Newry, the event takes place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th of August;
  • The rally comprises nine stages in Counties Down and Armagh totalling 94 miles;
  • The Ulster Rally is now in its 43rd year and is run by The Northern Ireland Motor Club;
  • Competitor entry up-dates can be viewed at ulsterrally.com/competitors

In recent years the Ulster Rally has attracted 20,000 people, from spectators and visitors, to officials and competitors with this generating £1m for the local economy. The 2019 event is set to be broadcast on TV – both locally and nationally – and will be followed by millions throughout the world via the Ulster Rally website, Facebook and Twitter.