Mull Rally 2026: Getting Your Rally Car Ready for the Night

The Mull Rally is back in October 2026, with Mull Car Club taking responsibility for organising this year's closed-road event on the Isle of Mull.

The 2026 rally is scheduled for Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October, and for anyone preparing a car for Mull, there is one part of the preparation that deserves particular attention: lighting.

Mull has a long association with night-time rallying, and the sight of rally cars disappearing into the darkness with their auxiliary lamps lighting the way is part of what makes the event so distinctive.

For competitors, though, those lamps aren't there simply to look the part. They are an important part of the car's night-stage setup.

Why auxiliary lighting matters

Driving a rally car quickly at night places very different demands on the driver from a daylight stage.

The driver needs to identify the road ahead, understand where it is going and react to changes in direction and surface as early as possible. Good auxiliary lighting can provide additional illumination beyond the car's standard lighting and, importantly, allow the lighting package to be configured around the requirements of the car and driver.

That doesn't necessarily mean fitting the biggest or most powerful lamps available.

A good setup is about choosing the appropriate beam pattern, lamp size and position for the car and the conditions in which it will be used.

WESEM rally lights

At Race Rally Supplies, we stock the dedicated WESEM rally lighting range, including the RAJD2 and RAJD3 additional rally lamps.

WESEM's RAJD3 is specifically described by the manufacturer as being particularly recommended for rally cars. It is available in 122mm, 150mm and 180mm diameters, with both driving and fog-light configurations. Depending on the version, the lamps are available with H3 or Xenon light sources.

The RAJD3 is also designed for installation into a spoiler recess, making it particularly useful where a neat, integrated lamp installation is required. The units are rated IP55 and use a glass lens with a plastic and metal housing.

For larger installations, the WESEM RAJD2 180mm provides another dedicated rally option. It is available in driving and fog configurations, with H3 or Xenon light sources, 35W Xenon or up to 100W H3 versions, and an IP55 rating. WESEM specifically describes the lamp as recommended for rally cars and designed for installation on special spoilers and in their recesses.

There is also a 150mm RAJD2, offering the same choice of driving or fog functions and H3 or Xenon light sources in a slightly smaller package.

Driving lights or fog lights?

One of the advantages of the WESEM rally range is the ability to select different beam functions rather than treating every auxiliary lamp as the same.

A driving lamp is intended to provide long-range forward illumination, while a fog pattern distributes light differently and can be useful when visibility is affected by conditions such as fog, spray or heavy rain.

For a rally such as Mull, where conditions can change considerably during a weekend, the ability to build a lighting setup around different functions can be particularly useful.

The right combination will depend on the individual car, its mounting arrangement and the type of lighting setup required.

H3 or Xenon?

WESEM offers both H3 halogen and Xenon versions across its dedicated RAJD2 and RAJD3 rally lamps.

The Xenon versions use a 12V Xenon light source and are supplied with the appropriate ballast as part of the relevant lamp configuration.

WESEM UK's current motorsport range also includes 180mm Xenon units for competitors looking for maximum long-range illumination, with the manufacturer stating a beam distance exceeding 700 metres.

For anyone preparing a serious night-stage car, that gives plenty of scope to build a lighting package around the level of illumination required.

It's not just about the lamps

A good night-rally lighting setup is about more than simply bolting a set of lamps onto the front of the car.

Lamp positioning, beam direction, electrical installation and the overall combination of driving and fog lamps all need to be considered.

It's also worth remembering that the regulations for the particular event always take precedence. Competitors should check the current supplementary regulations and Motorsport UK requirements before finalising their lighting installation.

Getting ready for Mull

With the 2026 Mull Rally scheduled for October, now is the time to start thinking about the details that can make the difference when the sun goes down.

For competitors heading to Mull, auxiliary lighting should be part of the preparation rather than something considered at the last minute.

WESEM's dedicated rally range offers a choice of sizes, beam patterns and light sources, from compact 122mm RAJD3 units through to 180mm RAJD2 and RAJD3 lamps, allowing competitors to build a setup around their particular car.

And when the roads of Mull disappear into the darkness, having the right lighting on the front of the car could be one of the most important parts of your preparation.

Explore the WESEM rally lighting range at Race Rally Supplies and get your car ready for the night.