… Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, October3-4 …
With just 3 weeks to go before the final round of the ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship, entries are steadily coming in for the ‘Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally’ on the weekend of 3/4 October.
Coltness Car Club, who organise the Perthshire based event, have also finalised the route for this year’s unique format. Starting from Perth at Noon on Saturday the 3rd of October, competitors will tackle three forest stages before an overnight halt – and motor sports panel night in Perth.
On Sunday morning the 4th of October, competitors will tackle the final two tests including one of Colin McRae’s “all-time favourite stages”, the fast and fearsome 13 mile Errochty stage. A fitting finale to determine who will become the 2015 Scottish Rally Champion!
After six rounds of high speed action in the forests all around Scotland (and north of England!) the title chase has come down to a straightforward three-way fight on this final deciding round. Only three drivers can now win the title – Bruce McCombie (Banchory), Jock Armstrong (Castle Douglas) and Mike Faulkner (Aspatria).
But it’s not just overall honours and national glory at stake, other titles have yet to be decided in the various capacity classes for smaller cars and newer drivers. That means battles all the way.
Following a final route inspection at the weekend, the Lanarkshire based organising team have now confirmed their route for the event and the rally weekend timetable. (Full details will be published next week).
Included in the route details are the locations for, and directions to, the official ‘Rally Spectator Areas’. Working with the Forestry Commission, Coltness Car Club have created one location on the Saturday where spectators can see the cars passing twice, and one area on the Sunday.
And if anyone wonders why spectating is being so restricted, perhaps a visit to the ‘Rally Forum’ on Saturday evening will provide the answers. The forum will be divided into two parts. The first part will feature star drivers, while the second more serious part will feature a unique insight into the changing face of rallying in Scotland.
For the first time, the Scottish Government Civil Servant, Jacqueline Campbell, and the UK’s first appointed Rally Safety Delegate, Nicky Moffit have both agreed to appear on this public stage and answer questions from the floor.
Joining them on the panel will be the President of the Scottish Car Clubs Association, twice British Touring Car motor racing champion (and former rally driver!) John Cleland, along with motor sports journalist, John Fife.
This will provide competitors and rally fans with their first opportunity to meet and hear from those people who have been charged with making changes to motor sport and rally competitors are being urged to attend to find out what the future of their sport might be.
The Forum will be held in the Pentland Land Rover showroom on Dunkeld Road in Perth at 7.30 pm on Saturday evening the 3rd of October.
This year’s Colin McRae Forest Rally promises an event not to be missed, or should that be two events?
Keep up to date with Coltness Car Club news and activities:
Website: http://www.coltnesscarclub.com/index.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coltness-Car-Club/105760106136120
Photos: Rally stages are run through working forests. Working with Forest Enterprise the rally organisers agree which roads can be used and the foresters plan their work around them. In the next few weeks, harvested timber will be cleared from the roadsides and working machinery parked up over the weekend.