Motorsport: Poignant tribute all set for rally legend

Sep 26 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

IT’S shaping-up as one of the most spectacular sporting events Perthshire has ever seen.

Rally fans from near and far are being lured to the Fair City for the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally.

Tomorrow’s event, with organisers anticipating crowds of up to 40,000 descending on the Big County route, will pay poignant tribute to the Scots rally legend and one-time world champion who lost his life in a helicopter crash.

The entry list reads like a “Who’s Who” from the rally world past and present.

Heading the star-studded 140-strong entry list are Jim and Alister McRae, Colin’s father and brother.

Joining them are five former world rally champions - Bjorn Waldegard (1979), Ari Vatanen (1981), Hannu Mikkola (1983), Stig Blomqvist (1984) and Scotland’s own Louise Aitken-Walker, who won the ladies world title in 1990.

From the USA come John Buffum, Travis Pastrana and Ken Block, joining former British champions Russell Brookes and Malcolm Wilson. Rounding off the ‘home nation’ presence is Welshman Phil Collins and Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke.

Completing the ‘Famous 15’ line-up is Andrew Cowan, the winner of the world’s first marathon rally when he won the London to Sydney Marathon in a Scottish built Hillman Hunter in 1968.

And he’s not the only one driving an historic two wheel drive rally car. As a tribute to Colin’s love of two wheel drives, superstars will be behind the wheels of cars from the past, such as Escort Mkl1 and Mk2, Porsche 911, Sunbeam Lotus and Opel Ascona.

Tonight, rallying’s “royalty” will assemble for the most star-studded Rally Forum ever staged on British soil. The venue is Perth Racecourse.

In association with Ford Motor Company, Coltness Car Club and Ford World Rally Team sponsor Eddie Stobart have rigged-up a huge 25 square metre giant TV screen to relay sound and vision from the Forum stage inside the Nelson grandstand function suite to fans gathering outside.

The concept is unique in British rallying and the organisers are hoping for a great atmosphere – and good weather! McRae charities will benefit from the event.

Backers Pirelli have brought their car simulator north and fans can get a bird’s eye view of the scrutineering process today from 2-8pm.

RALLY fans taking in the action can bag programmes at the starting grid in Perth city centre and at spectator car parks around the route.

Green arrows by the roadside will indicate the location of these car parks once in the vicinity.

A list of these Car Park locations are available on the Coltness Car Club website: www.coltnesscarclub.co.uk

TIMETABLE – Friday: 8.20pm to 10.20pm - Rally Forum, Perth Racecourse, Nelson Stand suite;

Saturday: 9:01am start at Perth City Halls, King Edward Street.

9.58am Special Stage 1 – Fonab;

10.36am Special Stage 2 – Errochty, overlooking Loch Tummel;

11.36am Special Stage 3 – Drummond Hill, near Kenmore;

12.08pm Service and lunch halt – Aberfeldy;

13.08pm Special Stage 4 – Griffin, near Aberfeldy;

13.53pm Special Stage 5 – Craigvinean, near Dunkeld;

14.48pm Rally finish – Perth City Halls.

Competing cars start at one minute intervals, so the field of 140 cars will take over two hours to pass any given point.