Blue is the Colour ….
From the left: Bruce, Douglas, Gerry, Kieran, Kirstine and Colin
Dunfermline Car Club hosted its AGM in Perth yesterday and the new Committee (no changes from last year’s mob) confirmed that it will continue to organise and promote The MSA Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship in 2013 which is already underway following the Grant Construction Stages at Knockhill in December.
The new committee also took the opportunity to formally welcome and introduce its new 2013 STRC title sponsor to the club members, Blue Group.
The name may be unfamiliar to many rally followers, as Blue Group is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers and installers of quarrying and waste recycling machinery, but their Scottish Sales Manager Kieran O’Kane needs no introduction. Kieran is the owner and pilot of that glorious sounding, bright red, 3 litre Opel Ascona that has added a bit of aural magic to the Scottish series this past couple of seasons.
Although he is from ‘over there’, Kieran is now living and working ‘over here’ hence his interest in the Scottish series, but he’s hoping to tempt a few of his fellow Irish rallyists to some of the Scottish rounds and perhaps even encourage some of our lot to go over there and compete against his lot.
There is little in the way of change to the STRC series this year although the 1 litre class has been dropped due to no entries last year. A new addition to the over 2 litre class was announced though to separate the 2WD boys from the total traction brigade.
That means there will be 5 Classes in the Blue STRC Championship this year:
Class 1: Up to 1400cc
Class 2: 1401cc to 1600cc
Class 3: 1601cc to 2000cc
Class 4: 2001cc and above 2WD
Class 5: 2001cc and above 4WD
Competitors will count their best 6 class-finish scores from the 11 round series. Registered competitors will also get 2 points just for starting an event and there is the possibility of a bonus 5 points for marshalling or officiating at an event at which they are not competing! So make sure you read the Regs carefully.
The Blue STRC is also committed to the Junior Rally Challenge for 14 to 17 year olds and modifications have been made to the running of Dunfermline Car Club’s April event at Ingliston to accommodate the youngsters.
Another concern which was discussed was the issue of Marshals. This is a national concern not just a club, individual event or championship issue and the whole sport in Scotland will need to address this. It’s not just the need to attract new Marshals, it’s explaining their duties and responsibilities, and keeping them enthused and interested. Most club shave their own contact list, but I wonder if there could be a chance of compiling a national register? The trick here would be not to bombard the list with unneccessary information but provide dates of events and contacts for Chief Marshals and provide Marshals with interesting articles and information they wouldn’t get elsewhere. Marshals need to feel wanted, love and cuddled – or maybe that’s going too far, but if we don’t get them and keep them, rallying will suffer.
Entries in the STRC were up last year and with Blue’s help the Championship is hoping to build on that this year.
Championship Co-Ordinator – Gerry McCafferty
Email: gerry@gmc-motorsport.co.uk
Championship regs at: http://www.dunfermlinecarclub.co.uk/
Blue STRC Dates:
December 29 (21012), Knockhill Stages
March 30, Charterhall Stages
April 27, Ingliston Stages
June 02, Jim Clark Reivers
June 15, Crail Summer Stages
July 07, Turnbull Trophy
August 10, Solway Coast Rally
September 08, Lindisfarne Rally (TBC)
September 22, Pendragon Stages
October 11-13, Mull Rally
November 02, Kingdom Stages
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