… Knockhill … Under Starter’s Orders …
The 41st season of motor sport will get under way this weekend at Knockhill Race Circuit, when Scotland’s national motor sports centre will host the opening round of the 2015 Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship on Sunday 4th January.
60 cars and crews will gather from all four corners of Scotland plus a guest or two from Northern Ireland and the North East of England to contest Sunday’s Grant Construction Knockhill Stages Rally.
An Eddie Kelly pic of Ross Hunter last year
Other drivers to look out for include the 2007 Scottish Rally Champion, Gary Adam from Tillicoultry in his Ford Escort Mk2 and the similarly mounted and equally spectacular John Paterson from Motherwell, plus Ayrshire’s Charlie Shaw and Alan Kirkaldy from St Andrews. Shaw has never contested a rally before but is no stranger to power and high speed as he regularly competes in Time Attack events in a 1000hp Ford Focus, while Kirkaldy has twice won the Scottish BMW Compact Cup motor racing series.
However, if it is wet and slippy, then the constantly changing slippery tarmac and loose gravel surfaces could provide the lower powered cars with a distinct advantage. In conditions like this, Ross Hunter from Newtown St Boswells could well spring a surprise. He was challenging for the rally lead last year until his 2 litre Peugeot 205 developed a fault, while Iain Wilson (Dalbeattie) in his 1600cc Vauxhall Nova and ‘Dangerous’ Des Campbell from Coldstream in his Peugeot 206 have been known to embarrass much more powerful cars when conditions suit.
And guaranteed to warm the coldest hearts and tingle the eardrums is Kevin Ronaldson’s MG Metro 6R4. The Maryburgh driver has long been a fan of the V6 powered machine and continues to delight the rally crowds.
Gates open this coming Sunday morning at 7:30am with the first car setting of on the first of 8 Special Stages at 8:30am. Spectators can pre-book tickets online at £6 per adult or £8 at the gate on the day. Parking is free and all spectators will receive a 2015 programme of events at Knockhill plus a Special Offer for the Knockhill Rally School.
For rally fans, there’s no better way to kick start the New Year.
Full Entry List (showing Driver and Co-drivers’ home towns):
1, Michael Glendinning/Paul Hughes (Ryton/TBA) Subaru Impreza
2, Ian Paterson/Helen Brown (Mouswald/TBA) Subaru Impreza
3, Andrew Gallacher/Tom Blackwood (Kilmarnock/Kilmarnock) Ford Escort Cosworth
4, Donnie MacDonald/Alan Smith (Inverness/ Inverness) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9
5, Stuart Walker/Julie McGuire (Torphichen/Grangemouth) Skoda Fabia S2000
6, Nigel Feeney/Phil Sandham (Monkton/Carnforth) Subaru Impreza B13
7, Lee Hastings/TBA (Collin/TBA) Subaru Impreza
8, Jim Sharp/Shona Hale (Ardwell/Dunfermline) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9
9, Charlie Shaw/TBA (Sorn/Mauchline) Subaru Impreza
10, Gary Adam/Gordon Adam (Dollar/Tillicoultry) Ford Escort Mk2
11, John Paterson/TBA (Motherwell/TBA) Ford Escort Mk2
12, Ross Hunter/Gary White (St Boswells/St Boswells) Peugeot 205
14, Iain Wilson/Keith Riddick (Dalbeattie/Castle Douglas) Vauxhall Nova
15, Jim McDowall/Charlotte McDowall (Creetown/Creetown) Subaru Impreza N10
16, Kevin Ronaldson/Barry Hogg (Maryburgh/TBA) Metro 6R4
17, Des Campbell/Harry Marchbank (Coldstream/Thornhill) Peugeot 206
18, Scott McBeth/Andrew Falconer (Rosemarkie/Inverness) Vauxhall Nova
19, Chris McCallum/Peter McCallum (Ayr/ Ayr) Ford Escort Mk2
20, Craig Gibson/Chris Lees (East Kilbride/East Kilbride) Ford Escort Mk1
21, Billy McLelland/Chloe Fleming (Kirkconnel/Uddingston) Opel Kadett 400
22, Graeme Rintoul/Jim Rintoul (Kirkcaldy/Ceres) Ford Fiesta
23, Alan Kirkaldy/TBA (St Andrews/TBA) Ford Escort
24, Ross McFadzean/TBA (Troon/TBA) Subaru Impreza
25, Craig Stewart/Wattie Warwick (Falkirk/Biggar) Subaru Impreza
26, Graeme Sherry/Cameron Fair (Gartcosh/Stewarton) Renault Clio
27, Paul Ballantyne/Graham Bruce (Peterhead/Marykirk) Renault Clio
28, Gordon Winning/Robin Laird (Neilston/Houston) Ford Escort Mk2
29, Ross Carbry/Kyle Livingstone (Carluke/TBA) Vauxhall Corsa
30, Erle Strachan/Nick Young (Aberlour/Gateshead) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6
31, Greg Inglis/Cammy Reid (Montrose/Stirling) Citroen Saxo
32, James Gibb/Billy Gower (Kilmarnock/Galston) Subaru Impreza
33, Carin Logan/Christine Sanderson (Smailholm/Scremerston) Citroen Saxo VTS
34, Peter Humphrey/Dougie Humphrey (Dunbar/Dunbar) Opel Kadett Coupe
35, Kevin Clarke/Steven Ogston (Aberdeen/Kintore) Vauxhall Nova
36, Gordon McElrath/TBA (Cupar/TBA) Vauxhall Chevette
37, Scott Morrison/Craig Sim (Elgin/Elgin) Vauxhall Corsa
38, Keith Meins/Graeme Meins (Eyemouth/Eyemouth) Proton Satria
39, Lindsay Taylor/David Murie (Erskine/Glasgow) Peugeot 205 GTI
40, Ewen MacGillivray/Shona MacGillivray (Oban/Mull) Vauxhall Nova
41, Mark Runciman/Julian May (East Kilbride/Glasgow) Vauxhall Nova
42, Ian Shiells/Nicola Ritchie (Ellon/Premnay) BMW Compact
43, John Maxwell/TBA (Cupar/TBA) Ford Escort Mk2
44, John Robertson/Violet Kydd (Crieff/Perth) Ford Escort Mk2
45, Peter Garrow/Karen Garrow (Elgin/Elgin) Audi TT
46, Norman McLaughlin/William MacKenzie (Elgin/Brechin) Subaru Impreza
47, Jock McFarlane/George Donaldson (Blairgowrie/Alyth) Ford Fiesta ST
48, Donald Bowness/Ian Parker (TBA/Lochgilphead) Vauxhall Nova
49, Kevin MacIver/Robin Nicolson (Cruden Bay/Largs) Ford Escort Mk2
50, Archie MacCallum/TBA (Glasgow/TBA) Vauxhall Corsa
51, Iain Miller/Gary McDonald (Ellon/Aberdeen) Peugeot 106
52, Kevin Burns/Gordon Finnie (Blairgowrie/Perth) Peugeot 106 GTI
53, Leonard Jones/Greg Paterson (Tillicoultry/TBA) Vauxhall Chevette
54, Eamonn Kilmurray/Derek Cassells (Kennoway/Windygates) Vauxhall Nova
56, Ross Auld/Alister Haw (Isle of Arran/Paisley) Ford Escort Mk2
57, Robert Irvine/Robert Cumming (Rosyth/Ayr) Vauxhall Astra
58, Ali Dalgleish/David Dalgleish (Lanark/Lanark) Subaru Impreza
59, Michael Robertson/Richard Stewart (Dunfermiline/Falkirk) Toyota Aygo
60, Sandy Fairbairn/Steven Hay (Earlston/Glenrothes) Nissan Micra
61, Scott Irvine/Claire Grant (Oakley/Oakley) Peugeot 205
62, Derrick Jobb/TBA (Fintona, N.Ireland/TBA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9