… Grampian Forest Rally, Saturday 9th August …
Hard to believe but the penultimate round of the KNC Groundworks Ltd Scottish Rally Championship hits the forests this weekend in the north east. The Grampian Forest Rally is due to get under way at 08.30 Hrs from Milton of Crathes on Saturday just outside and to the east of Banchory.
It’s hard to see who can unseat the Championship leaders, Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton with 3 victories out of 4 events so far. There’s no Garry Pearson this weekend as he has chosen to withdraw and conserve his budget for next year (sign of the times, eh!) which means the chase is most likely to be headed by the effervescent Jock Armstrong. Hoping to exert a modicum of control will be the ever efficient and rather more sensible Kirsty Riddick as Cameron Fair is on ‘maternity leave’.
However, much will be expected of Bruce McCombie and Michael Coutts. The local crew will have the full weight of the Banchorians on their side and the cakes will be fresher than ever as Bruce’s Mum can just walk from the hoose to the Service Area!
Also hoping to upset Thorburn’s plans are Donnie MacDonald and John Wink whilst waiting in the wings are the likes of Michael Binnie, Simon Hay, Alan Dickson and Thomas Gray. It will also be interesting to see how the Mk2 brigade get on with Iain Wilson resuming sideways combat with Mark McCulloch, Paul Mcerlean, and who knows, Chris Collie might even get in on the action.
FREE Programmes are available from (but get in there quick!):
Elgin: Autosave
Turriff: Autocare
Ellon: K&C Jewellers
Inverurie: Balgownie Equipment, Thainstone
Westhill: Hampton by Hilton
Kingswells: Five Mile Garage
Dyce: Blackburn Motors, Wellheads Road
Aberdeen: Albyn Garage, Albyn Lane
Torphins: Station Garage
Banchory: Taylors of Banchory, High Street
Stonehaven: Ritchie Leasing, Market Square
Stonehaven: Mill Inn Filling Station
Laurencekirk: Central Garage
St Cyrus: Wilson’s Garage
Detailed map and full Spectator Information on the Grampian Forest Rally website at:
https://www.grampianforestrally.co.uk/spectators/
There are two Spectator Areas with facilities where spectators can gather and see the cars once in the morning and again in the afternoon.
Durris: Stages 1 and 4. Access by B9077 Denside of Durris road, follow green arrows.
Fetteresso: Stages 2 and 6. Access from A957 Slug Road, follow green arrows.
It all gets underway at Milton of Crathes at 8.30am with the first car due to return at around 3pm in the afternoon so if you are planning some spectating get there early and be prepared with wellies and waterproofs.
Entry List
1, Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton (Duns/Inverness) Ford Focus WRC, Class 11
2, Jock Armstrong/Cameron Fair (Castle Douglas/Stewarton) Subaru Impreza, Class 10
3, Donnie MacDonald/Andrew Falconer (Inverness/Inverness) Ford Fiesta R5, Class 11
4, John Wink/Neil Shanks (Huntly/Elgin) Hyundai i20 R5, Class 11
5, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Banchory/Torphins) Ford Focus WRC, Class 11
6, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Dumfries/Archiestown) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 7
7, Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Cornhill-on-Tweed/Duns) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 9
8, Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Aberdeen/Torphins) Mitsubishi Evo6, Class 9
9, Alan Dickson/Martin Forrest (Glasgow/Bridge of Don) Lancer Evo9, Class 10
10, Thomas Gray/Harry Marchbank (Tore/Thornhill) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 9
11, Chris Collie/Gary McDonald (Aberdeen/Aberdeen) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 7
12, Ian Baumgart/Sinclair Young (Hawick/Lairg) Subaru Impreza , Class 9
14, Iain Wilson/Chris Williams (Dalbeattie/Millom) Ford Escort Mk2) Class 8
15, Kevin Crawford/Andrew Stevenson (Alford/Elgin) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 10
16, John McClory/David Hood (Glasgow/Elderslie) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 10
17, Martin Scott/Daniel Forsyth (Banchory/Elgin) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 9
18, Keith Morris/Terry Mallin (Aberdeen/Motherwell) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 10
19, Duncan MacDonald/Neil Ross (Portree/Portree) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 7
20, John Rintoul/Ross Hynd (Lower Largo/Inverbervie) Ford Fiesta R5, Class 11
21, Robert Adamson/Jane Nicol (Moscow/Edinburgh) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 7
22, Paul Mcerlean/Niall McKenna (Bellaghy/Draperstown) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 7
23, Robert Harkness/Michael Curry (Stewarton/Thornhill) Mitsubishi Evo9, Class 10
24, Martin Craik/Richard Wardle (Methven/Pickering) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
25, Gordon Murray/David O’Brien (Perth/Duns) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 8
26, Ian Forgan/Pete Carstairs (Lundin Links/St Andrews) Subaru Impreza, Class 10
27, Tom Coughtrie/Ian Fraser (Ayr/Aros) Mitsubishi Galant VR4, Class 5
28, Bobby Mitchell/Craig Wallace (Dunbar/Kirriemuir) Ford Fiesta ST, Class 6
29, Matthew Thomson/Ian Graham (Inverurie/Inverurie) Subaru Impreza GC8, Class 9
30, Brett McKenzie/Susan Shanks (Elgin/Elgin) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
31, Paddy Munro/Gordon Chalmers (Kyle/Inverness) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 4
32, Jamie McIntyre/Gerry Bryden (Sorn/Sorn) Ford Escort Mk 2, Class 8
33, Calum M MacLeod/Claudia MacLeod (Bad Aibling/Bad Aibling) MG S2000, Class 10
34, Duncan Campbell/Gavin Chisholm (Mauchline/Kilmarnock) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
35, Scott Beattie/Peredur Wyn Davies (Alford/Pwllheli) Mitsubishi Evo7, Class 10
36, Jude MacDonald/Michael Cruickshank (Inverness/Crieff) Skoda Fabia R2, Class 3
37, Keir Beaton/Iain Thorburn (Inverness/Elgin) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 8
38, Grant Duncan Inglis/Robert Gray (Glasgow/Glasgow) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 5
39, Linzi Henderson/Tom Hynd (Carnwath/Inverbervie) Ford Fiesta R2T, Class 6
40, Walter Henderson/Jim Kinloch (Carnwath/Steinheim) Ford Escort, Class 4
41, James Campbell/Ricky Finlayson (Watten/Inverness) Talbot Sunbeam Ti, Class 2
42, John O’Kane/Meghan O’Kane (Kyle/Kyle) Ford Escort Mk2 , Class 4
43, Douglas Watt/Ian Parker (Inveraray/Lochgilphead) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 4
44, Mike Grant/Graham Kelman (Elgin/Elgin) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
45, Mike Moates/Mat Johnstone (Ellon/Subaru) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
46, Max Redpath/Callum Redpath (Berwickshire/Duns) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
47, Colin Patterson/Gary Clark (Esbjerg/Alness) Ford Escort, Class 4
48, Duncan Ferguson/Alex Murphy (Dalmellington/Patna) Ford Escort BDG, Class 5
49, Colin Baxter/John Campbell (Tain/Invergordon) Ford Escort Popular, Class 4
50, Neil Philip/Ian Philip (Elgin/Stonehaven) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
51, Johnnie Mackay/Emily Easton-Page (Newburgh/Finzean) Ford Fiesta ST, Class 6
52, Fraser Smith/Kenny Foggo (Houston/Munlochy) Honda Civic, Class 3
53, Bill Nicoll/Ian Shiells (Brechin/Monikie) Mitsubishi Evo6, Class 9
54, Scott Peacock/Robin Neil (Castle Douglas/Haugh of Urr) MG ZR, Class 1
55, Arthur MacMillan/Hugo MacMillan (Langbank/Langbank) Ford Escort Mk1, Class 5
56, John Brownie/Daniel Christie (Kintore/Insch) Opel Kadett C, Class 7
57, Alistair Brearley/Paul Barbet (Galashiels/Chester) Ford Escort RS, Class 7
58, Michael Renton/John Shepheard (Bonar Bridge/Elgin) Peugeot 306, Class 6
59, Paul Collins/Robert Wood (Rosneath/Dumbarton) Subaru Impreza, Class 9
60, Caroline Carslaw/Charley Sayer-Payne (Dunlop/Glasgow) Ford Fiesta R2, Class 3
61, Ernie Lee/Patricia Milligan (Ellon/Ellon) BMW 325i, Class 5
62, Rhuaridh Campbell/Shaina Archibald (Glenshiel/Invermoriston) Chrysler Sunbeam , Class 7
63, Steve McGregor/Malcolm Vie (Laurencekirk/Laurencekirk) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3, Class 9
64, Robert Tonge/Sean Newlands (Elgin/Pitmedden) MG ZR, Class 1
65, Aileen Forrest/John Forrest (Inverurie/Inverurie) Mitsubishi Evo5, Class 9
66, Ian Milne/Sandy Milne (Brechin/Brechin) Ford Escort Mk2, Class 5
67, Nikki Addison/Rachel Matheson (Inverness/Beauly) Peugeot 106 GTI, Class 3
68, Alan Wallace/Darren Robertson (Aberdeen/Aberdeen) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6, Class 10
69, David McLeod/Eamonn Boyle (Mauchline/Kilmarnock) Chrysler Sunbeam, Class 7
70, Bill Pringle/Stuart Murphy (Ayr/Patna) Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000, Class 5
71, Darren McDonald/Greg McDonald (Mosstodloch/Mosstodloch) Subaru Impreza GC8, Class 9
72, Christopher Gillies/Ryan Dougan (Isle of Skye/Isle of Skye) Citroen C2 GT, Class 3