An impressive line-up some some of the best drivers in the country will head for Dalbeattie this weekend, as the 78th edition of the RSAC Scottish Rally takes place on Saturday 20 July.
Around 80 crews are set to tackle the ionic event which was first run in 1932, with a top-class entry assembling in the Dumfries and Galloway town to contest the one-day forest rally. Over 44 stage miles spread over six tests lie ahead, with 6 stages in the Dalbeattie, Kinharvie and Glengap forests to test the crews to the limit.
Returning once again to the Jas P Wilson Forest Machines facility in Dalbeattie, the rally will also bring the sport into the heart of the town, thanks to the all-new finish ceremony in High Street on Saturday afternoon, where fans can experience the exciting awards and champagne celebrations after a tough day in the forests.
Leading the crews away on Saturday morning will be last year’s winner Jock Armstrong, this time piloting a Skoda Fabia after years behind the wheel of his familiar Subaru Impreza. The Castle Douglas driver stormed to victory last year but has a swathe of talented rivals to do battle with and this event marks Armstrong and co-driver Own Paterson’s maiden gravel voyage with the car.
No one has won more Scottish Rally’s than Dumfries ace David Bogie, and he lines up as number two seed with John Rowan on the notes in a bid to make it eight event wins. Using a VW Polo R5, Bogie’s form on the event is unrivalled but hasn’t been in the woods since April.
Current Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship leader Euan Thorburn also heads for Dalbeattie in a VW Polo after back-to-back SRC wins at the Jim Clark and Argyll. The Duns driver has Keir Beaton alongside and will be searching for his first gravel win of 2024.
Finlay Retson and Paul Beaton mark the third of four VW Polo’s in the top five seeds and were denied an encouraging result in 2023 on the event, after a final stage retirement. It’s been a positive start to Retson’s season so far and a good result next week could put him back in the SRC title race.
Another Dumfries driver, Rory Young rounds out the top five, again in a Polo R5. With Allan Cathers on the notes, Young will be aiming to get his season back on track and second place last time out in Argyll is a sign of his intent.
Making the trip over from Carryduff in Northern Ireland, Jonny Greer will start his first Scottish Rally since 2017. Driving a Citroen C3 Rally2, Greer and co-driver Niall Burns are aiming for gravel miles after several seasons on tar, with the Irishman finishing as high as 5th overall in the past on the event.
John Wink makes the journey down from Huntly in his Hyundai i20 R5 with Neil Shanks alongside, whilst Dumfries ace Mark McCulloch will bring his Proton Satria Evo. McCulloch currently lies second overall in the SRC standings and will be aiming for a better outcome on the rally this year, as he and co-driver Michael Hendry failed to make the start in 2023.
Hugh Brunton [Skoda Fabia RS] and Scott Beattie/Peredur Davies [Fiesta R5] round out the top ten contenders. True local, and rally base boss Iain Wilson from Dalbeattie will head back onto the stages this year but swaps his four-wheel-drive Fiesta for a seat in the popular MG3 Rally Challenge which also joins the event in 2024.
Crews from the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship also join the fray, as does the UK Armed Forces Rally Team who have been bringing their Land Rovers to the event since 1963.
Fans will be well catered for as usual with many opportunities to see the cars and stars up close and in action during the weekend. On Friday [19 June] the Jas P Wilson Forest Machines facility hosts the pre-event technical checks where fans can wander around the cars ahead of the rally. The venue also hosts service on Saturday at which spectators are welcomed, and a large scale screen will provide the live action rom the stages.
Two stages provide excellent viewing, with Eleanor Cordiner Glengap near Lauriston village getting underway from around 08:40, running again in the afternoon at around 13:15. The Peter Burnside Dalbeattie test starts around 11:00 and then 15:15. That stage can be accessed via the free shuttle bus service from Jas P Wilson Forest Machines.
High Street in Dalbeattie will host the Ceremonial finish in the town from around 16:00, the perfect ending to a high-speed day behind the wheel for the weary competitors.
Dumfries and Galloway Council have long been loyal supporters of the rally, with this year marking the 27th anniversary of the partnership which is understood to be the longest-running partnership between a rally and a local authority anywhere in Britain. The rally forms one of the Council’s seven ‘signature events`, which cover everything from Burns Suppers to arts festivals and World Championship Ice Hockey each year.
Former winners of the event include World Rally Championship legends such Colin McRae, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist.
Keep up to date via social media:
www.facebook.com/scottishrally and www.twitter.com/scottishrally and the event website hosts further information for spectators www.scottishrally.co.uk
