There’s to be a dramatic twist to the final day’s action on this year’s RACMSA Rally of Scotland (15-17 October) with the creation of a new competitive timed special stage.
Sunday’s action will continue to include two runs through the mighty 30km Loch Ard test. However, this has been altered in lay-out slightly to help make way for the new stage, called Clashmore, that event Clerk of the Course Iain Campbell says will more than keep fans and competing crews happy.
“Our new stage, Clashmore, is a cracker,” enthuses Campbell. “It’s 16km in length and, if anything, it’s more of a technical challenge than we had before. The start is very narrow with off-camber corners before joining a new forest road that takes in part of the Loch Ard stage. The final two-thirds are very fast and the committed driver will make the most of this test.
“Loch Ard itself has undergone a couple of changes with the addition of a new loop that climbs over the hill at the back of Drymen. The many crests in here will ensure that the crews have to concentrate right to the very last metre of Rally of Scotland.”
Clashmore replaces the Achray stage which event organiser IMS decided instead to avoid after the Scottish Forestry Commission pointed out a drafting error in recent Land Reform legislation that affects the suspension of access to what are termed as ‘core paths’. Clashmore’s inclusion therefore means a new location for Sunday’s remote service area for competing Intercontinental Rally Challenge crews – originally planned for Callander but which has now been moved to Aberfoyle’s Wool Centre. National B competitors, taking part in a Sunday-only rally that follows the main IRC event, are likely to have their service switched as a consequence as well, to the Forestry Commission’s district office outside Aberfoyle.
The 2010 Rally of Scotland (15-17 October) is the penultimate round of the high-profile Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC). Some of the world’s leading rally teams, cars and drivers – including Brits Guy Wilks, Kris Meeke and Scotland’s own Alister McRae – will be in action during the three-day event which consists of high-speed timed special stages through forests in Perthshire and Stirlingshire and promises to be one of Scotland’s premier sporting spectacles of the year.
Admission to all timed stages is free for children aged 15 and under, while adults can order their tickets in advance and have them posted to their home address prior to the event – removing the hassle of picking them up at a collection point. Adult tickets cost £10 to see the Ceremonial Start and opening two stages at Scone Palace (Fri 15 Oct) or £20 for a day pass which offers full access to all stages on either the Saturday or the Sunday. Alternatively a full-event ‘Alba Pass’ (in advance only) can also be purchased for £45. All tickets include a complimentary souvenir official spectator programme worth £6.50.
Tickets can be booked via the official allyofscotland.com website
The rallyofscotland.com website also provides public with event information such as the rally route, stage times and descriptions etc.
