The Pirelli-supported British Rally Championship alongwith this years Pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly will return to Scotland for the second time in one month as the BRC crews prepare for round three of the UKs premier rally series, the RSAC Scottish Rally, which takes place this weekend.
After a seven-year absence from the British Rally Championship, which is being supplied by Italian tyre firm Pirelli for the seventh year running, the Scottish Rally makes a welcome return in 2013. Staged in the town of Dumfries in the south west of Scotland, the one-day rally will take in nine stages and is set on gravela surface that Pirelli Star Driver Donnelly favours.
Weve had a tricky start to the season after our retirement at the Pirelli RBF Rally and various set-up problems at the Jim Clark, but the season is far from over. Were not even half-way through yet, said a defiant Donnelly.
The Scottish Rally is a leap into the unknown. We know very little about the stages as its only been a round of the Scottish Rally Championship for the past few years but there will be several of us in the same boat. Ive had some positive feedback about this event and it is renowned for its fast, flowing roads so it will be a perfect rally to try and get the throttle down and secure some more points. Wed like to finish this rally with a top five finish, and then aim for a podium or even a win in the second half of the season. The car is quick enough, we just need to ensure weve got all the right elements in place, added the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland.
Last years Pirelli Star Driver Jukka Korhonen has excelled himself this season and is living proof that Pirellis motorsport programme helps young drivers in their path to success. Korhonen, who is currently leading the British Rally Championship, has already taken two out of two victories in this years BRC and the Finn could make it a hat-trick when he travels north of the border once again this week.
For the Scottish Rally, Pirelli will supply its highly successful K6 Scorpion gravel tyres (ideal for cooler conditions) in 15-inch fitments. The harder Pirelli K4 gravel tyre will also be available, perfectly suited for sweeping away loose gravel.
Pirelli UK Tyres Operations Manager, Matthew Corby, commented: Scotland features some of the best rally stages in the UK so its fanastic that the British Rally Championship is heading north for a second time this year. All of the action has been condensed into one full day so the crews will need to be fully focused from the start. Were looking forward to working with our Pirelli Star Driver Mark Donnelly in Dumfries, he demonstrated excellent pace on the gravel roads in Cumbria which share several of the same characteristics that we can expect on this rally. Our Pirelli K4 tyre will work well if theres a lot of loose gravel on the roads for the second pass but if the temperatures drop, then the K4 will be a popular choice. As always, tyre management could prove crucial and the crews will have to take this into account on a rally which could be flat out from the word go.
The Scottish Rally will kick off with a traditional ceremonial start in Dumfries town centre at 1900 on Friday 28 June. Saturday will feature nine gravel stages before the crews arrive at the finish at approximately 1830.
