Spectators invited to get up close and personal to the action at McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages
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THE McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages rally is coming to Moray and Aberdeenshire this weekend and spectators are again being invited to get close to the action.
The event - the first of the Scottish Rally Championship season - will begin with scrutineering on Friday (April 19) and the rally will run on Saturday.
Spectators in Elgin, Keith and Huntly are being given the chance to get close to the cars, meet the crews and really feel part of the action - all free of charge.
The rally will set off from Elgin’s Cooper Park at 9am on Saturday, April 20.
Cars will visit the Showfield in Keith twice during the day for a service. The first car of the day will arrive at 10.50am for servicing, and return at 1.10pm for a second service.
Similar to last year, there will be a regroup at The Square in Huntly. Between the day’s forest stages, cars will gather in the centre of the town - at around 12.10pm - allowing people in Huntly to meet crews and see the cars up close.
Each car will be in the regroup area for 20 minutes, with the last car due to leave at 1.45pm.
Course clerk Neil Shanks said: “It’s a good opportunity for people to get up close and personal with the drivers and co-drivers.
“They are a friendly bunch and they will answer questions and kids can get pictures with the cars.
“It’s not necessarily aimed at people who are knowledgeable about the sport, but more so local people with a passing interest.
“It’s something completely different - not something you would usually see on a Saturday lunchtime in Keith or Huntly.
“It brings a buzz and it’s a way we can help the towns and communities that the events run in. Hopefully local businesses get a boost, too.
“This is the third year doing this, it brings the sport to more people’s attention and has been popular so it’s something we would like to keep doing.”
There is plenty of local interest in the rally. John Wink (Huntly) will be aided by super-sub Will Atkins (Whitchurch), with regular navigator Neil Shanks on clerk of the course duties.
Navigator Michael Hendry (Aberlour) joins Mark McCulloch in a self-engineered Proton Satria Evo, while Scott Beattie (Alford) is behind the wheel of a Fiesta R5.
Scott Macbeth (Muir of Ord) and Dan Forsyth (Elgin) line up in their Fiesta, keen to do well on Dan’s home patch. Dougal Brown (Forres) and Lewis Rochford (Keith) are also home favourites, as is Brett Mckenzie (Elgin) in the 4wd class.
For those looking to see a piece of the action, there will be viewing in Bin Forest on Timber Avenue for stage six of the rally. The car park, run by Gartly Community Association, will cost £5 (cash only).
The viewing area is on a tree-lined bank above the road and will allow spectators to see cars hare down a fast section of the course.
The rally finishes at the UHI Moray campus in Elgin. There, the winner will be announced and podium celebrations will take place.
