Scotland will return to the highest level of world rallying for the first time in more than 20 years when Perth and Stirling jointly host the final round of next year’s prestigious Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
First Minister Alex Salmond, rally crash helmet neatly tucked under his arm, confirmed the news in Glasgow today and believes the three-day event will accelerate Scotland’s position higher up the world motorsport stage.
“For too long Scotland has been off the world stage when it came to hosting an event at the highest level of motorsport,” he said. “Now, by hosting the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Scotland is back at the forefront of the action.
“Scotland has long enjoyed a rich motorsport heritage, with names like Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Louise Aitken-Walker and Colin McRae all being synonymous with success at a world level. Now we’re going to show the world how to put on a world class rally.”
Provisionally named the RAC RallyScotland, the event will run from November 19-21 and though the final route has yet to be confirmed, it’s expected it will include some of Scotland’s toughest gravel rally stages in Central and Eastern Scotland.
Contested by many of the world’s fastest rally drivers, the IRC sits immediately below the World Rally Championship and is for 2.0-litre Super2000 cars. Such is the importance of the IRC in world motorsport that Monte Carlo will host the opening round.
“We’ve certainly accelerated into exhalted company,” Salmond, who spent time chatting with Scotland’s young up-and-coming rally ace David Bogie from Dumfries, continued.
“Monte Carlo is well established in the motorsport calendar with its round of the World Rally Championship and the Monaco Grand Prix. Today’s announcement certainly pitches us against the principality in terms of fighting to be the jewel in the IRC crown.”
And the announcement was welcomed by Scots rally veteran Andrew Cowan, the Duns-based maestro who masterminded Finn Tommi Makinen’s world rally domination at Mitsubishi throughout the Nineties.
“It’s absolutely magnificent for Scotland,” Cowan beamed. “Scotland has missed out on being at the forefront of world rallying for too long. The recent Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally in Perth showed just how good a well organised Scottish event can be.”
In addition to the opening round in Monte Carlo, next year’s 10-round IRC is scheduled to include events in Turkey, Italy, Russia, and China, as well as attracting the involvement of works’ teams from Fiat, Citroen, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, VW and Honda.
The Scottish round has been made possible following a joint approach by both Perth & Kinross and Stirlingshire councils to the Scottish Government through EventScotland. Backed by the Forestry Commission Scotland, the event was given the green light.
“Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Scotland and demonstrates yet again our nation’s credentials as the perfect stage for major international events,” Paul Bush, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland said.
“Scotland hasn’t hosted a rally of this stature for 20 years since the RAC Rally came to Scotland and staging the final round of the IRC provides an opportunity to further enhance Scotland’s reputation within the motorsport industry.”
The event — which is expected to generate at least £3 million in additional revenue — will also act as a major tourism boost with Eurosport, the global promoter of the IRC series, showing live footage, as well as highlight programmes, through its international network.
In addition to the millions who will watch the action on television, it’s expected in excess of 100,000 spectators will line the 15-timed stages which will form the rally’s route ensuring it’s the biggest single motorsport event in the country.
JM