New sponsor for Scottish Rally Championship

The organisers of the Scottish Rally Championship have bucked the economic downturn by attracting a global sponsor for the 2009 season. Hankook, the seventh-largest tyre manufacturer in the world, will back the event next year with a view to extending the sponsorship further.

Though no details of the financial commitment to the eight-round championship —which gets underway in Inverness with the Snowman Rally on February 14 — have been revealed, Hankook is keen to help develop young Scottish rally drivers.

As part of the package, the winner of the Junior programme in next year’s Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship will receive a fully-funded outing in an international rally.

The timing of the announcement, made in Glasgow today, coincides with the start of Wales Rally GB, the UK round of the World Rally Championship in Cardiff on Thursday.

The decision to focus attention on developing young drivers also coincides with the fact Scotland’s two brightest rally talents, Ellon’s Barry Clark and David Bogie from Dumfries, are finding difficulty raising the necessary funds for next season.

Both rising stars cut their teeth in the Scottish Rally Championship which is now acknowledged as the most successful series in the UK and attracts more than 100 competitors and 15,000 spectators at each of its eight rounds.

In the past the SRC has also produced international drivers of the calibre of former world champs Colin McRae and Louise Aitken-Walker, British champ Alister McRae, plus  Bothwell’s Robbie Head and Andrew Cowan, the Duns rally ace behind Tommi Makinen’s multiple world titles at Mitsubishi.

“We are delighted to be focusing our attention in 2009 on the Scottish Rally Championship,” Hankook’s motorsport manager Mike Patterson said. “The series attracts some intense competition and the enthusiasm and professionalism of the organising team has been instrumental in finalising this deal.’

“Support of motorsport at all levels is at the heart of Hankook’s plans and we are particularly pleased to provide a fully-funded prize drive on a  European or Far East event to a SRC Junior in 2009 as testament to this commitment.”

It was a view supported by five-times British rally champ, veteran Jimmy McRae.

“These are hugely tough financial times in motorsport and for the Scottish Rally Championship to attract such a major sponsor as Hankook highlights just how strong the sport is in Scotland,” McRae said.

“That, allied to the fact the winning Junior will receive a fully-funded drive in an international rally next year will hopefully help us find Scotland’s next World Rally Champion.”

Hankook, one of the top seven tyre manufacturers in the world, supplies tyres to many of the world’s leading car manufacturers including Ford, Volvo, Volkswagen, Renault, Hyundai, and Kia.

The eight-round championship, won this year by Inverness veteran Jimmy Girvan, starts in Inverness before heading round the country to various towns and cities Including Jedburgh, Aberdeen, Duns, Dumfries and Perth.

 

Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship, 2009 Dates:

February 14: Arnold Clark Thistle Snowman Rally  

March 21: Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally  

April 25: The Station Garage Mitsubishi Granite City Rally  

May 24: Jim Clark Reivers Rally 

June 27: RSAC Scottish Rally  

August 8: Gleaner Speyside Stages  

September 5: Merrick Forest Stages 

October 3: Colin McRae Forest Stages. 

 

JM 

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