As well as a star-studded line-up of 39 top names, the McRae Rally Challenge event sponsored by Beatson’s Building Supplies will also see eleven youngsters take to the same stage miles as Meeke, McRae and Blomqvist. The Brick and Steel Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge was introduced a few years ago, to provide youngsters with a cost effective and strictly controlled route into the sport of Rallying. It is hoped that this series will be the starting point for Rally stars of the future.
Junior 1000 rallying has now become firmly established in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland as the way for 14 to 17 year olds to join the exciting world of stage rallying. The F1000 club started the ball rolling in 2009 and in 2012, Scotland and Ireland joined in with their own Championships.
In Scotland, the Championship was taken on by the Ecosse Challenge and at the first event in March 2012 at Charterhall, 10 crews lined up for the start. By the end of the year 14 drivers had registered and the Brick & Steel Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge was firmly established.
Numbers grew steadily in 2013 and 2014 and after year 3 a total of 28 had participated in the Championship. 17 of these have moved on to compete in “Senior” motorsport, 4 have not carried on and 7 remain “in the system” for 2015 where they are being joined by 8 new recruits.
The Mission Statement of the Brick & Steel Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge is:
“To educate and prepare young people for a future in rallying through training and participation”
Training events are held at Knockhill and Kames Motorsport venues using skilled instructors plus coaches from the MSA Academy. We can take somebody who at 14 has never sat in a car and by the time they are 17, they are ready for the “senior” rally world. Not all will go on to become great Champions competing at the highest level but there is a place for everybody in the wide rally world.
The other two words which feature strongly in what we do are “Safety” and “Fun”. These come through the Participation element.
You can see first-hand how the Rally stars of tomorrow acquit themselves on the Knockhill stages, in direct comparison to their senior peers, at this weekend McRae Rally Challenge event on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th May.
Find out more about the The Brick and Steel Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge via their official website.
