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Crews set for Snowman test

The countdown is underway for Saturday's Arnold Clark Thistle Hotel Snowman Rally - the opening round of the 2010 Hankook MSA Scottish Championship.

More than 120 cars are due to line up for the start in Inverness, headed by last year's winner Reay Mackay.

Fellow "Highland" competitors Andy Horne, Donnie Macdonald, Steven Campbell and up-and-coming young driver David Wilson are all seeded in the top ten.

The "Southern" challenge is headed by Jock Armstrong and 2009 championship runner up Mike Faulkner - seeded second and third respectively - with another hotly-tipped youngster, Alick Kerr from Lanarkshire, starting seventh.

Two other top-ten seeded drivers aiming for spoils are Wayne Sisson from Lancashire - a former BTRDA Group N champion - and last year's Scottish GpN runner-up Shaun Sinclair from Oban.

Mackay, and co-driver Robert MacDonald, both from Fort Augustus, scored a famous victory twelve months ago: Mackay battling through the ice and snow in his MG Metro 6R4 to take his first forest rally win.

This time out, he will be at the wheel of a newly-acquired Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7, while his Metro is off the road.

"My Metro engine is away for a check over so I'll be using the Evo which I bought over the Christmas period for the first couple of rallies", said Reay: "It's completely different to the Metro, so will take a bit of getting used to, but I think it will be a much easier car to drive!".

To help familiarise himself with the car, Mackay competed on Sunday's Riponian Stages in Yorkshire, where he finished an impressive sixth overall.

Jock Armstrong will again be accompanied by experienced co-driver Kirsty Riddick as he embarks on his second full season in the SRC.

Last year, the Castle Douglas pair saw their championship hopes dashed on the sixth round when Armstrong's Subaru Impreza N11 was found to have a "non-homologated" rear differential - in breach of GpN regulations.

Armstrong responded by taking his car out of Class 10, and promptly won the penultimate event, the Merrick Forest Stages.

Lockerbie-based Mike Faulkner and long-time navigator Peter Foy were also in the hunt for overall honours, notching up two round victories in their GpA Mitsubishi Evo 6.

However, a broken driveshaft on the Merrick virtually put paid to their challenge, and handed the advantage to David Bogie who went on to take the Scottish crown on the final round, the Colin McRae Stages.

While the young Dumfries driver concentrates on his British championship campaign this season, Faulkner is aiming to "up the ante" north of the Border.

"We're determined to go one better this year and put our name on that trophy", said Faulkner: "It would be a dream come true to win the Snowman, but if we can get a solid result to start the season, then I'll be more than happy".

Rally car preparation expert Wayne Sisson - an ex-British junior champion - made one foray into the forests north of the Border last year when he stormed to the runners-up spot on the RSAC Scottish.

However, it will be his first time on the Snowman; he will be at the wheel of a newly-built Mitsubishi Evo IX; and he will be accompanied by a new co-driver in David McFadyen, who hails from Inverness.

"I'm not sure what to expect to be honest - it's an entirely new event for me", admitted Sisson: "I'm just hoping for a good clean run, and a finish somewhere near the front".

Shaun Sinclair and navigator Chris Hamill come off the back of an impressive and consistent 2009 season in GpN during which they upgraded to an Evo 9.

The car has recently been worked on and re-mapped at Sisson's Carnforth motorsport base, and a subsequent test in South Ayrshire met with approval.

Said Hamill: "Shaun was very pleased with the handling of the car, saying there was a notable improvement in performance".

Andy Horne and Jim Howie can only hope for better things this season, after failing to finish any of the eight rounds in 2009.

Horne's mighty, but temperamental, DAM 4100Gti is always a huge hit with the spectators lining the forest routes, and the home support will be out in force this coming weekend.

Bothwell's Alick Kerr returns to the Snowman where twelve months ago he survived the treacherous conditions - and a broken driveshaft - to finish a superb eleventh overall in a 2-wheel-drive Ford Fiesta ST.

He later made his 4WD debut in a Subaru Impreza, and went from strength to strength, posting three top-ten finishes before season's end.

For 2010, the 22-year-old has teamed up with highly-experienced co-driver Neil Shanks from Elgin, and is enthusiastic about the forthcoming campaign.

Said Kerr: "I'm very much looking forward to working with Neil - he brings with him a lot of experience and knowledge. As for the Snowman, it's difficult to predict where we'll end up. A clean, puncture-free rally, with a bit of luck, would obviously be ideal".

Donnie MacDonald, with fellow Invernessian Paul Beaton on the notes, will be running his Mitsubishi Evo 9 in Group N this year and is excited by the prospect.

"The 32mm restrictor has given the car a hell of a lot more pace", said MacDonald. " The plan is to really attack in GpN this year".

Another driver expected to fight for top honours in GpN is Alness-based David Wilson, who will be accompanied by Alick Kerr's former co-driver, Drew Sturrock.

Wilson had a strong second half to the 2009 season in his Evo 4, including a seventh overall on the Speyside Stages, and tenth on the McRae. He has since upgraded to an ex Wayne Sisson Evo 9.

The Snowman top-ten starters are rounded off by the local crew of Steven Campbell and Keir Beaton - Campbell having taken advantage of the conditions last year, to finish second in his Evo 5.

Among the late entries whose seeding is still to be confirmed is Stonehaven's Barry Groundwater, who last season finished fourth overall in the drivers' points in his Mitsubishi Evo 9.

The leading 2WD contest throws up a "battle of the islands", with Skye's Malcolm Buchanan in a Ford Escort Mk2 pitched against Mull father and son team, Eddie O'Donnell Jr and Snr in their Escort RS.

As always the various championship classes throw up some potentially intriguing tussles - not least Class 4, where Paisley's Alasdair Graham will again be pushing for top honours in his Vauxhall Corsa, having missed out last year to Mark McCulloch, who will make his 4WD debut on Saturday in a newly-acquired Subaru Impreza.

Full details can be found at the event website, www.highlandcarclub.co.uk

Article Posted: 14 February 2010