Enhancing its reputation as one of the strongest rally series in the UK, the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship will introduce a new joker round for the 2026 season.
Held over seven events across Scotland on both Tarmac and gravel, the SRC has long established itself as a breeding ground for national and even world champions, with its roll of honour including the legendary 1995 World Rally champion Colin McRae and 2011 British Rally champion David Bogie.
Innovating the championship’s offering for 2026, a joker round has been introduced for competitors in the overall, 2WD and Junior Championships – affording each competitor the ability to score bonus points on one of the season’s seven rounds.
That event must be selected prior to it commencing, with the competitor able to score up to five additional points if they finish first in the respective championship, down to one point for completing the rally in fifth position or lower.
It’s a system that has proved effective in the British Rally Championship for a number of years, allowing drivers to take advantage of events they feel particularly strong or comfortable on.
The best five from a possible seven scores will count towards a competitor’s final championship score.
New partners & incentives
The SRC management committee is also pleased to announce Oakbank as the new sponsor for the SRC Challengers Championship, along with modifications to the entry criteria.
In a bid to give a greater number of competitors accolades to compete for, the 2026 Challengers champion will now be able to return for 2027, instead of being prevented from doing so as in previous years, while the cut-off for eligible entry is now two overall top-seven finishes instead of two top-10s. The eventual driver and co-driver champions will receive a £250 discount voucher to use against an SRC entry fee in 2027.
Questmead/Mintex are also taking over from Moates Offshore as partner of the Junior Championship, which caters for drivers aged 25 or under. The champion will receive a £250 discount for entry into every 2027 SRC event, while first-time Junior competitors receive free SRC registration.
Groundwater Lift Trucks will continue supporting the Subaru Cup, with a £150 entry voucher available to the overall champion. Haddo Energy remains onboard with the Super Seniors category for competitors aged 65 and over not driving Rally2/R5/WRC cars. The winning driver will receive a voucher worth £2000 for a holiday for themselves, their co-driver and their partners.
And finally, the McCombie Builders Clubman Award stays for 2026, offering two on-event prizes of £100 entry vouchers for both the Clubman Performance and Clubman Spirit. These awards are for competitors in classes C1 to C5 and are judged by a panel arranged by the SRC Management team.
SRC chairwoman, Fiona Moir, enthused: “We truly believe we have organised one of the most competitor-friendly championships in the UK, with something on offer to drivers and co-drivers of all age, experience and competing in all classes. The light changes we have made to the 2026 regulations reflect this.
“Adding the joker round not only introduces an exciting dimension to the competition, but demonstrates our competitor-first focus with the opportunity to make use of their favoured events. It’s a system that’s proven itself in the British Rally Championship, and we are confident it will work just as well in the SRC.
“We are deeply grateful to seven-time Scottish champion David Bogie for sponsoring the Challengers championship this year, which has been tweaked to ensure competitors not in Rally2 cars have more to fight for each season.
“We would also like to thank Mike and Donna Moates and Moates Offshore for their years of support of the Junior championship, but are equally pleased to welcome Questmead/Mintex as the new sponsors. This is where the stars of tomorrow compete, so keep a close eye on them!
“We cannot wait for what promises to be a fantastic season of Scottish rallying in 2026.”
Championship registration is open now, with the regulations available to view here.
