Is anyone going up to the McRae Forest Rally Stages? If not and your into Single Track Rallying then it is definatley something you should think about going to! The line up is a one in a life time line up!
List of some names expected to apper.
Hannu Mikkola - Historic MK2 Escort
Bjorn Waldegard - Historic Escort
Stig Blomqvist - Specially Prepared RS1800
Ari Vatanen - Specially Prepared RS1800
Alister McRae - MK2 Escort
Jimmy McRae - Porsche 911
Malcom Wilson - MK2 Escort
Rusell Brookes - MK2 Escort
Markku Alen -
Phil Collins - Opel Ascona
Louise Aitken Walker - Opel Kadett
Andrew Cowan - Hillman Imp
Just got back from the rally and I'm soaking wet but really enjoyed myself. The directions we had weren't great, so we planned to basically get towards Perth town centre then follow some people who looked like they were rally fans. When we got there we couldn't see anyone rally like and there didn't seem to be much happening. There was a policeman in the middle of the road up ahead but we couldn't see much. Then the policeman stopped traffic and directed a beautiful Mk2 Escort out into traffic. Unluckily for us we couldn't follow it (stopped by traffic) so we ended up going back round in a big circle and trying again. This time we got out with no-one in front of us. We saw an official looking Impreza with a Colin McRae sticker on it so we decided to follow that. It was a good idea because 30 seconds later another Mk2 Escort turned up behind us. I let it through (wanted to hear/smell it and follow it). When we let it through we could see the name "Mikkola" on the rear window...yes, Hannu Mikkola
So, we followed him for a while but he stopped in a layby
We ended up tagging on to the two official looking BMWs (a 335d and a 120d, they both had several people in them and extra radio antennae). So, up the A9(?) we went then turned off onto a backroad towards Aberfeldy. After some spirited driving ( ) keeping up with the officials they surprised us by doing a U turn and disappearing. We carried on to the service park just outside Aberfeldy (and paid a fiver for entry to a dodgily ploughed field (which my car didn't like one bit)), before moving up to the car park for the Griffin stage. We walked maybe a mile into the stage from the end and took up a reasonable vantage point (video of vantage point here). After some waiting (plus some course cars and a transit van) we heard the first screaming engine. A Mk2 Escort flew sideways through the far corner, came over the rise and flew round the next corner out of sight. We could still heard it for the next mile of so til the end of the stage though
We saw a load of cars go through, a lot of them old Escorts but a few 205 GTIs and an RS500 Sierra, plus the Hillman and some Talbot Sunbeams. Unfortunately the rain started to come down after roughly 30 cars had gone through. We weren't prepared for the rain so we had to run back to the car and head off. This meant we missed the 4WD entries (Lancers/Imprezas etc.). Och, well, maybe next year.
I got a few pictures (most of them are junk but some are OK), so I've attached them to this post.
My Cousin was racing in that today, but his head gasket blew up on stage 2 or 3, not sure. He did say that there was a few big names he managed to talk too. Will await his arrival back tomorrow for full details.
Damn you mate, you beat me with the pictures, i just got back today
Will upload my pictures later .
Was an awsome day! Shame stage 5 got cancelled Thank god i went to Stage 3 :P Anyone know what happened to Vatenan? He came through Stage 3, and his front bonnet was well buggerd, lol.
EDIT : I have loads of videos aswell, but please beaware some of them i lose the car because i was getting belted with stones.
Was good craic as we all say in scotland. A top performance from all competitors, those finished and those he did not. Alasdair mcrae was on the "ball" at the weekend. I must say though these 911's are the dogs dangles and can f**king shift (6 cylinders certainly push).
Just got my Colinmcraesport pro rally boots today, ready for the tour of Mull this friday. cant wait....