Thirty years. Three decades. And still, it feels like yesterday that Colin McRae and Derek Ringer stepped out of their Subaru Impreza 555 as world champions.
That’s not a celebration to be taken lightly, it’s a celebration worthy of a weekend to remember. Welcome to Knockhill’s International McRae Rally Challenge.
Saturday and Sunday will deliver great stories from Colin’s fellow World Rally champions Stig Blomqvist and Petter Solberg, but it will also make great memories with a stunning entry list offering famous names and very fast cars.
The story of 1995 will, no doubt, be retold in glorious detail by some of the star players, including world champion co-drivers Derek Ringer, Luis Moya and the man who made Subaru the WRC sensation it became, David Richards.
On the road, Five-time British champion Jimmy McRae is first up, sharing a Ford Escort with granddaughter Hollie McRae for the first time in competition. And first up’s not quite right, there’s the mouthwatering starter of Alister McRae driving L555REP (Carlos Sainz’s second-placed sister Subaru on that most famous of RAC Rallies) as course car.
And following Jim and Hollie to provide the desert to a fabulous three-generation McRae feast is Max, bringing the competition and looking to deliver what would be an emotional home and family win aboard his Citroën C3 Rally2.
In all honesty, that really is just the start. Blomqvist follows in a Mini, with family friend and Scottish racing legend Dario Franchitti taking to the stage aboard the V8-engined Firenza Can Am previously campaigned by Jimmy.
Gwyndaf Evans and Sir Chris Hoy bring even more star quality, while recent European Rally Championship round winner Jon Armstrong swaps his Fiesta Rally2 for the ex-Phil Collins Ford Escort which provided so much needle for Colin and his own Mk2 – a car which will be on display this weekend.
Talking about cars on display, BGMsport will have some of the finest examples of McRae metal on display with a Ford Focus RS WRC and Subaru Legacy RS from Colin’s time in the sport, as well as an ex-Jimmy Sierra RS Cosworth and Alister’s Formula 2 Nissan Sunny. The organizers are expecting a stellar line-up of 20 McRae cars on display.
The event starts at 8.30am on Saturday and Sunday, with prizegiving set for 5.45pm on the main stage on Sunday.
A 65-strong invitational field will complete 10 stages across the two days, totalling 40 miles of competition. While the International McRae Rally Challenge is as much about celebrating Scotland’s incredibly successful rallying past, it’s also about looking to the future – in the shape of a Junior 1000 Rally round.
Beyond the competition, there will be parades and demonstration runs at 10.45am and 1.15pm each day, with interviews on the main stage at 11.20am, 12pm, 2.25pm and 3.05pm. Autograph sessions will be held in the pitlane garages at 12pm and 4.30pm on Saturday and 12pm and 3.10pm on Sunday.
Tickets to the event are available here.
