Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy will make his full rallying debut later this year when he competes on the McRae Rally Challenge at Knockhill in Scotland.
The event, which was originally scheduled to take place in 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Colin McRae’s only World Rally Championship title win, will be held on the opening weekend of July at the 1.2-mile circuit north of the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
Hoy is no stranger to motorsport, having contested a round of the World Rallycross Championship in 2020, at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta Supercar in Barcelona.
The Olympian, who won medals at four successive Games between 2000 and 2012, is also an accomplished circuit racer, having won the LMP3 title in the European Le Mans Series in 2015.
Speaking of his latest motorsport plans, Hoy said: “I can’t wait, I’m so excited to be taking part in this special event; being friends with the McRae family makes this opportunity all the more exciting for me.”
The inaugural McRae Rally Challenge was held on the 20th anniversary of McRae’s WRC title in 2015, attracting the likes of Stig Blomqvist, Alister McRae and Barry McKenna, with McRae’s protégé Kris Meeke driving demonstration runs.
Knockhill director of events, Stuart Gray, told DirtFish that the car Hoy will drive will be announced in due course, as will the rest of what is expected to be a star-studded entry for the event.
“We cannot wait to see Sir Chris back at Knockhill taking part in the McRae Rally Challenge,” Gray said.
“He is the first of a whole host of rally legends that are coming to the event, as we release more names over the next few weeks. Everyone at Knockhill is really looking forward to seeing him, and all the other stars here at the start of July.”
