Max McRae will join Team FJ and Stellantis Motorsport to drive a Peugeot 208 Rally4 at next week’s Rally of Tall Pines in Canada.
While the 20-year-old Scot will be well acquainted with the car – having won two rounds of the Junior European Rally Championship aboard a 208 Rally4 this season – every other aspect of the Ontario event will be new to him.
“I can’t wait to get out there,” Max smiled. “I’m really grateful to Team FJ and to Stellantis Motorsport for this opportunity to drive the car, to get some more seat time and to discover a completely new rally and part of the world. What a great way to wrap up the season!
“Cam [Fair, co-driver] and I have done a bit of research on the Rally of Tall Pines and it seems you can get some snow and ice on the event. If it comes, that’ll be really interesting – I’ve never competed on snow or ice before. A few people talk about not being permitted the use of studded tyres in Canada, but that’s not really going to be a thing for me: if you haven’t driven with studs, you can’t compare with life without them.
“If we are going to get some ice on the roads, the recce will be even more important than ever. Cam and I need to get in there and find the worst places with the lower grip levels and then figure out how the conditions will evolve through the event. All of that will potentially bring so much valuable experience.
McRae has competed in the European and British championships this season
“That said, it would be nice if we had some drier roads with slightly better grip; the 208 is so good in those conditions with front-wheel drive and plenty of torque. Regardless of the weather, it’s fantastic to be going to Canada to compete and we have a great chance to show what this awesome Peugeot’s all about. I’m really looking forward to it.”
During his trans-Atlantic trip, Max will spend some time south of the border in Snoqualmie, Washington. He’s heading to DirtFish.
“It’s always great to catch up with everybody at DirtFish again,” he said. “I’m hoping to get some driving in and maybe spend some time in the classroom; every day is, quite literally, a school day at DirtFish. It’s such a cool place and the welcome is always amazing. I couldn’t cross the Atlantic and not stop by to say hello to all our friends there.”
Based out of Bancroft, Ontario, the Rally of Tall Pines is one of Canada’s foremost stage rallies. Recce and shakedown run on Friday (November 22) with 16 stages and 105 stage miles on Saturday (November 23).
