Rally Scotland: Latest news - Part 1

IRC aces star in Scottish Festival Autotest

Intercontinental Rally Challenge regulars PG Andersson and Toni Gardemeister joined British rising stars David Bogie and Jonny Greer in a driver versus media production car Autotest in Stirling last night (Tuesday).

The event formed part of the inaugural Scottish Motorsport Festival as a means of promoting a low-cost and accessible form of the sport ahead of the country’s round of the IRC, RACMSA Rally of Scotland, later this week.

Jon Doran of the Scottish Sun and Jim McGill, a leading Scottish motorsport writer and owner of the Scotcars.co.uk website, were among the media participants that also included IRC Rally Radio reporters Colin Clark and Julian Porter. They drove standard cars around a series of coned-off obstacles in a series of maneuverability tests against the rally drivers.

“It was a great, fun-filled evening for all the family," said Bogie. “We’re used to working with the media guys, so it was fun to see just how good they were behind the wheel of a car.”

McGill added: “Let’s be honest, when it comes to driving talent, I think the rally guys had the edge. But I think between us the media guys showed we can handle more than just a keyboard.”

PROTON Motorsports driver PG Andersson and Julian Porter won the event with TGS Worldwide ŠKODA driver Toni Gardemeister and Colin Clark second. ŠKODA privateer Jonny Greer finished third with Jim McGill. David Bogie, who drives a Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer, and Jon Doran finished fourth.

Schoneville gets new Honda for IRC debut

Scottish driver Graeme Schoneville will tackle an international-standard event for the first time when he enters RACMSA Rally of Scotland this week, stepping up from a Honda Civic EK4 to a newer and more powerful Civic Type R run by the British EuroRallye operation.

The 25-year-old Scot is a regular in the Scottish-based Brick and Steel Civic Ecosse Challenge but is gearing up to make his debut in the IRC 2WD Cup.

“I have already gotten the opportunity to test the Civic Type R,” said Schoneville. “The car seems to match my style perfectly and I will really enjoy driving it in the Scottish forests. Competing against some of the best European drivers is going to be the biggest event in my career.”

Schoneville’s 20-year-old countryman Michael Hendry will co-drive.

IRC returnee Kahle set for Scotland debut

Matthias Kahle will make his third appearance in this year’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge when he takes the start of RACMSA Rally of Scotland in Stirling on Friday evening.

The ŠKODA Auto Deutschland pilot, a multiple German rally champion, is a newcomer to the high-speed forest tests in Perthshire and Stirlingshire.

He said: "The stages are very fast but beautiful and with a combination of corners and crests. It’s going to be a tricky rally but very exciting at the same time.”

Kahle, who is co-driven by Peter Göbel, has yet to score points in this year’s IRC, but will arrive in Scotland on the back of finishing second on the gravel-based Lausitz Rallye in his homeland last weekend.

Puskadi looks to Plangi inspiration in Scotland

Janos Puskadi will be hoping to take inspiration from Siim Plangi’s victory in the IRC 2WD Cup section of last year’s RACMSA Rally of Scotland when he tackles the gravel event for a second time this season.

Plangi was driving a Honda Civic Type R when he took class honours 12 months ago. Puskadi will be at the wheel of a similar car when he returns to the rally this week.

“There’s nothing more beautiful for a rally driver than driving on gravel in the Scottish highlands,” Puskadi. “There was a lot of rain when I was last here in 2009 and that made the challenge harder, but whilst we did well I’ve been determined to come back and do better. This time around I want to finish in the points and preferably on the podium.”

Puskadi, from Hungary, is joint fourth in the IRC 2WD Cup standings. Rally of Scotland will mark his fifth appearance in the series this season.