Lanarkshire will host two speed trials and a road section of a challenging 750-mile rally involving crews and vintage vehicles from all over the world.
The four-day RAC Rally of the Tests will include two two high-speed runs at each of the Forrestburn hillclimb track and West of Scotland kart club track, as well as a road section through South Lanarkshire.
A total of 80 crews from as far afield as the USA and Hong Kong are taking part, with the race’s three Scottish duos including Lanark couple George and Rosalind Topp in their 1966 Volvo Amazon 132S.
The event is a recreation of the famous RAC Rallies of the 1960s and will see cars ranging in age from three to nine decades old and from a wide range of famous makes taking to the road.
It begins in Darlington on Thursday, November 7, covering Edinburgh and Lanarkshire on Saturday and then finishing in Windermere.
Drivers will take on 30 speed tests on private estates, hill climb and kart tracks, forests and military land – including at the home of Monklands sporting car club, located between Airdrie and Kirk O’Shotts, and at the West of Scotland track in Larkhall.
The Lanarkshire leg will see crews have a rest break at the Strathaven Hotel before heading through South Lanarkshire on the following section of the race to reach a further speed trial at Kames racetrack in neighbouring Ayrshire.
More than 20 tough navigational sections are included in the four days of competition, as well as some drives which will be tackled in the dark.
Former Hamilton Advertiser journalist George and wife Rosalind, who are now based in France, are seeded 24th for what is described as “one of Europe’s toughest historic regularity rallies”
They are among three crews with Scots members – alongside 2023 winners Dan Willan from Cumbria and navigator Niall Frost of Brechinn in a 1962 Volvo PV544, and 14th seed Callum Guy of Edinburgh, co-driven by Amy Henchoz in a 1964 Sunbeam Tiger.
RAC Rally of the Tests has attracted 80 crews from as far afield as the USA and Hong Kong, with cars ranging in vintage from 1936 to 1990.
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