Dumfriesshire is currently hosting a large part of one of Europe’s toughest historic regularity rallies – the RAC Rally of the Tests.
The 750 mile, four-day rally started in Darlington yesterday (Thursday, November 7) and finishes in Windermere on Sunday, with the bulk of the route being in southern and central Scotland.
Seeded 24th are Gretna couple George and Rosalind Topp in a 1966 Volvo Amazon 132S, with other Scottish interest in . Car 1 – a 1962 Volvo PV544, crewed by last year’s winners, Dan Willan from Cumbria and Scottish navigator Niall Frost, who is originally from Brechin. Also, at 14, is Edinburgh’s Callum Guy, co-driven by Amy Henchoz, in a 1964 Sunbeam Tiger.
The rally, a recreation of the famous RAC Rallies of the 1960s, has 80 crews from as far away as the USA and Hong Kong, and their cars, ranging in age from 1936 to 1990, feature a wide range of famous makes from the past.
The route, some of which is tackled in the dark, features 30 speed tests held on private estates, hill climb and kart tracks, forests and military land, as well as over 22 tough navigational regularity sections.
Tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 9) sees competitors leave Edinburgh and heading for an overnight halt in Carlisle. En-route they tackle two high speed runs up the Forrestburn Hillclimb track in Monklands, (first car arrives at 9am) before heading to the West of Scotland Kart Club’s track in Larkhall, for two more speed tests.
Following a coffee break at the Strathaven Hotel crews start a regularity section en route to two more speed tests at the Kames racetrack, Muirkirk.
Competitors tackle another speed test at Drumlanrig from 12.30pm.
After a rest halt at the castle, crews will tackle a regularity section in the Forest of Ae at 2.15pm, with speed test at Castle O’er planned for 3.30pm, before heading to Newcastleton and then a test and regularity at Kershope from 5.25pm.
The leg ends with another speed test, at Carlisle airport, from 6.45pm.