Lewis Car Club is revving up for the third running of Rally Hebrides this Saturday,
21 August 2010. Title Sponsor for this year’s event is the UBC Group and a confirmed
Entry List of 30 Scottish Rally Championship cars, running twice over five challenging
Special Stages, means that the action will be literally non-
Motorsport enthusiasts would be hard pushed to find a wider range of Rally cars entered for a single event in the UK. The mighty Audi Quattro, the awesome MG Metro 6R4, the spectacular Ford Escort and a selection of deceptively fast Subarus and Imprezas will be among the cars competing over Special Stages at Lews Castle Grounds, Melbost Farm and Lewis Karting Centre.
Rally weekend gets underway when the bulk of the cars disembark from the MV Isle of Lewis on Friday 20 August at 6.35pm. From there, they make their way to Scrutineering at D R Macleod’s depot on Island Road, Stornoway. Here, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm the cars will be checked for technical compliance by a Motor Sports Association Scrutineer. Spectators will have the opportunity to view the cars at close quarters and to chat to the drivers.
Scrutineering is a free entry event and will include an exhilarating Autotest demonstration by champion Autotesters Hamish Kinloch of Kilmarnock (Toyota Corolla RWD) and James Morrison of Elgin (Mini Special). A Grand Auction will take place for passenger rides in the top three cars, likely to be an Audi Quattro S1, an MG Metro 6R4 and a Ford Anglia. Once all the cars have been checked, they will be flagged off from the Ceremonial Start outside D R Macleod’s depot around 9.00pm
The action proper gets underway on Saturday morning at 10.00am when the first car is flagged off from the start for the Lews Castle Grounds Special Stages. Lews Castle Green is the place to be for a spectacular viewing experience but gates to the Green close at 9.40am sharp so best to be there early. From the Start Line at Marybank Lodge, all 30 cars will run twice at one minute intervals past Lews Castle College, down the Woodlands Centre Brae, along the seafront past the Gardener’s Cottage, back along the foot of the Castle Green then up the gravel track to the right of the Green, through the old Castle car park, up the High Road and across the Deer Park to finish at Creed Lodge. Seasoned Rally observers have already ranked the Castle Green as one of the top three Rally viewing locations in Scotland. Bacon rolls, teas and coffees will be available on the Green to complete the viewing experience.
Following Central Service and lunch at Number 1 Pier, the cars move to the Melbost Farm Special Stages for two runs at one minute intervals over this fast, sweeping Stage. The first car leaves the line at 1.00pm. Again, Premium Viewing is available behind North Street but closes at 12.40pm sharp so best to be there early.
The highly popular Tarmac Superspecial at Lewis Karting Centre tops off the day at 3.00pm. Here, spectators will have the opportunity to get closer to the cars in safety than is possible anywhere else in the UK. The action and the noise will be spectacular as drivers power and slide their cars around five laps of the twisty and challenging circuit. The rear wheel drive cars often have the edge over their four wheel drive counterparts on the circuit but, with some tarmac specialists appearing this year, all bets are off.
Spectator admission is £5 per head per venue (Lews Castle Grounds, Melbost Farm and
Lewis Karting Centre) but discounted Access All Areas wristbands are available for
£10 in the Rally Shop in the former HebCelt Festival Office, 7-
Rally fever grips Stornoway 18/8/10