Rally - Dream team

M-Sport have announced that Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans will lead the M-Sport team throughout the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship alongside their respective co-drivers Julien Ingrassia and Daniel Barritt.

Negotiations with both crews have been on-going for some months and, during a team celebration at Dovenby Hall earlier today, Ogier spontaneously took the lead – he and Evans putting pen to paper there and then in front of M-Sport’s 240-strong workforce.

News on a third Ford Fiesta WRC is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “To have secured both Sébastien and Elfyn is brilliant news for the team. We’ve been working towards this goal for some time, so to finally have it confirmed is fantastic and means that we can now focus our attention on the continued development ahead of next season."

Sébastien Ogier said: “It’s great to finally announce our plans for 2018. What we have achieved together has been truly amazing, and we want to see that continue – to continue this fantastic journey and to defend all that we have achieved together."

Elfyn Evans said: “After a fantastic season for the whole team, it’s great that we’ll be a part of it again next year. After getting that first victory under our belts, we’re ready to take the next step and I think we all have another exciting season ahead of us."



http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2017/11/28-nov-m-sport-confirms-drivers/

Rally - Season's end

It would appear that Knockhill Race Circuit has signed up some new grid girls ahead of the 2018 season. A choice bunch for next year's workshop calendar, eh? 

Full entry list for Sunday's Beatson's Building Supplies Knockhill Stages Rally here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2017/11/28-nov-knockhill-stages-preview/

Rally - Sneak preview

The new Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 has successfully completed its first test in Fontjoncouse, France. Over 3 days, Volkswagen test driver Dieter Depping and Swedish WRC2 champion Pontus Tidemand tested the new 270-hp rally car on the same roads where the first tests were carried out on the Polo WRC way back in 2011.

Dieter Depping was also at the wheel of the test car back then: “It is a special feeling to be back here, where the Polo embarked on its first rally adventure roughly six years ago,” he said, “It is now about achieving the best possible set-up for the new Polo GTI R5. This first test was primarily about getting a lot of kilometres under our belt, in order to give the engineers as much data as possible. I can tell you one thing now: The R5 Polo is also very good, very quick and precise. I immediately felt right at home!”

On the first day, the car was driven on a 3.85-kilometre asphalt route with the following two days spent on gravel surfaces.

Volkswagen is expanding its customer racing programme with the new Polo GTI R5, and will be offering the new rally car to professional teams and drivers eligible to compete in national and global championships, as well as the WRC2 category of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), from the second half of 2018.

Winter warmers

Stuff tradition and stuff the turkey - here be the food of Kings and Wise Men, as spotted in Browning's Baker's Shop in Galston.

At Lady B's suggestion (coercion!) a certain J. Bunnet Esq was taken shopping to buy some woolly pullovers, but distraction is never far away.

Tempting sights and enticing smells wafting from within the emporium lured the reluctant garment shopper inside to the cheery warmth of Browning's where free 'tasters' of their new Haggis filled 'sausage' rolls were on offer. Who could resist?

Jumpers forgotten, temptation overcame the heart and mind, replaced by a compulsive desire for delectable and succulent stomach fillers - till Lady B noticed that she was walking alone!

Nirvana didn't last long, dragging the lost and hungry wee soul from the cosy interior to face the perils of colourful choice and high fashion in the Balmoral Knitwear woollen mill.

If Arbroath gave us the Smokie and Dundee gave us the Cake, then Kilmarnock gave us the Killie Pie. As Wullie Shakespeare said: "Parting was such sweet sorrow".

And the result? Pullovers, 3 - - Gastronomy, Nil