The Mayfield Garage Services Rally, Sunday 10th May - Grudge match or friendly rivalry? This weekend’s rally at Kames, Muirkirk, has a full-house entry of Seniors and Juniors who will contest 14 stages commencing at 9.00am on Sunday morning.
Heading the entry list are four previous Kames Rally winners including last year’s victors Steven Street and Robert Wood. Hot favourites? You decide, because right behind them are three times Kames Rally winners Graham Bruce and David Aitken 2022, ‘23 and ‘24, so they know their way around. Behind them at number 3 is Billy McLelland who won the Albar Kames Rally in 2009 - and the Kames Time Trial in 2010 with Helen Brown co-driving. This weekend Billy will be partnered by Eamon Boyle.
Running at number four are Colin Gemmell, and Derek Keir, who won the Albar Kames Rally in 2017 in a Ford Escort Mk2 - and finished 2nd in 2014 with Chris Hunter in a Subaru. Colin also won the Kames May Rally Time Trial in 2012 and finished 2nd in 2011, plus his faither Ian was one of the original East Ayrshire Car Club stalwarts behind the idea of a Kames Motorsport Complex 46 years ago and was instrumental in the track design!
Running at number five are William Pollock and John Marshall who were third at Kames in 2023, so all they have to do is blow the doors off the four seeds ahead of them and they’ll be in the trophy hunt. But keep an eye out for Peter O’Neill and Eilidh Williamson who are running at number 6 in a Vauxhall Nova behind three Escort Mk2s, a Subaru and a VW Golf R7. They were fourth in the wee flyer last year and 3rd the year before!!
In total there are 27 ‘senior’ entries and 18 ‘Junior’ entries, this latter group contesting their own Junior 1000 Ecosse Championship for 14-17 year olds in a variety of one litre cars. This is the ideal training ground for youngsters seeking a start in stage rallying but if you think the auld gits in the Seniors class are competitive wait till you see the ‘up and at ‘em’ brigade in their buzz bombs – just stand well back.
And playing a starring role at Kames is the café and it is always a delight to see what tortuously tasty tray bakes will be on offer on the day along with other more mundane delicacies like bacon sandwiches, and maybe even pie sandwiches!
Spectators on the day, and interest from afar, can find results on the event at the www.scotresults.org website run throughout the day by Raymon Mann and his magnificent steam driven, coal-fired computerisator machine.
Also in attendance will be the Book-tique (the red Ford Transit Custom) selling copies of the ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ books compiled, written, produced and published in Scotland. There won’t be a display or a marquee though due to space restrictions at this awfy busy international motor sports venue, but if you see the van I’ll not be far away. If you don’t know what I look like then just look for the most handsome bloke in the paddock - and then work back from there !!
The Book-tique made its first appearance of the year at Elgin the other week for the ‘Be More Colin’ Superstage event where again restrictions on space made for a more modest display, but only one potential customer needed an OS map reference to find it! And if I get permission I’ll put up my flag!
And if you fail to find me you can always buy the books on line:
https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/
#rallyscotland
#motorsportbooks
