Dingwall and Muir of Ord set to welcome 2023 Snowman Rally
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DINGWALL and Muir of Ord is preparing to welcome the top rally drivers from across the country as the Snowman Rally takes place tomorrow to kick off the first round of the Scottish Rally Championship 2023.
At the time of going to press yesterday, a total of 101 drivers had entered to take part in the race.
Cars will be at the Black Isle Showground at Muir of Ord today at 3pm where they will take part in pre-event checks to qualify for the rally on Saturday.
The race will then start at the Black Isle Showground at 9am tomorrow before returning to Dingwall High Street at 3.20pm when the winner will be crowned.
Two-time Snowman winners and defending champions Michael Binnie from Cornhill on Tweed and Claire Mole from Duns will be carrying number 1 seed on their Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Freddie Milne from Aberdeen and Patrick Walsh from Aberystwyth almost won the Snowman in 2022 but for final stage electrical dramas in their Fiesta.
For 2023 they are competing in a Skoda Fabia.
Running a two litre engine rather than the normal 1600, Milne said he found the car to be a handful on their debut in the car in Spain last year.
The big question will be how quickly he can adapt to the new car’s characteristics.
Jock Armstrong from Castle Douglas returns in his iconic Subaru Impreza but there have been a few changes behind the scenes for the 2015 and 2016 Scottish champion.
With regular navigator Cammy Fair tied up with family and work commitments, Newstead’s Hannah McKillop steps into the hotseat for the rally.
As always there’s a strong Highland interest in the Snowman Rally.
Scott Macbeth from Muir of Ord was the top home driver in 2022 in his Mitsubishi Evo.
Now Macbeth and co-driver Dan Forsyth from Elgin step into a right-hand drive Mckinstry-run Ford Fiesta R5 and are one of a number of crews who won’t have a chance to try the car on gravel before stage one.
Also at their home event are former winners Donnie Macdonald and Andrew Falconer from Inverness who are always in the top 10 mix and long time Snowman supporter John Morrison from Conon Bridge.
He will be forming a new partnership with Edinburgh’s Sinclair Young for 2023.
Keir Beaton from Inverness and Iain Thorburn from Elgin return in the Ford Escort Mk2 that they took to a star drive win on the 2020 Snowman.
Andy Horne from Inverness and Emily Easton-Page from Finzean compete in a Ford Escort MK2.
