This year’s Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally will be the biggest in recent times, as the popular Banchory-based event is bolstered by the switch to a two-day rally on 9/10 August.
Not only will the highly regarded rally add Friday night to its traditional Saturday format, but the shift has seen the return of the Probite British Rally Championship, who join the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship regulars and newcomers Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK, each series utilising the event as a counting round.
The impressive lineup of championships will converge on the Milton of Crathes rally base in August for what promises to be one of the largest Grampian rallies on record, and to celebrate the impressive uplift in status, organisers Stonehaven and District Motor Club have also introduced a host of new initiatives to enable fans to take advantage of the bumper year.
Celebrating its third consecutive year as title sponsors of the event global marine employment specialists Voyonic Crew Management Group Limited will continue its partnership with the rally into 2024. The Voyonic Group has offices in Aberdeen, Newcastle, and the Isle of Man, as well as global locations in Malta and Manila and specialises in employment and seafarer management services to the commercial shipping, offshore energy, cruise, and yacht industries and their involvement in the rally dates back over a decade.
Having run as a single-day forest rally for decades, 2024 marks a momentous occasion as the highly anticipated event shifts to a two-day format. Retaining all the popular qualities of the Grampian that competitors, teams, partners, and fans are familiar with, the rally will now offer an extra day of action as it continues to be one of the biggest motorsport events in North East Scotland.
The return of the British Rally Championship also heralds a reinvigorated offering with the best drivers in the UK and beyond heading for the Kincardineshire forests. A revived series sees European and World champions compete toe to toe in the series with some of the fastest Rally2 drivers in existence battling for honours. What’s more, the championship is aired on terrestrial television, with a one-hour highlights programme highlighting the rally and the region, broadcast on ITV4, ITV4+1 and the ITVX streaming service shortly after the rally.
They will be joined by the new Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK which is the latest manufacturer-backed single make rally championship to hit the stages, with Peugeot 208 Rally4 and Opel Corsa Rally4 contenders vying for a €75,000 prize fund.
And the Grampian would not be complete without the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship who once again provide some of the closest fought and dynamic competition in the country. A vast range of cars and competitors contest the series, and the leading contenders could well trouble the BRC regulars.
Fans will be in for a treat this August as organisers have introduced a swathe of initiatives to ensure they can get up close to the cars, stars, and the action throughout the weekend. The biggest of these is the all-new Fan Zone at King George V Park in Banchory.
Kicking off late Friday afternoon [9 August] all the rally cars will assemble enabling fans to grab autographs, selfies, and chat with the biggest stars in rallying before they head off into the stages. During Saturday, crews will return no less than three times including the ceremonial finish, podium celebrations and champagne spray. Catering stalls, local Banchory businesses and clubs will be on display, plus commentary and a large screen will be broadcasting the in-stage action and interviews to the fans.
The format of this year’s rally sees it increase to 57 stage miles and nine special stages spread over two days. Just 16 miles of forestry will be used for a second time, giving crews the best possible road conditions during the rally.
Crews will head away from Banchory on Friday evening to tackle two stages in the region with Saturday offering the bulk of the mileage and seven tests. Two brand new stages have also been introduced in a bid to maintain the momentum of an exciting year in the event's history.
“I think it’s fair to say that this is the biggest and most exciting Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally we have ever seen, and we are extremely excited to get this year’s event underway” said Clerk of the Course Graham Provest.
“Thanks to the support from Neil Carrington [Voyonic Group CEO] we are able to continue to enjoy an innovative approach to the format and offering for fans, ensuring everyone benefits from the return of the likes of the British and Scottish Rally Championships.
“We will have some of the best drivers in the business tackling the best stages in Scotland and with the TV coverage and uplifted offering, is a huge boost to the local area and of course to our supporters too. We can’t wait for the rally to get started and to welcome everyone to Banchory.”
Regulations for competitors will be available at 19:00 on 1 July, with entries opening at the same time.
More information for spectators and on the event will be available in due course.
Regular updates will be posted on the event’s social media channels and website: www.grampianforestrally.com
-ENDS
For more information on Voyonic Crew Management Group, please visit: https://www.voyoniccrew.com/
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