Colin Smith/Craig Chapman – All go for Rally of Scotland!

smith2 Aberdeenshire rally team gear up for Rally of Scotland

Colin Smith (left) and Craig Chapman (right). Photo courtesy of David Barlow

In two days’ time Colin Smith and Craig Chapman will take on the IRC Rally of Scotland, the toughest event to date in the Grampian duo’s fledgling career.

The junior pairing will be the only all-Aberdeenshire crew to take on the final round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which covers some two hundred miles of competitive action over three days. Colin and Craig will take to the forests around Perth and Stirling in a EuroRallye Honda Civic Type-R for the first time.

If the pressure of taking on a full-blown international rally in a new car wasn’t enough, Smith and Chapman also find themselves part of Honda’s points-scoring contingent on the event! The move comes about as Honda pull out all the stops in a bid to take second place in the IRC’s two-wheel drive manufacturer championship. With the Japanese marque sitting just two points behind Fiat-Abarth in the race for the runner-up spot, Colin and Craig’s points could prove to be decisive.

The Grampian youngsters are set to team up with Hungarian and Estonian crews in the Honda village and will be part of a setup that includes Italian and Belgian personnel among others. Nevertheless, the juniors are keen to keep the Scottish flag flying– and thanks to the support of two Scottish companies they will be able to introduce their international stablemates to two of the country’s finest products. Tunnock’s and Irn-Bru have both agreed to supply product to Honda’s hospitality unit over the duration of the rally, and will keep the drivers, navigators, service crew and management staff firing on all cylinders as they strive for the best result possible.

“The excitement is really starting to build now and we’re just raring to get out there and start posting times,” declares project engineer Colin (22). “Being part of a factory team is something every young rally driver dreams of, and by scoring points for Honda we are taking a big step towards fulfilling that dream.”

“When I started rallying I would never have believed that within two years I’d be scoring points for a manufacturer,” Smith continues. “The objective is still to keep our heads screwed firmly on and get a finish, but if we can help out Honda in the process then all the better!”

“We now need to concentrate on our tactics and pacenotes before the event,” adds Chapman (25). “In addition to this we are testing the car in the forest on the morning of the first leg of the rally to get a feel for the car on gravel. We have been warned that the stages are going to be very slippy so it’s going to be a tough test.”

Keep up to date with Colin and Craig’s progress by following their blog at www.flat-oot-like-a-dukes-fit.co.uk or www.ecossechallenge.co.uk!