Palletforce sponsored rally ace is top Scot in home event

THE Palletforce-sponsored rally ace John MacCrone finished as top Scottish driver on the high-profile Rally of Scotland.

His clever driving in the rally, the UK’s round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, also claimed a class victory and ensured he finished as second two-wheel-drive car amidst a field of extremely experienced drivers from across the world.

John’s Palletforce-emblazoned orange Fiesta R2 lined up alongside fellow Scots David Bogie, current British and Scottish Rally Champion, and former world rally driver Alister McRae – but he came out on top after the challenging forest conditions took their toll on many crews.

"John and Stuart showed great determination and talent to finish top of their class in a tough event with some stiff competition," said Palletforce Sales and Marketing Director Dave Holland.

"Their drive to succeed is something we share in common and is why we are happy to support John in his achievements.

"The team should feel extremely proud of what they accomplished and we cannot wait for their next rally."

Rally of Scotland, which took place around Perth and Stirling over the weekend of October 7, is renowned for providing some fantastically fast, but technically difficult, forest rally stages.

After finishing the first stages 24 seconds faster than their closest class rival the duo suffered three punctures and damage to the rear beam of the car over the following two days.

But the Palletforce crew and drivers stayed focused on their objective of finishing this tough event and rolled over the Scone Palace finish ramp as class winners and top Scots.

The weekend’s rough gravel experience will certainly help as the team prepare for its next event, Rally GB, the final round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

This classic event runs from 10-13 November and takes in some formidable rally tests as it runs through the length of Wales.

John MacCrone said: "This is a great finish to a tough event and it means a lot to come home as top Scottish driver in my country’s top rally.

"We took a different approach to this rally and the aim really was to get to the finish – but we still delivered some fast times at key points during the weekend.

"The stages were quite rough in places so it was important to control the pace and push where it was possible.

"Now we look forward to Rally GB, and this has certainly helped us gain valuable preparation mileage for that event."