Last weekend Alister McRae finished the best of the 15 guest drivers competing on the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally who entered the one-day rally in Central Scotland as a memory for their friend who died one year ago. Most of the guests were at the wheel of Ford or Porsche cars. Early leader was Colin's former protege Kris Meeke in a Ford, but on the third of five stages he went off the road and retired with suspension damage. This let Colin's brother Alister McRae into the lead of the invitation drivers,ahead of the Porsche of their father Jimmy. Jimmy however slid off the road on the final stage and his car was stuck down a bank. A member of the public, however, contacted the national emergency services. A fleet of fire engines drove down the stage, one of which went off the road and caused a long delay to the event.

Meeke was the fastest guest driver on the first two stages, Alister fastest on the remaining three. Ten of the invited drivers finished the event. Russell Brookes and Phil Collins having to retire with mechanical problems. Former Mitsubishi world championship team principal Andrew Cowan drove a Hillman Imp, of the type he drove earlier in his career and which he has been restoring in recent years.

Fourteen of the fifteen guest drivers took the start, the missing driver being Stig Blomqvist. Large numbers of fans went to the event, farmers were asked at short notice to open up more fields for spectators parking. The night before the start there was a public forum to which the drivers were invited. 300 attended the occasion, and another 1500 followed the evening's entertainments by way of a big screen placed outside.

There was joy and fun everywhere. Ari Vatanen and David Richards went shopping for kilts which had the colours of the McRae family clan. Travis Pastrana wonthe prize for the most spectacularly dressed driver, wearing shoes of striking colours. Even early on the Saturday morning Police estimated there were 40,000 spectators making their way to the stages, where they enjoyed a warm, sunny and happy day. Fastest driver on the day was Matthew Wilson in a Ford Focus World Rally Car, followed by Andy Horne in a MG Metro 6R4 special.

3mmm
photo 1: The winners
photo 2: Cowan and Hillman Imp
photo 3: Mikkola - Grist - A.McRae - Campbell - Gullick - Waldegard
photo 4: David Richards and Ari Vatanen

Final classification
1 Alister McRae/Campbell Roy        Ford Escort Mark 2    46m47s
2 Bjorn Waldegard/Pauline Gullick   Porsche 911           49m14s
3 Hannu Mikkola/Nicky Grist         Ford Escort Mark 2    49m14s
4 Ari Vatanen/David Richards        Ford Escort Mark 2    50m42s
5 John Buffum/Lance Smith           Porsche 911           50m45s
6 Travis Pastrana/Derek Ringer      Ford Escort Mark 1    51m29s
7 Louise Aitken-Walker/Edwin Cook   Talbot Sunbeam Lotus  52m09s
8 Malcolm Wilson/Peter Martin       Ford Escort Mark 2    54m26s
9 Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino          Ford Escort Mark 2    56m39s
10 Andrew Cowan/Ian Grindrod        Hillman Imp           1h20m39s