FIRST Minister Alex Salmond will take a break from dealing with the global financial meltdown, which has rocked the Scottish banking system, to confirm today that Scotland will join the millionaires of Monte Carlo by hosting a world-class rally event.
The three-day round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which sits immediately below the World Rally Championship and is contested in 2.0-litre Super2000 cars, will be held on some of Scotland's toughest gravel rally stages in Central and Easter
n Scotland.
Contested by many of the world's fastest rally drivers, this year's 10-round IRC included events in Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Russia and China. It also attracted the involvement of works' teams from Citroen, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Volkswagen and Honda.
It is understood both Perth & Kinross and Stirlingshire councils, plus the Forestry Commission, have combined with EventScotland and the IRC organisers to bring the three-day event to Scotland next year.
While the millionaires' paradise of Monte Carlo will host the opening round, it's believed Perth will host the final round which is expected to be contested by up to 90 crews.
The announcement by Salmond at Glasgow's Science Centre today, will further strengthen Scotland's motorsport reputation and comes just over a year after Lanark's former World Rally champion Colin McRae died tragically in a helicopter crash.
In addition to generating significant revenue for the country, the high-profile event is also expected to promote Scotland around the globe as a result of the comprehensive television coverage the Scottish International Rally will receive.
The full article contains 260 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
