Green light for new motorsport track
Sunday 24 June 2001
The first official Sprint meeting at Kames Motorsport Complex this year will be celebrated with the reopening of the new track by Jimmy McRae, three times British Rally Champion in the 1980's and father of works rally drivers Colin and Alister.
"...its new upgrade will benefit the participants and provide the community with a fun and exciting day out for all the family."
Made possible by a £38,250 award from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, the completed track is the result of a three-year project and hard work by the club members. The track has been fully resurfaced with new gravel traps built. Over 4000 truck tyres have been built around the perimeter as safety barriers. The start line has also been rebuilt, control cabins repositioned and facilities upgraded.
Two rounds of the Guyson Scottish Sprint Championship will take place over the weekend of 23rd and 24th June, with the Saturday being run in a clockwise direction and the Sunday being run anticlockwise for the first time in an actual competitive event. The Sunday meeting will also host a round of the JMW Scottish Speed Championship.
Jimmy, Colin and Alister's presence at the track to cut the ribbon is fitting as Jimmy taught his sons motorsport driving skills at Kames when they were younger. Colin went on to be 1995 World Rally Champion and is a strong contender to win the title again this year in his Ford Focus. His brother Alister is also performing well in the factory run Hyundai.
Over 60 competing cars are expected, ranging from standard Road Saloon cars up to TVR Chimaeras. The cars will run one at a time against the clock over a tight, twisting track some reaching 120 mph on the three metre wide tarmac. Often class winners are frequently decided by less than 0.05 of a second making it a nailbiting event.
Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: "It is wonderful to see the culmination of three years hard work today at the Kames Motor Sports Complex.
"This facility provides the only purpose built speed rally and contest venue in the West of Scotland therefore its new upgrade will benefit the participants and provide the community with a fun and exciting day out for all the family."