Rookie quartet all set to make their rally debuts

Mar 20 2008 By George Topp

FOUR young drivers from South Lanarkshire get their rallying careers underway on Saturday’s opening round of the Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship.

They are among an eight-strong team from Coltness Car Club tackling the event at Crail in Fife.

This single venue rally has attracted an entry of 100 from both sides of the Border and will feature eight Metro 6R4s and three Darrians.

Highest-placed of the Coltness Bears is Drew Struthers and Jim Johnston from Carnwath, whose Talbot Sunbeam is seeded at 41.

The first of seven Peugeot 205GTis from Coltness is that driven by teenager Jonathan Smith from Crossford.

His C&N Properties-backed car is co-driven by Ian Angel from Bothwell and starts at 50.

His father Colin Smith, co-driven by Stuart Loudon from Uddingston, starts at 77, and the third C&N Proprties car is also driven by a Smith.

Colin’s other two sons, Graeme (17) and Fraser (16) start at 84.

The newcomers are Jordan Black and Ken Philips from Law at 94; car 97 driven by Graeme Schoneville, Carluke and co-driven by his dad Ken; car 98, driven by Luke McLaren and Anca Baltac from Hazelbank, and Scott Erskine/Alan Todd, from Biggar, starting at 99.