Bothwell driver Alick Kerr is preparing for the Arnold Clark Thistle Hotel Snowman Rally on February 20.

Feb 11 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

BOTHWELL’S Alick Kerr will lead the Lanarkshire challenge going into the Arnold Clark Thistle Hotel Snowman Rally on February 20.

This is the opening round of the 2010 Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship and, from a bumper 115-car entry, the 22-year-old is seeded seventh for the Inverness-based event in his Leaker Direct-backed Subaru Impreza.

Kerr battled to a superb 11th overall in the ice and snow 12 months ago at the wheel of a two-wheel drive Ford Fiesta ST – despite suffering a broken drive shaft.

He made his 4WD debut in the Subaru on the third-round Granite City Rally and used that as a launch pad, posting three top 10 finishes.

This season he will be accompanied by Elgin’s Neil Shanks, one of Scotland’s most experienced co-drivers.

Said Kerr: “I’m really looking forward to working with Neil, who has sat with some of the country’s top competitors and brings with him a wealth of experience.”

He added: “As for the Snowman, it’s difficult to predict where we’ll end up this year – and so much depends on the conditions.

“We’ll just keep our fingers crossed for a clean, puncture-free rally.”

Shanks is equally enthusiastic about the forthcoming campaign. He said: “I hope that we can continue with the improvements that Alick made last year once he changed to the Subaru.

“He’s a very promising driver, and I hope that I can use my experience to help his progression up the ranks”