Motorsport: Alick Kerr gets sponsorship boost

Mar 18 2010 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

BOTHWELL junior rally driver Alick Kerr has been given a major boost – after netting a season-long sponsorship deal.

The backing, from Kompact Kitchens and Rangemaster, comes after Kerr made an outstanding start to the 2010 Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship with second place on last month’s Snowman Rally.

Kompact Kitchens is the new identity for the Lanarkshire appliance distribution company Leaker Direct.

The firm have backed Kerr since his debut in the sport back in 2006.

The 21-year-old foundry engineer was delighted with the support.

He said: “To secure backing from a partnership as successful as Kompact Kitchens and Rangemaster is fantastic.

“I would like to thank Arthur Leaker personally for his continuing support, which will allow us to continue our challenge for the Scottish Rally Championship.”

In the four weeks since the Snowman Rally, in addition to a change of livery, the Kompact Kitchens Rangemaster Subaru Impreza has been stripped down and refettled, ready for the challenge posed by the gravel tracks in Europe’s largest man-made forest.

And he hopes it stands him in good stead for the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally, the second round of the Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship, on Saturday.

Circumstances have forced Kerr to sit out the Jedburgh-based event for the last two years.

He is hoping that the experience of new navigator Neil Shanks will help to make up for his lack of local knowledge.

He said: “The forests around the Scottish and English border are famed for their ability to swallow rally cars whole in the roadside ditches, so it’s more important than ever to concentrate 100 per cent on the route notes and treat the stages with respect.

“Unfortunately I haven’t contested this event since 2007, so I hope Neil’s knowledge of the stages will help us to pick up from where we left off in Inverness.”

The Bags Online and Opie Oils-backed pairing arrive at the event in second place in the Scottish Championship and, given the competitive nature of the Scottish Championship.

And it will be a tall order to repeat their opening round result.

However, the team have targeted a top-five finish and go into the event full of confidence.

Their progress can be followed at: www.nordercountiesrally.co.uk while regularly-updated information on the team can be found at www.alickkerr.com.