I’m currently preparing for the next round of the Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) – the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally this Saturday, near Banchory.
The Grampian Forest Rally was my first gravel rally in my Fiesta R200 (affectionately known as JIG) last year so I’m really looking forward to tackling the event for a second time.
Although the stages are different this year, it’s always helpful to have competed on an event before so you have an idea of the surface and best set up for the car.
We tested the car last week at Walters Arena in Wales and it was great to get some extra seat time as we don’t have many opportunities to test the car in between events.
It was incredibly wet and slippery on the day we tested, but good to get used to driving in such challenging conditions.
One year with Carbon Positive Motorsport
SRC competitors don’t get to recce the stages before the Grampian so our preparation in the lead up to the event will involve going through the pacenotes and video from the note provider.
This year’s Grampian Rally also marks one year of my partnership with one of my sponsors, Carbon Positive Motorsport, as well as their one-year anniversary.
Our previous event was the Scottish Rally which was tough for us – we were running fourth on the road so stages were very slippery and we also got a puncture which cost us some time, but were pleased to finish and secure crucial championship points.
I’m currently sitting 3rd in class M2 and 2nd in the ladies’ championship as we head to the Grampian, and my co-driver Martin Haggett is leading class M2 in the co-drivers’ standings.
Galloway Hills Rally ahead
However, there’s still a long way to go, with three rallies remaining in the 2022 season and dropped scores to be taken into consideration (our top six results from eight rallies will count towards our final score).
After the Grampian we head to the Galloway Hills Rally in September, which was my favourite event on the calendar last year, before finishing off the season at the Carlisle Stages in October.
I’m planning to compete in the SRC again next year, but first JIG will require some TLC over the off-season, including a full rebuild of the engine and gearbox.
Thank you to my sponsors Carbon Positive Motorsport, Morris Lubricants and Demon Tweeks Motorsport for their continued support.
Keep up with Ashleigh
You can follow my progress on the Grampian Rally, and the rest of the Scottish Rally Championship, on my website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Rally spectator information: grampianforestrally.com/where-to-watch
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