Brackley-based motorsport preparation and restoration expert BGMsport will partner Castle Combe circuit on the delivery of Rallyday on Saturday September 25.
Former national rally sprint champion Ian Gwynne owns BGMsport and has helped reinvigorate Europe’s biggest one-day festival of rallying. As well as designing the LEGENDS stage, Ian’s firm will bring some of the world’s most famous rally cars to sit at the centre of a fantastic day’s action.
These are the first six BGMsport cars confirmed for September 25 (don’t worry, there are even more to come – but you’ll have to wait a week to find out what else Ian has lined up…):
The Peugeot 206 WRC Richard Burns drove to second place on the 2002 Catalunya Rally
The Audi Quattro E2 Hannu Mikkola drove to victory on the Mänttä 200 Rally in 1985
The ex-Colin McRae Ford Focus RS WRC01 driven by the Scot on the 2001 Sanremo Rally
An 800bhp Ford Fiesta driven by Marcus Grönholm at the 2009 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb
The Subaru Legacy RS Colin McRae drove to second place on the 1992 Swedish Rally
The ex-Juha Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC99, used by the Finn to finish second on the 1999 Rally New Zealand
Ian said: “I started working with Rallyday a couple of years ago – it’s a very special event.
“There’s no shortage of places to show these incredible cars around the world, but there are very few places where you can go to really demonstrate what these cars were all about. The chance to see, to hear and to smell these cars running is as special for us as it is for the thousands of fans who come along as well. They’re all pieces of history, all with a phenomenal backstory.
“And, yes, there are more cars to come. All will be revealed in the next week or so – but nobody’s going to be disappointed!”
The six cars detailed above belong to Steve Rimmer, the American-based owner of DirtFish.
“Steve is such a huge fan of rallying,” said Ian. “He has this incredible collection of cars which we look after for him, but the difference with Steve is that he doesn’t want the cars hidden away under a dust cover in a museum – he wants them to be driven and he wants them to be used.
“Like I said, the cars coming are all very special, but the opportunity to see the likes of the Audi and the Pikes Peak Fiesta is really, really special. And, obviously, such special cars need special drivers, which is where we’re delighted to work with Jimmy [McRae] and Mark [Higgins] – two absolute stars of our sport.”
As well as providing cars and stars, Ian has been central to a development of the event itself.
“Before the 2019 event – obviously we lost last year’s [Rallyday] to COVID-19 – we started working on the LEGENDS stage,” said Ian. “The idea with this is to provide fans with a real insight into what really made our sport great. This is an opportunity for the world’s best and most famous rally cars to be driven on a stage specifically designed to offer more of a spectacle to the fans.
“I love the way the LEGENDS stage starts out of the paddock area and runs between the buildings before going out onto the track. The stage is reminiscent of some of the famous Sunday stages on the RAC Rally – but the atmosphere really is something very, very special when you have some the world’s best cars lining up to go off the line.”
Castle Combe managing director Graham Marshallsay was quick to praise the BGMsport partnership.
Graham said: “It’s impossible to overstate what Ian and BGMsport has done and continues to do for Rallyday. The LEGENDS stage was an immediate hit when it arrived in 2019 and plans for this month’s event will make it one of the best ever – none of this would be possible without Ian’s unstinting commitment.
“And then we get to talk about the cars coming from BGMsport. Where do we start? Six cars spanning three spectacular decades in the World Rally Championship and that insane 1000bhp Fiesta driven by Marcus Grönholm. Fantastic.”
Tickets for Rallyday on Saturday September 25, Europe’s premier one-day rally show, are already available. Go to rallyday.com for advance tickets priced at £20 per adult. Under-17s, accompanied by an adult, get in for free.
