Junior rally driver Alick Kerr faces one of the biggest challenges of his fledgling career as he prepares to step up to four-wheel drive. The 20 year-old from Bothwell is set to move from his Ford Fiesta ST to the Grant Construction Subaru Impreza for the Station Garage Mitsubishi Granite City Rally on Saturday 25 April.

Kerr and co-driver Drew Sturrock are hoping to build on the stunning start to the Hankook Scottish Rally Championship, which saw them take their old car to eleventh place outright and first in class on the Invernessbased Snowman Rally back in February. Despite having to sit out the last round whilst the quest for a new car continued, foundry engineer Kerr is raring to get back out in the woods.

“I haven’t had a chance to drive the car in anger in a rally situation yet, but we are planning to take part in a shakedown the day before the Granite to find out what it’s like,” admits Alick. “It should be interesting if nothing else – a lot quicker than what I’ve been used to so far that’s for sure!” It isn’t any run-of-the-mill four-wheel drive Alick and Drew are stepping up to, however – the Grant Construction Subaru is well known in Scotland with a rich history.

“The car was originally built by Prodrive, the people who put together the Subaru World Rally Cars, so it’s got all the right bits on it,” explains Kerr. “Bob Grant then used it for a few years and looked after it very well picking up a lot of successes on the way. We will be running in open class in the championship as the car has a few minor modifications, but other than that it’s pretty much standard production specification.”

The Granite City Rally in Aberdeen won’t be the first time Alick Kerr has driven a fourwheel drive car, having tried out an older Subaru Impreza on a test a few years back as part of the Scottish Rally Championship’s junior programme. “I did have a go of a more powerful Subaru, but that was a few years back now and it wasn’t for very long,” continues Alick. “For most people, the hardest thing about stepping up to a car like this is having to deal with left-hand drive, but thankfully my Fiesta was left-hand drive as well so that’s not going to be a problem for me.”

Further information on the team can be found at www.alickkerr.com