BO’NESS REVIVAL GETS SET TO SPRING INTO LIFE

Kinneil Estate prepares to welcome thousands to annual motorsport extravaganza

Motorsport enthusiasts from across Scotland, the UK and even further afield are gearing up for one of the country’s biggest celebrations of all things automotive as the Bo’ness Revival prepares to get underway.

Next weekend hundreds of competitors and thousands of spectators will descend on Scotland’s oldest motor racing venue - at the Kinneil Estate, Bo’ness - for a spectacular two days of hillclimb competition.

Known as the Goodwood of the North, the Bo’ness Revival sees a host of legendary cars take on the challenging hillclimb track as well as offering fans access to one of Scotland’s most impressive classic car shows.

A full paddock of 120 cars will be competing over the weekend of September 2-3, with iconic names from every decade from the 1910 s tot he1970s represented. Performance machines from major manufacturers such as Porsche, Jaguar, Triumph, Ford and Lotus will be joined by examples of smaller marquessuc has stutz,m al lock and Lea-francis. Vehicles are classified by age and type then pitted against the clock to see who can conquer the historic course in the best time.

As with every year, competitors are travelling the length and breadth of the UK to attend the prestigious event. Entrants from as far afield as Caithness and Lymington, on the English south coast, will be bringing their pride and joy to compete but once again the prize for most dedicated entrant must go to Iain Third. After competing in last year’s event, Iain will again be making the 10,000-mile journey from Sydney, Australia to drive the Turner Sport that his father used to race at the track.

While the action around the restored hillclimb track is undoubtedly the highlight of the weekend, there’s plenty else going to keep visitors young and old entertained. There’s a trade village, memorabilia and food stalls along with children’s attractions and demonstration drives.

And this year the everpopular classic car show is set to be bigger than ever, with an estimated 450 vehicles from across the years on display. Following a successful first outing last year, the Revival weekend will again feature a “just for fun” road run, this time to Balmaha, and will also see the inaugural Bo’ness Saltire Trophy.

Run in association with the Saltire Rally Club, the Saltire Trophy aims to evoke the spirit of the original Pomeroy Trophy, and introduces another competitive element to the weekend. Saturday will see a road run using a ‘Tulip’ roadbook and code boards, along with two autotests at Dunblane Hydro and the Oak Tree Inn. On Sunday entrants will take to the famous hillclimb track for a timed regularity run.

Kenny Baird, chairman of Bo’ness Revival said: “This year we have even more attractions for visitors to enjoy with not only the famous hill climb competition but also our associated road rally for the Saltire Trophy, our historic Road Run plus action all day on Sunday in the Show Ring with the Classic Carkhana.”

After major upgrades to the track and spectator areas last year, organisers haven’t been taking things easy, making further improvements to facilities to ensure the Revival remains one of Scotland’s best family events.

Due to the massive popularity of the event a lot of time and money has been invested into making getting there even easier this year. The car park has been improved and enlarged by 25 per cent but is still free for all visitors.

For those who would rather let someone else deal with the festival traffic, a new park and ride scheme has also been introduced. A free shuttle bus will run regularly from Bo’ness Academy while another will operate between Linlithgow railway station and the Kinneil Estate for visitors arriving by train.

First used in 1934 the Kinneil Estate track was the site of regular race meets for more than 30 years and attracted a host of the country’s best drivers such as Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Stirling Moss.

It was closed in 1966 and lay unused until a group of

motorsport enthusiasts joined forces with Falkirk Council to resurrect it in 2008. Since then the event has grown and grown in popularity and has drawn favourable comparisons with other major UK hill climb meets.

This year’s Bo’ness Revival takes place on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September. Entry on Saturday is £10 for adults and on Sunday is £15. Accompanied children under 15 go free. Advanced tickets, including group discounts, are available online from www.boness hillclimb.org.uk.