Competitors
Competitors
Competitors
Competitors
Competitors
World Rallying had begun to move away from the longer distance rallies, and focus on more compact events, centralizing service areas and bringing rallying to higher population areas in its pursuit of public involvement.
This is something that the Snowman Rally has already done for a number of years and that continued into this decade. Its a great way to showcase rallying and gives the public the opportunity to get up close to the cars. The Snowman Rally continues to encourage the ceremonial start along the high street as it forms a real buzz about the town and emphasises "rally fever".
The rally cars too were developing, WRC cars began to be superseded by the current crop of new Rally Cars – the ‘R models’, and the days of very diverse makes of cars were reducing as more competitors sought to compete in 4WD machinery.
The decade itself saw some new British championship victors and champions once again compete on the Snowman – reinforcing the competitiveness of the SRC events and standard of competition existing.
The decade itself started as it often did with a very snowy Snowman rally – the infamous 2010 event brought some of the worst conditions seen for several years.
Extreme Ice on some stages would cause the event to suffer a rare cancelation on its 2019 running – an event that was dedicated to Coogie Urquhart, a long time and very popular ‘legend’ within the Highland Car Club. The fitting tribute naming of the Snowman would be reestablished for the Snowman 2020 – bringing his legacy into a new decade and a new base at Fairways..
The Snowman would also say farewell during this decade to its long-term base of the by gone Mercury Hotel, now the Jurys Inn.
The leading drivers of the decade were equally competive in British championship rounds, as they were against each other in the Scottish Rally Championship – which for a lengthy period had been sponsored by ARR Craib.
Drivers such as Jock Armstrong , David Bogie, Euan Thorburn would win 6 of the 8 Snowman's held during that decade. Local Driver Donnie MacDonald achieved a popular victory in 2016 – and following in the footsteps of Drew Gallagher's success , his son Andrew would win the final event of the decade to run.
The 2018 Snowman made some changes as well as keep some traditions, moving to Fairways as its base, and having the start line on the city High Street during that year – continuing the presentation of rumbling rally cars in the city center that the locals know and love – what a spectacle of colour and sound to end the decade on!.
