A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP competitor is set to appear in West Fife this summer after another big name was announced for a showcase Knockhill Racing Circuit event.

Elfyn Evans, a Red Bull-sponsored World Rally Championship (WRC) star, has been confirmed to appear at the McRae Rally Challenge, which will be held over the weekend of July 2-3.

The event, last held at Scotland's national motorsport centre in 2015, will be run for a second time and will commemorate the achievements of the late Colin McRae, who became Britain's first world rally champion in 1995, and those of his father, Jimmy; brother, Alister; and Alister's son, and third generation rising star, Max.

Welshman Evans, 34, first competed in the WRC in 2007 and his father, Gwyndaf, is a former winner of the British Rally Championship.

In 2020, he became the first-ever British driver to win Rally Sweden – a victory that saw him top the WRC for the first time in his career, although he missed out narrowly on the title – and won the Autosport International Rally Driver Award.

Evans, who races for Toyota Gazoo Racing's World Rally Team, said: "It's a shame there is no WRC round in Great Britain this year, so instead I'm really excited to attend the McRae Challenge weekend, which will be a great festival for all the fans."

In addition, organisers have announced that Gwyndaf will also take part, in his Mk Two Ford Escort, and he commented: "I am thrilled to be invited to take part in the event.

"I am really looking forward to meeting all my old friends from the rally world, and I'm being reunited with my works' MG ZR for the parade of champions, which will be fun too."

The appearances of Elfyn and Gwyndaf follow on from the announcement that Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy will also take part in the event.

The Edinburgh-born rider, who won six Olympic titles, and one silver, on his way to becoming Scotland's most successful Olympian, has tested himself in motorsport since retiring in 2013, joining the European Les Mans Series grid in 2015.

Sir Chris is friends with the McRae family and is set to be part of a star-studded line-up, with further announcements to follow.

The event will incorporate a variety of attractions, including two, one-day single rallies, a power-stage finale, a junior rally event, a head-to-head 'battle of the McRae's, static displays and dramatic, on-stage rally action.

An official ribbon ceremony to mark the renaming of the right-hand corner at the bottom of Duffus Dip as 'McRae's' at all rally and rallycross events will also take place, after the venue decided to mark the family's legacy.

Jimmy was the first to race on the track at Knockhill and is the current record winner of the British Rally Championship, having claimed five titles, and also competed in the World Rally Championship.

Two of his three sons, Colin and Alister, followed him into the sport, with Colin, who died in 2007, winning the British Rally Championship in 1991 and 1992.

In 1995, he also became the first Scot – and the youngest driver – to win the World Rally Championship title, while Alister was a British Rally Championship winner in the same year.

Stuart Gray, director of events at Knockhill, added: "The addition of both Elfyn and Gwyndaf is a real highlight of what is already a special event.

"To have Elfyn, a current WRC star, take time out to come to Knockhill is fantastic as he is coming straight from a test in Estonia to come to Knockhill. On the Sunday, he will no doubt be cheering on his dad as Gwyndaf throws his Mk2 Escort around the Knockhill rally stages and a huge thanks to Red Bull for helping to make this happen. "

For full event details, and ticket information, visit www.knockhill.com/events/fixture-McRae-Rally-Challenge-id333.