RALLY stars past and present attracted the sport’s enthusiasts by their thousands to the Castle Combe Circuit on Saturday, WRITES TREVOR PORTER.

Leading the line-up of stars was Finnish driver Juha Kankkunen, making his first ever appearance at RallyDay, promoted as Europe’s premier rally show.

Kankkunen won 23 world rallies and four driver’s world championship titles and no one has been able to repeat his feat of becoming world champion with three different manufacturers.

His other achievements included winning the Dakar Rally in 1988 and the Race of Champions in 1988 and 1991.

In 2007, he set the world speed record on ice in a Bentley Continental and, in 2011, set a further record of 330.695 km/h in a convertible Bentley Continental Supersport.

Heading up this year’s list of star co-drivers was World Championship winner Nicky Grist who was reunited with Kankkunen on the stage 26 years on from their 1993 WRC win with Toyota.

That win marked the start of a four year successful partnership before Grist joined forces with the late Colin McRae, achieving 27 podium finishes and 183 points in the world rally championships.

McRae’s father Jimmy, a star in his own right, was also a guest at the show, winning the British Rally Championship five times in 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987 and 1988.

The mainly retired McRae still occasionally competes on historic rallies and Scottish Rally Championship events, with occasional outings on the Wales Rally GB.

In 2006 he won the Roger Albert Clark Rally in a Stobart Motorsport-sponsored Mark 2 Ford Escort.

In September 2008, he was one of a number of ex-world and British champions to take part in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, in memory of his son, who died in helicopter accident 2007.

Rallyday spectators were treated to demonstrations in the feature car display areas and a car demo stage.

For the first time, the circuit was converted to a 3.7-mile tarmac stage with added chicanes and hairpin turns, with cars being driven at competitive rally speeds.