Border Counties Rally – (Sat) 22 Mar 14

Photos

Posted: May 24, 2014 6:11 PM

Lindsay Photosport

BOGIE/RAE CELEBRATE "IMPORTANT WIN"

Posted: May 24, 2014 6:03 PM

David Bogie led from start to finish in his Ford Focus WRC to win Saturday's Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally for a third time, and chalk up his first victory in the 2014 ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship.

The five-time title-holder from Dumfries, co-driven by Kevin Rae, was fastest through four of the five forest stages to finish with a total time of 43 minutes 23 seconds, forty-seven seconds ahead of the Focus of Stephen Petch from Bishop Auckland. Bogie's main championship rival, Euan Thorburn from Duns, also in a Focus, finished third overall, a further four seconds back.

Since Petch, who had finished third on the event in 2013, is not registered for the SRC, the result means Thorburn – winner of last month's season-opener in Inverness - now has a two-point lead over Bogie with six rounds remaining.

While the conditions in Kielder Forest were nowhere near as treacherous as those of twelve months ago, they were still extremely tricky, with snow lying on the two opening stages. It made tyre choice difficult, and required a high degree of confidence and commitment behind the wheel.

"With the 2WD competitors running ahead of us, there were tramlines in the snow on the opening stage, but getting the braking points right wasn't easy", explained Bogie at the finish in Jedburgh: "As the day wore on, conditions improved. We had a bit of a misfire at one stage, but it was nothing serious. Overall, our pace was pretty good, and I felt comfortable in the car. It was important we got the win".

Thorburn, co-driven by Paul Beaton from Inverness, was second-fastest through SS2 Bewshaugh, and third quickest through the third and final stages. The Borderer admitted they had not had their troubles to seek:

"Stage one, puncture; the second stage was alright, but on stage three, the windscreen steamed up so we lost a bit of time right at the end because we couldn't see – it was like crawling along in first gear. On the fourth stage we stalled at a hairpin; and on five, which was very rough, we just drove through to get to the finish".

Jock Armstrong, who was competing for only the second time with navigator Paula Swinscoe, achieved his first finish on the Border Counties in the last four attempts – the Castle Douglas driver ending the day fourth overall, third in the points, in his Subaru Impreza:

"We've had a little bit of luck today – there were several "moments" which could have gone either way. The first stage wasn't easy, particularly with dislodged snow, but we were second quickest behind David", said Armstrong: "Once I'd got my head round the conditions it was a case of keeping the car on the road and going for the finish. And Paula and I were really getting into the groove".

Quintin Milne, runner-up on the Snowman, and winner of the Border Counties in 2013 alongside co-driver Martin Forrest from Aberdeen, struggled with suspension settings on his EVO 9:

"They're actually the same as those used by Barry (Groundwater) but they don't suit me. It makes the car too "tail happy", explained Milne: "We were first of the 4WD's onto the stages, and although there was a tramline in the snow from the earlier 2WD cars, those conditions don't suit my exuberant driving style, when you need to drive a neat "tarmac line" with snow lying either side. We hit a chicane at one point and bashed in a rear door”.

Leading Group N competitor Andrew Gallacher, with Phil Sandham on the notes, finished a fine sixth overall in his new-for-2014 EVO 9, and was more than satisfied with the result, given the conditions:

"The stages were far from easy, but it was the same for everyone. We didn't have any major issues. The car was down on power on the Snowman, but we got that sorted, and I think it's now running as well as it ever will", said Gallacher, who consolidated his position in the GpN standings.

Last year's runner-up Barry Groundwater from Stonehaven ended the day eighteen seconds back in seventh overall, in his EVO, and admitted to being "over cautious":

"It was an OK sort of day, but I think I was affected by memories of all the ice and snow on last year's event", said Groundwater, co-driven by Neil Shanks from Elgin.

Northern Ireland's Brenden Cumiskey registered for the Scottish championship on the morning of the event, and marked the occasion with an impressive eighth overall – and a good haul of points – at the wheel of his Mitsubishi EVO. The Dundalk-based driver was paired with navigator Ronan O'Kane. They were followed home by the non-registered crew of Peter Taylor and Paul Hughes in a Ford Fiesta D2000 – eight seconds further back.

The overall top-ten was rounded off by Banchory's Bruce McCombie in his "new" EVO 9:

"The clutch pedal went to the floor on the last stage and we had a wee problem with the turbo manifold – it went into safe mode - about four miles from the end, so we're quite lucky to be here", said McCombie, who had Michael Coutts on the notes: "The conditions were pretty slippy, so it's a relief to get a finish. It was a good "learning day" event".

Newton Stewart's Mark McCulloch and navigator James Haugh were a further eight seconds adrift, eighth in the SRC points in their Subaru Impreza, after surviving an early scare which, at first service, looked as though it could end their challenge:

"It felt as though we had no boost on the first two stages – it was just going off the power the whole time - and we were all for calling it a day", said McCulloch: "It turned out it was actually a coil lead going into the engine, and it was dropping us to three cylinders. Once that was sorted, stage three felt like a first stage for us so it took as a while to get going. The main thing is we got to the end – which we didn't think was going to happen earlier in the day".

McCulloch finished just three seconds ahead of Inverness duo Dougal Brown and Lewis Rochford in an EVO 9:

"We had a bit of a moment in the snow on the second stage and got pulled into a ditch. We also picked up a slow puncture on the back right, and put on an old spare. As a result,we struggled with grip for the next two stages", said Brown.

Fraser Wilson and new co-driver Jane Nicol were sixteen seconds back in his EVO 9, to follow up on their promising start together on the Snowman. The Wigtownshire driver finished the day second in GpN in his Mitsubishi EVO 9.

Arguably the "drive of the day" went to Steve Bannister in his Ford Escort Mk2. For the fourth time in recent years, the Yorkshireman, with Louise Sutherland navigating, finished as the event's leading 2WD competitor – ending the day nineteenth overall. The pair were the first onto the stages, and, as such, had fresh snow to contend with. After a tentative start, Bannister steadily picked up the pace and subsequently came out top in the tussle with fellow historic-class Escort stalwarts Matthew Robinson and Andy Kelly.

Lauder's Callum Atkinson, with Keith Riddick navigating, won Class 7 in a Ford Fiesta ST, while John MacCrone and Stuart Louden in a Ford Fiesta R200 took the overall win in the 1600cc category. However, maximum championship points went to the Dalbeattie-based Vauxhall Nova crew of Iain Wilson and Keith Fremantle, who made amends after crashing out on the Snowman.

Iain Haining, with Mairi Riddick co-driving, also bounced back from a non-finish on the season-opener, with a dominant display in Class 3 in his Vauxhall Nova:

"We had a couple of minor niggles – the heater motor packed up and it steamed up a wee bit, and one of the bolts fell out of the rear wheel-hub on the passenger side. We heard it rattling going into the fourth stage, so we borrowed a spanner at the start and tightened them up".

Haining ended the day two-and-a-half minutes in front of nearest rivals Charles Blair and Mark Roberts – who were the top-placed Peugeot 205 crew:

"We were leading the class after the first stage, but Iain took a good chunk out of us on stage two and we decided just to take it steady and make sure we stayed in front amongst the 205's. So a really good day for us", said Blair.

Scott Macbeth from Rosemarkie, and Kintore co-driver Ashleigh Will took the victory in Class 2 in their Vauxhall Nova.

"It was my first time driving in snow, so it was a bit of a learning curve. The car was mis-firing a bit as well - we'll need to get that sorted", said Macbeth.

There were twenty-seven retirements, among them Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy – third on the previous round – who crashed out in their EVO 9 on the final stage. There were also DNF's for Portlethen's Chris Collie, who went off on the opening test in his EVO 6, and Inverness crew Donnie Macdonald and Andrew Falconer, who went out on the fourth stage in their EVO.

The third round of the ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship is the Coltel Granite City Rally in Aberdeen on April 26th.

Results

Posted: May 24, 2014 5:59 PM

1st David Bogie (Dumfries)/Kevin Rae (Hawick) Ford Focus WRC 43 min 23 sec
2nd Stephen Petch (Bishop Auckland)/Michael Wilkinson (Tow Law) Ford Focus WRC 08 44.10
3rd Euan Thorburn (Duns)/Paul Beaton (Inverness) Ford Focus WRC 01 44.14
4th Jock Armstrong (Castle Douglas)/Paula Swinscoe (Chorley) Subaru Impreza 44.43
5th Quintin Milne (Banchory)/Martin Forrest (Aberdeen) Mitsubishi EVO 9 44.52
6th Andrew Gallacher (Hurlford)/Phil Sandham (Carnforth) Mitsubishi EVO 9 46.08
7th Barry Groundwater (Stonehaven)/Neil Shanks (Elgin) Mitsubishi EVO 9 46.26
8th Brenden Cumiskey (Dundalk)/Ronan O'Kane (Dungannon) Mitsubishi EVO
9th Peter Taylor (Carlisle)/Paul Hughes (Newcastle) Ford Fiesta D2000 46.50
10th Bruce McCombie (Banchory)/Michael Coutts (Torphins) Mitsubishi EVO 46.52

Border Counties Rally – (Sat) 22 Mar 14 - RESULTS
Results by North East Rally Services

STAGE SET FOR CLOSE-FOUGHT BORDER COUNTIES

Posted: March 18, 2014 11:06 AM

Last year’s winners Quintin Milne and co-driver Martin Forrest head a quality field of nearly one hundred crews for next Saturday’s second round of the 2014 ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship in Jedburgh. Twelve months ago, Milne battled snow and ice on the Kielder stages to take victory on the Brick & Steel Construction Border Counties in his Mitsubishi EVO 9.

The Banchory driver currently sits second in the points after finishing as runner-up to Duns-based Euan Thorburn on the season-opener in Inverness.

Thorburn, co-driven by Paul Beaton, will line up his Ford Focus WRC behind that of defending Scottish champions David Bogie and Hawick navigator Kevin Rae – twice winners of the Border Counties.

A puncture put paid to Bogie’s hopes of victory on the Snowman, but, that aside, the five-time title holder from Dumfries was happy with his form:
“We were fastest through four of the five stages, so the pace was certainly there – and that bodes well for the rest of the season. If we can go into the Border Counties with the same pace, then I see no reason why we can’t take the win. It’s a rally which requires big commitment, but I’m feeling comfortable and confident in the car, and thoroughly looking forward to the event”.

Mike Faulkner, with Peter Foy on the notes, was also satisfied with the pace on the opening round – steering his EVO 9 to the final podium spot, just three seconds adrift of Milne. The fast flowing Kielder stages suit Faulkner’s driving style, and he aims to pick up where he left off in Inverness:
“We can look forward to another tussle with Quinton, and hopefully Jock (Armstrong), after his bad luck on the Snowman. We’ll be fighting to stay as near to Euan and David as possible. They’ll be difficult to beat, but, as the Snowman proved, if either have problems, then we need to be close enough to capitalise. In truth, there’s a host of other drivers capable of being in the mix – so it looks like being another close-fought Scottish Championship round – which is just what we want”.

Armstrong’s Snowman challenge came to an end on the second stage, when his Subaru Impreza succumbed to transmission problems. The Castle Douglas competitor, who will again have Paula Swinscoe on the notes, is looking to kick start his campaign on the Border Counties, but has not fared well on the event in recent years. He went off on the first stage last year, following previous DNF’s in 2010 and 2011.

In contrast, sixth-seed Barry Groundwater has finished in the top eight since 2009 in his Mitsubishi EVO. He was fourth overall in 2012, and last year took the runners-up spot alongside navigator Neil Shanks from Elgin.

Meanwhile, the County Durham crew of Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson, while not in the chase for Scottish championship points, will be looking to better their third place finish of last year.

SRC regular Chris Collie sat out the opening round, but will be back in action in his Mitsubishi EVO 6. The Portlethen competitor, co-driven by Mark Fisher, ended the day sixth overall in Jedburgh in 2013.

Donnie MacDonald, with fellow Invernessian Andrew Falconer navigating, will be hoping for a clean run in his recently acquired EVO 9. He was eyeing a top-seven spot on the Snowman, but an electrical problem forced him to call it a day on the final stage. He will be followed off the start-line by the winners of last month’s Riponian Stages Rally, Peter Wilkinson and Ian Windress, in a Ford Focus. Like Petch, they will be aiming to mix it with the leading SRC competitors.

Bruce McCombie heads to Jedburgh off the back of an impressive seventh overall on the Snowman in his new-for-2014 EVO 9 – the Banchory man co-driven by Michael Coutts.

Former Scottish champion Jon Burn and navigator Alan Stark start twelfth in their Subaru Impreza WRC, while Rory Young, with Allan Cathers alongside, will want to make amends for a non-finish last time out in his EVO 5. The Group N challenge will be led by Andrew Gallacher, who also debuted a new EVO 9 on the opening round. Before the event, the car was shown to be down on power, but the Kilmarnock driver, with Phil Sandham navigating, said they would be looking to “get more out of it” come the Border Counties. Event sponsor John McClory, who, with David Hood, won GpN and finished seventh overall in 2013, will return to the fray in his Subaru Impreza N15. Inverness duo Dougal Brown and Lewis Rochford will aim to keep up the momentum after finishing sixth overall on their home event in an EVO 9, and Wigtownshire crew Mark McCulloch and Jim Haugh will also be targeting a strong points finish in their Subaru Impreza.

After one round, John Morrison from Conon Bridge sits tenth in the overall drivers’ standings and second in GpN in his Mitsubishi EVO, one point ahead of Port William’s Fraser Wilson. Fellow Wigtownshire competitor Craig McMiken, co-driven by Craig Wallace, also starts in the top-twenty in his EVO.

With classes 1-7 running at the front of the field, the first competitive car into the stages will be the historic-spec Ford Escort Mk2 of Steve Bannister and Louise Sutherland. The pair have been the event’s leading 2WD competitors on three occasions in the past four years, but are likely to face strong competition for overall honours from Mull ace John MacCrone, co-driven by Stuart Louden, in his Ford Fiesta R200.

Among the SRC competitors, Colin Aitchison from Duns, co-driven by Garry Pearson, currently leads the historic class in his Vauxhall Chevette. Bothwell’s Graeme Schoneville, with Michael Hendry alongside, will be eyeing maximum points in Class 7 in his Honda Civic Type-R, as will Lauder’s Callum Atkinson, co-driven by Keith Riddick, in a Ford Fiesta RT. The 1600cc category again promises to be an intriguing tussle. Peter Stewart from Dumfries, with Kenneth Marchbank on the notes, will look to extend his advantage after taking the win on the Snowman in his Ford Fiesta, ahead of the Honda Civic of Duncan Campbell and Gavin Chisholm. 2013 class champions Iain Wilson and Keith Fremantle from Dalbeattie will be back in action in their Vauxhall Nova, after crashing out on round one, while Kieran Renton and Dave O’Brien, from Leithholm and Duns respectively, will have home support in their Ford Fiesta R2. Others to watch out for include Alasdair S.Graham and Laura Stuart in a Vauxhall Corsa, and Greg and Chris McKnight from Dumfriesshire in their Mk2 Escort. Scott Peacock, co-driven by Sue Hynd, currently leads the way in Class 3, after taking full championship points on the Snowman, ahead of fellow Peugeot 205 competitors Simon Hay and Blair Brown. However, Iain Haining and Mairi Riddick, who won all eight rounds last year, will be back in action in their Vauxhall Nova, after engine problems in Inverness. Charles Blair and Mark Roberts will also be targeting a good finish, following a DNF last time out.

Scott MacBeth (Vauxhall Nova) has his nose in front in Class 2, with Linzi Henderson (MG ZR) two points further back, ahead of Vauxhall Corsa drivers Scott Sloan and Derek Connell.

The first car leaves Abbey Place in Jedburgh at 8.30 on Saturday morning, with the leading competitors returning around 2.30 in the afternoon.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: March 18, 2014 11:05 AM

1 Quintin Milne/Martin Forrest (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [12]
2 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Ford Focus WRC) [12]
3 Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton (Ford Focus WRC) [12]
4 Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsibushi Lancer Evo IV) [12]
5 Jock Armstrong/Paula Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) [12]
6 Barry Groundwater/Neil Shanks (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [12]
7 Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson (TBA ) [12]
8 Chris Collie/Mark Fisher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) [12]
9 Donnie MacDonald/Andrew Falconer (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) [12]
10 Peter Stephenson/Ian Windress (Ford Focus) [12]
11 Bruce Mccombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) [12]
12 Jon Burn/Alan Stark (Subaru Impreza WRC) [12]
14 Rory Young/Allan Cathers (Mitsubishi Lancer) [12]
15 Andrew Gallacher/Phil Sandham (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [10]
16 John McClory/David Hood (Subaru Imprezza N15) [10]
17 Dougal Brown/Lewis Rochford (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [12]
18 Mark McCulloch/James Haugh (Subaru Impreza) [12]
19 John Morrison/Peter Carstairs (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [10]
20 Craig McMiken/Craig Wallace (Mitsibishi Lancer Evo 9) [12]
21 Fraser Wilson/Jane Nicol (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [10]
22 Dale Robertson/Paul McGuire (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [10]
23 John Rintoul/Ross Hynd (Hyundai WRC Accent) [12]
24 Timothy Cathcart/Dai Roberts (Citroen DS3 R3) [9]
25 Alasdair Anderson/Danny Sutherland (Subaru Impreza) [12]
26 James Brims/Iain Macdonald (Subaru Impreza) [12]
27 Fraser MacNicol/Lorn Hughes (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) [12]
28 Lee Hastings/Drew Sturrock (Subaru Impreza) [1]
29 Garry Wilson/Hollie Wilson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5) [12]
30 Robert Harkness/Michael Curry (BMW 316i) [9]
31 Martin Craik/Steven Brown (Subaru Impreza) [12]
32 Gordon Murray/Phil Coulby (Ford EScort MK 2) [8]
33 Billy Miller/Ian Imlach (Mitsubishi Lancer) [12]
34 Geoff Goudie/Christopher Robertson (Subaru Impreza) [12]
35 Roland Wessel/Malcolm Vie (Subaru WRX) [12]
36 Colin Grant/Michael Cruikshanks (Subaru Impreza) [12]
37 Darren Martin/Martin Steele (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [12]
38 Jim Sharp/Elliot Edmonson (Mitsubishi Evo) [10]
39 Ellya Alec Gold/Jean Hay (Subaru Impreza GC8) [12]
40 Calum Strachan/Leslie Craib (Mitsubishi Evo 4) [12]
41 Paul Hudson/Colin Stockil (Ford Escort) [8]
42 Kevin Robertson/Murray Strachan (Mitsubishi Evo 8) [12]
43 Tommy Heard/Amanda Burney (Subaru GC8) [12]
44 Michael Robertson/Gary McDonald (Subaru Impreza) [12]
45 Tony Thompson/Paul Hudson (Subaru Impreza) [10]
46 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer) []
46 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer) []
46 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer) []
46 Brendan Cumiskey/Ronan O Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer) []
101 Steve Bannister/Louise Sutherland (Ford Escort Mk 11) [6]
102 Matthew Robinson/Sam Collis (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
103 John MacCrone/Stuart Louden (Ford Fiesta R200) [4]
104 Carl Tuer/Robin Tuer (MG ZR S1600) [4]
105 Charlie Taylor/Steve Bielby (Ford Escort) [6]
106 Graeme Schoneville/Michael Hendry (Honda Civic Type R) [7]
107 Tom Hewick/Mick Johnson (Ford Escort mk 2) [6]
108 Iain Wilson/Keith Fremantle (Vauxhall Nova) [4]
109 Andrew Kelly/Roger Herron (Ford Escort RS 2000 MK1) [6]
110 Alasdair S Graham/Laura Stuart (Vauxhall Corsa) [4]
111 Greg McKnight/Chris McKnight (Ford Escort MK2) [4]
112 Marcus Noble/Helen Hall (Ford Escort MK2) [6]
114 Peter Stewart/Kenneth Marchbank (Ford Fiesta) [4]
115 Malcolm Robertson/Katie Stimpson (Talbot Sunbeam) [4]
116 Kieran Renton/Dave O'Brien (Ford Fiesta R200) [4]
117 Grant Inglis/Robert Gray (Honda Civic) [4]
118 Peter Smith/Patrick Walsh (Opel Ascona A) [6]
119 Duncan Campbell/Gavin Chisholm (Honda Civic) [4]
120 Matthew Kesson/Ronald Roughead (Ford Fiesta R2) [4]
121 Jim Robertson/Colin Maxwell (Citroen C2R2) [4]
122 Ian Watson/Mike Dickson (Ford Escort Rs) [6]
123 Callum Atkinson/Keith Riddick (Ford Fiesta ST) [7]
124 Scott Macbeth/Ashleigh Will (Vauxhall Nova) [2]
125 Charles Blair/Mark Roberts (Peugeot 205 gti) [3]
126 Scott Peacock/Sue Hynd (Peugeot 205 GTI) [3]
127 Adrian Stewart/Tom Hynd (Peugeot 205 GTI) [3]
128 Andy Stretton/Ian Harden (Peugeot 205 Gti) [3]
129 Steven Smith/Daniel Johnstone (Ford Escort MK1) [6]
130 Phil Jobson/Caroline Jobson (Ford Escort Mk1) [6]
131 Alex Curran/Ross Williams (Vauxhall Corsa) [4]
132 Duncan Ferguson/Janice Ferguson (Ford Escort Historic Bdg) [6]
133 David Goose/Cameron Fair (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
134 Blair Brown/Richard Simmonds (PEUEGOT 205 1.6 GTI) [3]
135 David Cameron/Douglas Cameron (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
136 Angus Lawrie/George Myatt (Vauxhall Nova) [2]
137 Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Peugeot 205GTI) [3]
138 Dave Forrest/Charlie Carter (Ford Escort Mk2) [6]
139 John McIlwraith/Ross Jarrett (Ford Escort RS) [6]
140 Derek Connell/Laura Marshall (Vauxhall Corsa) [2]
141 Colin Aitchison/Garry Pearson (Vauxhall Chevette Hsr) [6]
142 Brian Middlemas/Kevin Mathers (Hillman Avenger) [6]
143 Scott Sloan/David Sloan (Vauxhall Corsa) [2]
144 Donald Peacock/Rory Bruton (Peugeot 205 GTI) [3]
145 Donald MacNeill/Cara MacNeill (Talbot Sunbeam) [3]
146 Peter Humphrey/Dougie Humphrey (Opel Kadett Coupe) [6]
147 Steven Bellshaw/Sandy Urquhart (Peugeot 205 GTI) [3]
149 Linzi Henderson/Gordon Chalmers (MG ZR) [2]
150 Andy Chalmers/Martin Maccabe (Peugeot 205) [3]
151 Iain Heard/Alistair Maxwell (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
152 Douglas Watt/Donald Munro (Ford MK 2 Escort) [5]
153 M. Thaarique Fazal/Paul Wood (Peugeot 205 GTi) [3]
154 Iain Haining/Mairi Riddick (Vauxhall Nova) [3]
155 David McLoughlin/Michael McLoughlin (Peugeot 205 GTI) [3]

Entries Received

Posted: March 7, 2014 3:34 PM

Available at:

www.rallies.info/webentry/2014/bordercounties/

Regulations / Event Website / Details

Posted: January 24, 2014 9:09 PM

• Border Counties