RSAC Scottish Rally - 19-20 May 17

Thorburn/Beaton takes commanding SRC win

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:50 AM

Euan Thorburn recorded his first win of the 2017 ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) season in dominant fashion on the RSAC Scottish Rally.

The Duns driver steered his Ford Fiesta R5 to a commanding win of over 50 seconds to extend his championship lead with Inverness’ Paul Beaton calling the notes.

The fourth round of the series was held in Lockerbie with classic Dumfries & Galloway forest stages such as Twiglees, Castle O’er and Ae testing the SRC crews. Frequent rain showers made the already abrasive stages slippery, producing conditions that were challenging at best.

Thorburn, who was also competing in the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship that ran alongside the SRC, took advantage of his extra seat time on Friday night to open up a ten second lead on Saturday’s opener. Despite a puncture in the first run of Castle O’er and then later in Ae, the 2014 Champion was in superior form to claim his first Scottish Championship win since winning the title.

“The SRC was our focus today,” Thorburn admitted. “The plan now is to try and push on in the remaining three events of the season. The stages this morning were really good, a bit rougher on the second pass so we took it easy to avoid further punctures but it’s been a good day.”

The 2015 & 16 Champion got his day off to a good start and never really looked back despite not quite being able to live with Thorburn’s pace, but managing to keep the chasing back behind him.

The Castle Douglas driver’s day wasn’t without its drama though, with a massive sideways moment on the event’s penultimate stage. Due to stepping out the car in torrential rain, Armstrong’s foot was wet and slipped on the brake pedal heading into a left hander causing his car to slide. Luckily the road went immediately right afterwards and he was able to recover the situation.

“I’m happy enough today, a lot more than last month [Speyside Stages] where we were second and ended up ninth after going off,” said Armstrong. “The stages have been quite good today, and it’s great to be back on the podium. Euan is very consistent and he’s getting the hang of his car now so we need to up our game [to catch him].”

Shaun Sinclair and Jamie Edwards made it two podiums from four starts with third place on the Scottish Rally in their Subaru Imrpeza S14 WRC.

The Oban and Wrexham duo adopted a cautious approach in the wet conditions but were involved in a scintillating battle with Greg McKnight that saw the pair scrap for tenths of a second before the Penpont driver hit troubles.

Achieving a podium result was important for the pair’s championship after setbacks on the last two events.

“I’m chuffed with today,” enthused Sinclair. “The podium was the target for us this season so that’s two out of four for us now. We were slightly too cautious in the fast stuff but the confidence is getting better with the car, you would need to be dead not to enjoy this thing!”

Sinclair is now looking forward to the next round of the SRC, the Argyll Stages in Dunoon which will act as his home event.

Missing out on a hat-trick of podiums were Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy in their Mitsubishi Evo IX.

The Cumbrian driver made a costly mistake over a bridge in the opening test and that, combined with an incorrect tyre choice left him languishing down the leader board. With new rubber bolted on Faulkner was flying, snatching fourth from the grasp of Rory Young’s Fiesta R5 despite the Dumfries’ drivers’ best efforts.

Donnie MacDonald and Neil Shanks made it three Fiesta R5’s in the top six after a steady run, less than ten seconds ahead of Mark McCulloch and Michael Hendry in seventh.

The Evo IX pairing were in the battle for the podium early on but lost bucket loads of time with two punctures across the day, but were left happy after showing some strong pace.

Freddie Milne brought his similar Mitsubishi home in eighth with new co-driver Jane Nicol, with the ever-improving Michael Binnie and Scott McCombie rounding out the top ten.

Binnie took Challengers honours in his Evo V after just losing out on the win last time out in Elgin. Simon Hay and Calum Jaffray maintained their strong start to the season with second in the Challengers ahead of Mike Stuart and Sinclair Young in their Ford Escort Mk2.

Dougal Brown and Lewis Rochford topped the Scottish 2WD runners after another good day out in their Escort, with Stuart and Young second ahead of Mk2 legend Steve Bannister and co-driver Calum Atkinson. Angus Lawrie and Paul Gribben were right in the mix in their front wheel drive Corsa before ripping a wheel off the car in the final stage, making it back to service but incurring road penalties that ultimately saw them lose their class.

Max and Callum Redpath topped the Juniors for the second time this year in what was a close battle to the finish ahead of the Citroen C2 of Andy Struthers.

In the www.usedcarparts.co.uk Subaru Cup, John McIlwraith took a dominant win finishing 15th overall in his Impreza. McIlwraith had almost five minutes in hand over Colin Baxter and Michael Robertson who completed the class podium.

The SRC John Horton Star Driver Award went to Mike Stuart on the Scottish after an impressive run in his Escort. Taking eleventh overall, Stuart’s second place finish in the 2WD’s and third in the Challengers caught the attention of the judges, who put him forward along with Thomas Gray, Greg McKnight and Michael Binnie to a shoot-out for a paid entry to a top European event at the end of the season.

With four rounds gone and three to go, Euan Thorburn extends his lead at the top of the championship to eight points with Jock Armstrong on his coat tails in second.

The Scottish Rally Championship now heads to Argyll for the first time this century for the Argyll Stages in Dunoon on Saturday 24th June.

The ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship is partnered by Pirelli Motorsport, Reis Motorsport Insurance and Coltel Communications.

The series comprises of over 300 competitive stage miles across seven events all over Scotland.
You can keep up to date with the SRC via the website or the official social media pages using the hashtag #SRC17.

Bogie/Rae is the men at home on Scottish Rally

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:49 AM

The third round of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship went right down to the wire on the final stage of the final day, with homegrown hero David Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae winning the RSAC Scottish Rally (19-20 May).

Bogie and Rae enjoyed a ding-dong battle throughout with the fellow Skoda Fabia R5 crew of Fredrik Ahlin and Torstein Eriksen, until the Scandinavian pairing were forced out of the event with a damaged radiator. Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss in their Ford Fiesta R5 repeated their Pirelli International Rally result in second, while Marty McCormack and David Moynihan took their second top three finish of the year, rounding out the rostrum at the end of a gruelling weekend.

Over 74 rough and tough gravel miles awaited the BRC crews. The opening night was to be a case of survival of the fittest, and flexing his muscles on the two passes of the Mount Joe stage was Tom Cave. The young Welshman and navigator James Morgan were on their second event with the Hyundai i20 R5 and looked comfortable at the overnight halt, with a healthy 9.9-second advantage. Not so lucky were Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod in their Ford Fiesta R5. The Hankook-backed pair set an impressive fourth-quickest time on the opening run before a large rock broke a suspension strut and wheel – putting them out of contention.

It would be another bitter pill to swallow for Cave, who found himself forced out of the lead for the second event in a row, this time with a broken wheel. With the Hyundai unfixable, it was to be an early bath for the initial pace-setter.

With the demise of the Korean machine, a battle royale was set up for the final day, with the fight for the lead becoming a two-horse race between CA1 Sport team-mates Ahlin and Bogie. The former came into the event riding a crest of a wave, having swept to glory on the first two rounds. The latter, on the other hand, had a point to prove. The Dumfries-based driver had shown flashes of brilliance in his DMACK-shod Fabia R5, but the results had not reflected his phenomenal speed. With the bit between his teeth, Bogie wasn’t leaving without a home win.

Descending rain made tyre choice extremely difficult as the two BRC heavyweights battled it out on the gravel stages, trading seconds after every test. Bogie was a man on a mission on the afternoon loop of stages, with the Scottish driver reducing the deficit to 1.4 seconds with two speed tests remaining. A stage later and he had turned the tables, to lead Swedish star Ahlin by 0.1 seconds going into the final 8.11km showdown.

Ahlin’s luck, however, would run out halfway through the stage when a rock made its way into the front of the Skoda, bursting a hole in the radiator. It was game over for the championship leader. Much to the delight of a packed Moffat town centre, Bogie rolled into the finish to a huge round of applause. David had won his first BRC event since his championship-winning year in 2011.

The battle for the podium was a similarly fraught affair. Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss in their Spencer Sport Ford Fiesta R5 battled their way up the order to second to strengthen their championship position, while Marty McCormack and David Moynihan had a spirited run to rise from fifth to third on the final stage in their Kumho-backed Skoda Fabia R5. Multiple BRC champion Keith Cronin in the M-Sport run Fiesta R5 was all set to take his first podium of the year, but a last-minute puncture dropped the Irishman and co-driver Mikie Galvin to fourth, just eight seconds shy of the rostrum positions. Desi Henry and Liam Moyinhan in their Michelin-supported Fabia R5 couldn’t quite repeat their third place from 2016, but were pleased to secure their first points of the year.

The Prestone Motorsport News Junior BRC unfailingly produces action-packed entertainment on the stages, with the stars of tomorrow fighting tooth-and-nail to be at the top of the pecking order. On the previous round, the winning margin was a mere 0.4 seconds and the Scottish Rally was to provide an equally hard-fought contest.

Round one winners Oscar Solberg and Patrik Barth (Ford Fiesta R2T) led after the opening two stages, with the Scandinavian combination excelling on the wet, rough speed tests until turbo woes forced the Pirelli pair into retirement on Saturday afternoon. Stepping into the breach were Cameron Davies and Caron Tomlinson in their Peugeot 208 R2, following an exciting evening scrap with Solberg and Barth.

The Welsh duo had been dogged by mechanical gremlins on the opening two rounds and were eager to put their problems behind them on the Scottish gravel. Setting some impressive times, Davies would stretch out an advantage of nearly one-and-a-half minutes to take his first BRC win in his debut year – making it three different winners from the opening three events.

Fellow Welsh competitors Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson were delighted to finish second in a similar 208 R2, netting their best BRC finish to date. Such was the pace of the top two, the Peugeot drivers also scored points in the overall classification. Rounding out the rostrum were Marty Gallagher and Dean O’Sullivan in another Peugeot 208 R2. The Irish crew had never stepped on the podium previously and were thrilled to spray the champagne after a demanding contest.

The Cadet Cup forms an integral part of the BRC, with drivers aged 25 and under using the new formula to cut their teeth on the toughest tests the British Championship has to offer. Coming into the third round, Josh Cornwell and Richard Bliss had a perfect record and the duo completed the hat-trick on the Scottish Rally in their Ford Fiesta R2. The pair didn’t have it all their own way as they were pushed hard by Tom Williams and Bryan Hull in another Fiesta R2. Eighteen-year-old Williams picked up his second podium of the year while Fergus Barlow and Max Freeman put up a good fight in their Fiesta R2 to take third.

In the National Rally Cup, Donnie Macdonald suffered a DNF on the last round but alongside new co-driver Neil Shanks, he grabbed his right-hand-drive Ford Fiesta R5 by the scruff of the neck and threw it through the eight gravel stages. The pair quickly gelled and took a fine eighth overall – spraying the National Rally Cup champagne in Moffat.

Spencer Wilkinson and Glyn Thomas faced a race against time to make the start-line in Dumfries. The Production Cup pairing finished rebuilding their Subaru Impreza the morning of the Scottish Rally after a tough Pirelli International event. The crew enjoys the longer, tougher and demanding challenges the BRC has to offer and brought their car home in 21st overall – and more importantly they have swelled their Production Cup points account.

Quotes from round three – RSAC Scottish Rally:

RSAC Scottish Rally David Bogie – first overall – Skoda Fabia R5
“This is unbelievable! This is the one I have wanted to win the most. We didn’t get off to the best start on Friday night, but we pushed hard on Saturday to put us in a good position to fight. To go into the final stage with 0.1s between Fredrik and I was all or nothing, and it was disappointing to see him go out. It’s been a tough event – the weather has been changeable and the pace has been unreal, but we kept out of trouble and brought the car home in one piece. It’s really special to win at home in front of my friends and family. In fact, I have booked a table at a local restaurant so we will be celebrating this evening!”

RSAC Scottish Rally Osian Pryce – second overall – Ford Fiesta R5
“I am over the moon to get to the end of this rally and finish on the podium. It’s been hard on me, the tyres and the car. As well as punctures, we have had an electrical fire – we are lucky to be at the finish after all of that. I am so chuffed with the result, as it has made the championship very healthy for us. To be consistently on the podium in every rally – you can’t ask for any more to start the year off.”

RSAC Scottish Rally Marty McCormack – third overall – Skoda Fabia R5
“We didn’t think this one was coming. We struggled with the set-up to begin with, but we never gave up, we kept pushing and the times started to come to us. There were no real dramas – just a few mistakes on my behalf. I actually had a moment in the same corner where I made a mistake ten years ago – the last time I was here! We had no punctures, which helped our progress and the Kumho tyres really worked well. After the non-finish on round one, to get two podiums is very important for the championship and ticked a box for us as we head to Ypres, a rally I am really looking forward to.”

Prestone Motorsport News Junior BRC first overall – Cameron Davies – Peugeot 208 R2
“This is fantastic, I don’t think it will ever sink in. It’s been a long time waiting for this. Last year we did the Fiesta Trophy in the BTRDA series. We won the prize to get to the BRC and now that we are here, to take the win is worth all the hard work. We had our fair share of drama – we caught cars on stage, nearly had a big, big spin, my co-driver got a bit sick and our lampods weren’t set up right. The win has really helped us in the championship, as another poor result would have put the pressure on too much. We just want to keep this going now!”

Bogie/Rae takes last-gasp Scottish Rally victory

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:46 AM

Dumfries rally ace David Bogie took a dramatic home win at this weekend’s RSAC Scottish Rally, as closest rival Fredrick Ahlin retired on the final test of the gruelling event within sight of victory.

After 74 closely fought miles in the Dumfries and Galloway forests, Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae entered the final test of the event separated by just 0.1 sec from Ahlin, but emerged from the stage victorious when a hole in the Norwegians radiator would mean he could go no further. The all-Welsh crew of Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss took a well-deserved second place with Marty McCormack and Dave Moynihan making the trip across the Irish Sea to round off the top three.

The event, supported by Dumfries & Galloway Council would see crews from the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) and ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) join the event to tackle classic stages in the Eskdalemuir and Ae forests.

Ahlin would start as pre event favourite thanks to his victory on the opening two rounds of the series but it would be Tom Cave and James Morgan who would take the first blood during Friday night’s double run through the Mount Joe test. With the second pass under the cover of darkness and descending fog, the rocky opening leg saw Cave’s Hyundai i20 R5 head Ahlin and Bogie’s Skoda Fabia R5’s going into the overnight halt.

Cave would not stay there for long however, the Welshman ripping a wheel off the new machine on the first stage of Saturday’s morning, putting him into retirement. Ahlin would have no problems stepping up to the lead and Bogie assumed second, marking the start of an epic battle for the win.

Stage by stage, Bogie chipped away at Ahlin’s lead and by stage seven, had overhauled his CA1 Sport team mate. As the next two stages passed, the lead swapped again and again until the final stage would see the deciding battle. With the tiniest of margins to play with, it could have gone either way.

But Bogie emerged from the stage, Ahlin didn’t and the Scotsman took a well earnt if not surprise victory.

“It’s been such a hard rally and to head into the final stage of the event with a gap as close as that is pretty amazing to be honest” said an elated Bogie. “It was tough on Fredrick not to battle to the end and the conditions have been so hard on everyone this weekend it really could have gone either way. The hardest part for me was seeing him parked up in the stage. Those last few miles were the hardest I’ve ever done but it’s good to win at home and for the BRC points”.

Some 48 seconds back, Pryce had done his own thing during the event and was there to take advantage at the finish, taking the runner up spot in his Fiesta R5. The Welshman had set some impressive times to mark his intentions on the remainder of the BRC season.

Another driver to quietly make headway through the event, McCormack was also pleased to make it onto the final step of the podium. Changes to the setup up over the closing stages transformed the car enabling him to get right on the pace of the front runners in his Skoda Fabia R5.

Irishman Keith Cronin with Mikie Galvin took fourth in their M-Sport Fiesta R5 with Desi Henry and Liam Moynihan rounding off the top five in their Skoda Fabia R5.

Scottish Rally Championship front runners Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton ensured the held onto their Championship lead taking 6th overall in the National A event and first SRC crew home.

Castle Douglas driver Jock Armstrong and co-driver Paula Swinscoe took victory in the National B event which ran across six of the Saturday stages. Their result also bagged them second SRC crew home behind Thorburn which re-ignites the Subaru Impreza pilots championship hopes after a tough last round in Elgin.

Shaun Sinclair and Jamie Edwards took second spot in the National B event and third SRC crew home in their Subaru Impreza S14 WRC from the chasing Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy who rounded off the National B podium in their Mitsubishi Evo IX.

Almost 100 cars started the event which, after the traditional Dumfries ceremonial start, saw a shift to a new rally base in Lockerbie Lorry Park. The town of Moffat played host to the British Championship finish celebrations which drew hundreds of eager spectators all keen to watch local man Bogie spray his victory champagne in the high street. The Lord Lieutenant of Dumfriesshire, Fiona Armstrong was on hand to hand out the awards to the lucky victors.

McCormack/Moynihan fly high at the Scottish Rally!

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:45 AM

Coming off the back of a fine podium finish in the Pirelli Rally and a win at the Donegal Forestry, the Tiger-Risk Rally camp claimed an excellent 3rd overall at the Scottish Rally, round 3 of the British Rally Champi-onship!

As the 2017 season progresses Marty McCormack and David Moynihan are really starting to gel with their new Škoda Fabia R5! The stage times and results have been getting better and better. Confidence was high heading into the Scottish Rally based in Dumfries. After a string of top results on recent events, Marty and David hoped to fight at the front of the event and they didn't disappoint! The rally got under-way on Friday night with two runs over the 8 mile 'Mount Joe' test the first run through at dusk followed by the second run in the dark. A real tricky opener to the event.

A steady run through the first stage left the TigerRisk machine in 7th place overall but on the second run Marty put the pedal to the metal and climbed up to 4th. His average speed over the 8 miles was in excess of 63mph, a stunning turn of speed in the narrow forests! Going into the overnight halt Marty comment-ed "It been a good start to the day, that stage was very tricky but I found a good rhythm in the dark and was able to push on" "We are 4th tonight which is a great place to push on from tomorrow!”

Saturday morning and 8 gruelling tests lay ahead, the first of which Marty knew he had to push on "We have to keep the pace up this morning to keep with the boys in the front" and that is just what he did. The TigerRisk car secured its fourth-place over the opening two tests of the day firmly cementing them in contention for the podium. Back in service, the McGeehan Motorsport Team bolted a set of Speedline rims and 4 new Kumho tyres onto the car for another attack at the Scottish stages.

Through stages five and six Marty hunted down third place man, Osian Pryce, closing the gap to four and a half seconds with four stages to go. But he would have to keep an eye on his mirrors as Keith Cronin was nipping at his heels.

Running wide on a corner on stage seven allowed Cronin to slip ahead. Cronin would maintain a slim ad-vantage into the next service with Marty commenting " Keith is just ahead of us now but there is nothing in it, we will go on a big push on the last two (stages) to try and regain the place!" The battle for the last podium spot was well and truly on!

Cronin went on the attack on stage 9 pulling a further 1.9 seconds out of Marty leaving the gap at 5.7 sec-onds. The TigerRisk Team would have to dig deep over the final 8-mile stage to reel in Cronin.

The Škoda Fabia R5 blasted into the test and the determination was palpable to see. Marty threaded the car through the stage at lightning pace to cross the finish line in a time of 7 minutes 12.6 seconds. The av-erage speed through the stage was a hard to believe 68mph and as Cronin crossed the line it was evident they had done enough. A staggering 13.7 quicker was enough to vault them ahead of Cronin in the stand-ings and when rally leader Fredrick Åhlin failed to finish the stage they inherited another place to put them on the podium in Dumfries.

It was an excellent event for the team showing great pace throughout and with the next rally in the championship one of Marty's favourites, Rally Ypres in Belgium. Rally Ypres is a welcome addition to the British Rally Championship and it's an event that Marty is very familiar with, competing there twice be-fore. "I am really looking forward to going back to Ypres, it a superb event with a great atmosphere." " The Belgium roads seem to suit me as a driver" "The locals will be hard to beat, but I will be giving it my all!" With Marty now holding 4th place in the British Rally Championship standings, Rally Ypres which takes place from the 22nd to the 23rd of June will be one to capitalise on to move closer towards the top of the championship. Keep an eye on this site for further updates on Marty’s BRC bid, as well as on Twitter @martymccormack and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/marty.mccormack1. Marty is competing this season with the support of Tiger Risk Partners and P. McCormack and Sons Ltd.

Cup specification ADAM impresses in Scotland

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:44 AM

This weekend’s RSAC Scottish Rally, round three of the 2017 Prestone MSA British Rally Championship, saw a Cup specification Vauxhall ADAM driven by Arron Windus finish third in the Cadet Class and 18th overall. The result included a series of top-three fastest class times that underlined the ADAM as a competitive package for this value-for-money category.

After an outing on the Somerset Stages in April to shakedown the gravel kit for the Cup specification ADAM, the next stage for the Vauxhall Motorsport Junior Rally Team - who are responsible for preparing and running the car - was to enter it into the British Rally Championship Cadet Class, the category for limited specification 1.6 litre and previous generation R2 cars.

After making an impressive debut in the UK last year, young Australian driver Arron Windus was eager to return to Britain to showcase his own talents and therefore jumped at the chance to drive the ADAM Cup car in Scotland. Joining him in the co-driver’s seat on this occasion was Richard Crozier from Kinross in Scotland.

Taking place in the Dumfries and Galloway Forests, the event featured 75 competitive miles that comprised two stages on Friday evening followed by a further eight on Saturday. With the area having a reputation for its demanding and rocky road surfaces, the wet weather was to add a further dimension to challenge the cars and crews. Even so, a puncture and a brief excursion into ditch did little to impede the progress of the ADAM and its occupants on Friday evening and consequently, Windus and Crozier ended the day 3rd in class and 25th overall.

As Windus became increasingly more familiar with the ADAM during Saturday’s stages, his and Crozier’s stage times got comparatively quicker, most of which were tackled in the rain. In fact, on stage six they recorded the fastest time in the Cadet Class and followed this up with three second-fastest times - an impressive performance against the more powerful R2 cars that were running in the category.

Taking into consideration another puncture earlier in the day and the demanding condition of the stages - especially on the second run through them in the afternoon - maintaining class position and finishing 18th overall became an even more impressive conclusion for the team.

At the finish Windus said:
“The ADAM was fantastic to drive and even though it was such a tough event, it never missed a beat - even in the tricky conditions. I must admit that we were surprised that we were able to stay in touch with many of the R2 cars. Competing in the ADAM on this event has been well worth making the trip from Melbourne!”

Vauxhall Motorsport Junior Rally Team manager Simon Mauger was also delighted with the outcome:
“Our decision to contest the Scottish Rally was a test to see how the car would stand up in tough conditions - and it did just that. In fact, throughout the event there were no issues whatsoever and confirms just how strong and reliable the Cup specification ADAM really is.

“Arron and Richard did a good job for us and we were impressedto see the car so competitive up against the R2s and, whilst the ADAM Cup car does not have as much power, it makes up for it by the way it handles and the feedback it provides the driver. The ADAM is also cheaper to buy and costs far less to run too! We are now looking at putting the car though it’s paces on a tarmac event to prove it’s competitive on all surfaces.”

The Vauxhall Motorsport Junior Rally Team is now building Cup specification ADAMs for the BRC Cadet Class and in advance of launching a one-make series for the car in 2018.

MH Motorsport Juniors endure tough Scottish

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:42 AM

Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) Junior front runners Oscar Solberg and Callum Devine, endured a tough weekend at the third round of the series, the RSAC Scottish Rally (19th/20th May).

The MH Motorsport Junior squad of Solberg and Devine were both in contention for category wins during the weekend, before misfortune befell both crews during the rough and tricky two-day event in Dumfries and Galloway. The duo will now look to the next round in Belgium to resume their fight for the BRC Junior title.

Piloting the MH Motorsport Ford Fiesta R2T, Devine would head to the event straight off the back of losing out on the Junior win by just 0.4 of a second on the final stage of the Pirelli Rally. He was undeniably aiming to reverse that misfortune in Scotland. With regular co-driver Keith Moriarty unavailable, Devine was joined by Brian Hoy for the event and he had high hopes of taking his first Junior BRC win of the season.

However, the event would not start well for the newly formed duo as Devine was hit with a double puncture in the Mount Joe test on Friday night but despite this, he ended the leg third Junior.

Leg two saw Devine consolidate his overnight position and remained in third during the opening loop. The notorious Scottish stages proved hard on both cars and crews as Devine held firm his third spot until stage six when a component change at service was found to be faulty. The subsequent loss of power blighted any progress up the leader board and he crossed the ceremonial finish in Moffat in fifth.

“It’s been quite an event hasn’t it” quipped Devine at the finish. “We only managed a couple of truly clean stages this weekend and those felt really good. With the punctures on Friday night and then the lack of power, I’m glad we made it to the end and pick up some valuable points for the championship. I’ll be relieved when I`m back on the asphalt though!”

Solberg and co-driver Patrik Barth were in command of the BRC Junior rankings from the outset. A ninth overall fastest time on the darkness of Mount Joe on Friday night showed that Solberg meant business and the Norwegian led the category going into day two.

However, just two stages into the second day, Solberg’s turbo pipe became dislodged and his rally was over.

“Of course, I’m very disappointed to retire from the lead” said Solberg. “We made it back to service and the team fixed the problem so we went back out for experience. We were not on the limit but still set some good times. We now have to think about the next rally”.

Devine’s fifth place in the Junior category slots him into third place in the rankings with Solberg just one point behind in fourth.

The championship now makes the move onto asphalt as crews head to Belgium for the Ypres Rally in June. Team principle Mike Harris believes there is much more to come from the MH Motorsport Junior team on a sealed surface.

“If you look at the results for the Scottish it doesn’t paint a great picture, but look at our performance throughout the season so far and its s different story” says Harris.

“We have won over half of the stages completed in the BRC this year and have led every rally so far. Oscar failing to finish is our first R2T retirement since Rally GB last year.”

Harris is now focused on the next round and the move to tar.

“Things like this should not happen and it’s important to learn from them rather than getting despondent" he continues.

"I’m looking forwards to Ypres. I really do think we will be a driving force even though many people feel the R2T is not a good asphalt car. However we know the truth and it is quite the contrary, dont forget M-Sport Fiesta’s have a good track record on the surface. Add Oscar and Callum into that equation a bit of luck and I believe that as per the previous rounds, we will yet again be the ones to beat”.

Osian's BRC blog

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:42 AM

There’s always something special about competing on the Scottish Rally. It’s one of the Prestone British Rally Championship’s classic names, one we all read about and love to hear the stories about. The Scottish. It’s right up there with The Welsh.

With the brilliant format of the Nicky Grist Stages, The Welsh is back in some form. But last weekend was all about heading north to take on names like Castle O’er, Twiglees and Ae; brilliant stages in a beautiful part of the world.

The first two stages on Friday night weren’t exactly what we’d hoped for. They were pretty rough and turned into a bit of a survival exercise. I was cautious and tried to pick my way through the biggest rocks – and still got a puncture! Driving back to service, I wondered if I’d missed a bit of a trick: should I have thrown caution to the wind and just gone for it?

Dale [Furniss, co-driver] and I talked about this and decided to do that on Saturday. The roads were much smoother, so we pushed on a bit harder in our Aphera/Hills Ford Fiesta R5 and started to climb the leaderboard.

We had an electrical fire in Windy Hill which made things a bit lively – not to mention a bit smokey – in the car, but we got it sorted and carried on. We ended the event on a high with fastest time and second place overall. I’m pretty chuffed with that result, to be honest.

Just four points off the top spot, we’re right in the thick of the fight for the championship and that was the aim at the start of the season. I knew this year was going to be quite tricky, given that I’d never started a BRC round in a four-wheel drive car before this year, but I think we’ve leveled the learning curve pretty quickly. Running as the top Ford Fiesta R5, given my lack of experience in the car, is great news.

That learning curve will definitely steepen a little bit when we head south (and a long way south) across the English Channel bound for Belgium and Ypres. Everybody knows about the Ypres Rally. Until this year it was a round of the European Rally Championship, but in all honesty, I’m sure it could have qualified for the WRC – what an incredible coup for Ben [Taylor BRC managing director] and Iain [Campbell BRC manager] to have done a deal to get us there.

I’m really looking forward to competing there. It’ll be something completely new for me, but the atmosphere and roads have always looked incredible from afar.

Results

Posted: November 21, 2017 3:40 AM

1. David Bogie (GBR) / Kevin Rae (GBR) Skoda Fabia R5 1:09:47.1
2. Osian Pryce (GBR) / Dale Furniss (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 +0:48.5
3. Martin McCormack (GBR) / David Moynihan (GBR) Skoda Fabia R5 +1:01.9
4. Keith Cronin (IRL) / Mikie Galvin (IRL) Ford Fiesta R5 +1:09.9
5. Desi Henry (IRL) / Liam Moyinhan (IRL) Skoda Fabia R5 +2:13.4
6. Euan Thorburn (GBR) / Paul Beaton (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 +2:34.5
7. Jamie Anderson (GBR) / Ross Whittock (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 +8:06.6
8. Donnie Macdonald (GBR) / Neil Shanks (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 +8:39.8
9. Alex Laffey (GBR) / Patrick Walsh (GBR) Ford Fiesta R5 +9:33.9
10. Cameron Davies (GBR) / Carron Tomlinson (GBR) Peugeot 208 R2 +10:58.8

Juniors
1. Cameron Davies (GBR) / Carron Tomlinson (GBR) Peugeot 208 R2
Meirion Evans (GBR) / Jonathan Jackson (GBR) Peugeot 208 R2
Marty Gallagher (IRL) / Dean O’Sullivan (IRL) Peugeot 208 R2

Leaders After
SS1-2 Tom Cave/James Morgan (Hyundai i20 R5)
SS3-6 Fredrik Ahlin/Torstein Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS7 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS8 Fredrik Ahlin/Torstein Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS9-10 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)

Stage Winners
SS1 Tom Cave/James Morgan (Hyundai i20 R5)
SS2 Tom Cave/James Morgan (Hyundai i20 R5)
SS3 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS4 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS5 Fredrik Ahlin/Torstein Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS6 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS7 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS8 Fredrik Ahlin/Torstein Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS9 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5)
SS10 Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss (Ford Fiesta R5)

RSAC Scottish Rally - 19-20 May 17 - RESULTS - National A Results (BRC)
RSAC Scottish Rally - 19-20 May 17 - RESULTS - National B Results (SRC)

Live Results - National A (BRC) - Scottish 2017
Live Results - National B (SRC) - Scottish 2017
Results by: Tynemouth Computer Services Rally Results

Classic stages await Scotland's finest rally drivers

Posted: May 16, 2017 5:54 AM

Round four of the 2017 ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) roars into life on Saturday 20th May with the iconic RSAC Scottish Rally, based in the Dumfriesshire town of Lockerbie.

The event sees a move from its traditional June date and home in Dumfries to the nearby town of Lockerbie. To add some extra spice. the Scottish Championship crews will be joined by MSA British Rally Championship contenders for the second time this year. The popular rally loses none of its familiar route however, with 45 miles of classic forest tests such as Ae and Twiglees on offer in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

Leading the SRC crews away at car nine is Jock Armstrong and co-driver Paula Swinscoe. The distinctive orange Subaru was going well last time out at the Speyside Stages, until it was seen in a ditch on the penultimate stage and the unforced error in Elgin culminated in a ninth place finish for Armstrong. The Castle Douglas man will be aiming for a second win of the season to get back to the top of the championship which he has won the past two years.

Championship leaders Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton start at twelve in their Ford Fiesta R5. The Duns and Inverness pairing have scored three successive podiums in 2017 but the first win in their new R5 has so far eluded them. As a previous winner of the Scottish Rally, Thorburn will be a strong contender to break that duck.

Shaun Sinclair and Jamie Edwards made a massive statement of intent in getting a hold of a McKninstry Motorsport Subaru Impreza S14 WRC for this seasons’ SRC, and backed up the threat with a fine second place finish on the opening round. An off road excursion in Jedburgh and a puncture in Elgin wrecked his podium hopes on the previous two rallies, so the Oban driver has a score to settle heading into the fourth round of the season.

Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy acquired an upgraded Mitsubishi Evo IX for 2017, and spent the first few rallies getting up to speed with their new machinery. Three rounds in and it looks as if the Cumbrian pilot has bedded himself in nicely, having scored two podiums and set great stage times making him a strong shout for another rostrum finish in Dumfries & Galloway.

Rory Young returns to the SRC for his home event after missing the Speyside Stages. Piloting a Fiesta R5 with Allan Cathers navigating, the Dumfries driver already has impressive fifth and fourth place finishes to his name in 2017 so could be a dark horse for a podium finish at the close of play on Saturday.

Mark McCulloch is another out to impress on his home event, starting ahead of the similar Mitsubishi of Greg McKnight and Donnie MacDonald’s right-hand-drive Fiesta R5, with Neil Shanks joining the Inverness driver for the Scottish Rally.

Iain Wilson heads the battle in the SRC Challengers with a fourth different co-driver in as many events joining him in his Subaru Impreza, with Chris Williams stepping into the hot seat for round four. Michael Binnie and Claire Mole narrowly missed out on the category win last month, losing out right at the end of the day to John Wink and John Forrest in an Evo IX. Simon Hay and Calum Jaffray will be contenders as will the returning Ross MacDonald and Matthew Johnstone.

Scottish 2WD Championship leaders Dougal Brown and Lewis Rochford face stiff competition in Lockerbie with Escort Mk2 legend Steve Bannister joining the battle with co-driver Callum Atkinson. Mike Stuart and Sinclair Young can’t be discounted after a strong showing in Moray, while Fraser MacNicol in his less powerful Mk2 is another looking in good shape.

Taking the fight to the rear wheel drive runners are top seeded Junior driver Scott MacBeth and Daniel Forsyth in their Citroen C2 R2 Max. The duo were mightily impressive on the Speyside, with locals Angus Lawrie and Paul Gribben keen to get their revenge after finishing just seconds behind in their Vauxhall Corsa last time out.

Leading the www.usedcarparts.co.uk Subaru Cup runners away is John McIlwraith in his Impreza GC8 after his round three victory. Joining him in the one make category once again are Colin Baxter and championship leader Michael Robertson.

As ever, all eyes will be on the crews’ performances as the battle for the SRC John Horton Star Driver Award intensifies. Thomas Gray, Greg McKnight and Michael Binnie have all impressed judges thus far this season with their speed and determination, with a fourth driver set to be nominated towards the shoot out for an end of year prize drive in Europe after the Scottish Rally.

According to local driver Mark McCulloch, who finished fourth on the event last year, the crews are in for some of the best albeit challenging forest stages north of the border on round four of the 2017 SRC.

“I always enjoy the Scottish stages,” McCulloch said. “They are a nice mixed bag of fast and technical sections, but you have to try and keep a clean line as punctures are quite common due to sharp rocks at the side of the road. The weather has been very dry lately so hopefully there will be some rain before next weekend as dust could definitely be a big problem.”

The ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship is partnered by Pirelli Motorsport, Coltel Communications and Reis Motorsport Insurance.

The series consists of seven gravel rallies across the width and breadth of Scotland, taking in over 300 competitive stage miles.

Keep up to date with all the latest news via the website, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #SRC17.

Quality entry heads for the Scottish Rally

Posted: May 16, 2017 5:52 AM

A string of top-line rally stars will head to this weekend’s RSAC Scottish Rally in Dumfries and Galloway, as the 72nd running of the event takes place in the region on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th May.

The annual event, supported by Dumfries & Galloway Council will once again play host to the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) and ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) with both series’ providing an enviable list of crews from across the world all eager to tackle classic stages in the Eskdalemuir and Ae forests.

In a change to previous years, the event will see a shift to the new rally base in Lockerbie Lorry Park with an additional two stages as sunlight fades on Friday night. Saturday houses the bulk of the event mileage before crews from the BRC enjoy a new finish venue in the town of Moffat.

Current leader of the BRC standings Fredrik Ahlin will lead the field away from Dumfries in his Skoda Fabia R5. The Swede, with co-driver Torstein Eriksen will be aiming to make it three BRC wins in a row at the event and starts as favourite to be on the top step of the podium.

Dumfries driver David Bogie will undoubtedly be putting his local knowledge to good use during the event and starts car two in his Skoda Fabia R5. Team mate to Ahlin, Bogie will be playing his cards close to his chest if he is to beat the Swedish star on home soil and take win number five on the event. Kevin Rae will co-drive.

Welsh crew Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss start at three in their Ford Fiesta R5. An impressive showing at the second round of the series just down the road in Carlisle will set them up for a good result in Dumfries. All eyes will be on fellow Welshmen Tom Cave and James Morgan in their rare Hyundai i20 R5 during the weekend. Cave led round two of the BRC before suspension failure forced them out of the event in the rapid machine and the duo start at four.

Rounding off the top five is the Irish pairing of Keith Cronin and Mike Galvin in the M Sport Ford backed Fiesta R5. Former British Champion, Cronin is yet to challenge the leaders for the overall honours as he adapts to the new-for -2017 car.

Such is the strong BRC entry, you have to look to car nine before you find the first of the Scottish Championship runners, which comes in the form of likeable local hero Jock Armstrong from Castle Douglas. Current SRC title holder Armstrong and co-driver Paula Swinscoe are another duo to be putting local knowledge to good use and will hope to overturn the misfortunes of the previous round in Elgin.

Current championship leader Euan Thorburn from Duns is next SRC runner at car 12 with Paul Beaton alongside. Thorburn is looking likely to contest the BRC section of the event to ensure he scores points in both championships but will not have the benefit of a pre-event recce, his only advantage perhaps is the use of the Friday night stages to acclimatise to the conditions.

Other notable entrants include Castle Douglas co-driver Kirsty Riddick who sits alongside Belfast’s Jonny Greer in his Citroen DS3 R5. SRC regulars Mark McCulloch (Dumfries), Rory Young (Dumfries) and Greg Mcknight (Penpont) all line up inside the top 20, bringing a local flavour to the event.

Fans will have plenty of opportunity to catch the action both on and off the stages. The now traditional ceremonial start will take place on High Street in Dumfries at 7pm on Friday 19th May, allowing onlookers the chance to mix with the British Rally Championship stars. Crews will then head for a double run of the Mount Joe Stage in the Greskine Forest and there will be two chances to see the action from 7.50pm.

On Saturday, runners from the Scottish Rally Championship will join the fray and the full field blast through the first spectator stage, Castle O’er at 9.10am. They return for a second pass at 1.30pm.

The forest of Ae also offers the chance to see a double run, firstly at 11.30am and then again at 4.15pm although the second running will be just for the BRC crews.

The town of Moffat will play host to the ceremonial finish at around 5pm where the lucky winners will spray the champagne.

BRC heavyweights primed for battle in Scotland

Posted: May 16, 2017 4:19 AM

The action-packed Prestone MSA British Rally Championship travels back into Scotland for the third round of Britain’s premier rally series. The RSAC Scottish Rally (19/20 May) will welcome the BRC top-guns, as they tackle the demanding gravel stages around Dumfries with over 74 competitive miles playing host to the exciting rallying showcase.

Last time out in Cumbria the BRC teams faced the fast and flowing Kielder Forests with a fine balance between speed and bravery bringing fruitful awards to the crews. Four different drivers topped the time sheets on the eight stages and four tyre manufacturers featured in the top six finishing positions – underlining the variety and competitiveness of the 2017 season.

Top of the class aiming for good results

Championship leader Fredrik Ahlin comes into the Scottish Rally on a crest of a wave having taken the top spot on the opening two rounds. The Swede with his Norwegian co-driver Torstein Eriksen have gelled with their new Skoda Fabia R5 and DMACK tyres, consequently the pair has a small cushion at the top of the BRC points standings. The Scottish Rally was the start of a nightmare period in Ahlin’s 2016 season, however that won’t stop the Swedish sensation from going out on the attack to make it a hat trick of 2017 wins.

Pushing the Scandinavian pairing all the way on the Pirelli International Rally last time out was Osian Pryce and Dale Furniss in their Ford Fiesta R5. The Welsh pairing came within a handful of seconds before suffering handbrake problems, making the challenging chicanes hard work for the man from Machynlleth. Having secured a third and a second, Pryce will be gunning for a first BRC victory for his Spencer Sport team.

Also out to make history is Tom Cave and his co-driver James Morgan. The Welsh duo put the brand new Hyundai i20 R5 through its paces for the first time in Cumbria and were right on the pace from the off – leading the event from the start before suspension failure put the hard chargers out of contention. The pair finished second last year on the Scottish Rally and will hope to secure their first BRC win together and the first for Hyundai since David Higgins in 2004.

Homegrown hero David Bogie with Kevin Rae alongside will have massive home support as they tackle stages on David’s doorstep. Bogie was running in a comfortable podium last year before radiator woes hit his Fabia R5. This year the Scot has built on his fine 2016 pace, taking four stages wins on the recent Pirelli Rally.

Another Fabia crew who have found their form is Marty McCormack/David Moynihan. The Kumho-backed pair took their first podium in the Skoda on the previous event and will be hunting further success on the gravel of Scotland. As will Desi Henry and Liam Moynihan who secured a fine third overall last year. The Irish pairing have struggled so far this season but will hope history repeats itself by using the Scottish Rally to turn their season around.

Rhys Yates and Carl Williamson have got their year off to a strong start in their Michelin-shod Fiesta R5 – scoring a good haul of points to put them at the sharp end of the championship table. Matching Yates is the ever-improving Matt Edwards and Darren Garrod in their Hankook-equipped Fiesta R5. The Welsh pairing have broken into the top five now and the all-important podium wont be too far away.

Jonny Greer and Kirsty Riddick won the latest round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship and will be hopping to bag more important points in their Pirelli-shod Citroen DS3 R5 before their preferred Tarmac events later in the season. Also hoping to climb the BRC table are Scottish stars Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton who are dovetailing their BRC campaign with their Scottish Championship commitments.

CA1 Sport star Jamie Anderson continues to develop his new Fiesta R5 with Ross Whittock on the notes. The English pairing go well on the gravel and will be eyeing a top five in the Scottish lowlands. M-Sport will be hoping to see Keith Cronin return to the top step in the BRC with Mikie Galvin alongside. Alex Laffey scored his first points on gravel on the last round and will be pushing for more to help the M-Sport squad topple fellow Cumbrian outfit CA1 Sport in the Team’s Championship standings. Laffey will be joined by Patrick Walsh in the striking Fiesta R5 on his home event.

Red-hot pace in the Junior field

Not many events are won by just a handful of seconds, let alone 0.4 seconds. That was the winning margin on the second round of the Prestone Motorsport News Junior BRC.

William Creighton was a gravel novice coming into the new season but now the Northern Irishman is threat on all surfaces. He scored his first Junior BRC win on the Pirelli International Rally, with Liam Regan expertly guiding the young-gun. Creighton’s victory was also the first Junior BRC win for the popular Peugeot 208 R2.

Callum Devine perhaps left the Pirelli wondering what might have been – losing the event by just 0.4 from a hard charging Creighton. However, the Irishman can be satisfied with his gravel pace. The Ford Fiesta R2T driver took his first Junior BRC rostrum, thus setting himself and co-driver Keith Moriarty up nicely for the Scottish Rally.

Devine’s teammate Oscar Solberg is the other round winner in 2017 with the Norwegian taking the maximum points in Jedburgh at the start of the season. With Patrik Barth alongside the Scandinavian duo will want to make it two wins in Scotland to put their title tilt back on track.

Last time out Welshman Meirion Evans recorded his first BRC podium and was delighted to taste the champagne with co-driver Jonathan Jackson. With the pairing having now broken their podium duck, the 208 R2 team will be hoping for more from Scotland.

Cameron Davies and Caron Tomlinson showed flashes of brilliance leading the Junior event after two stages in Cumbria. The Welsh combination is getting to grips with their 208 R2 and will be pushing for a podium on the Scottish gravel. Fellow Peugeot driver Marty Gallagher and navigator Dean O’Sullivan can never be discounted from the podium as they dial themselves into their less favoured loose surface.

Spencer Sport star James Williams recorded his first points on the Pirelli and is growing with confidence after every mile. On the Scottish, Williams will be joined by the experienced Dai Roberts as the Welsh pair strive towards further championship points in their Fiesta R2T.

The unluckiest man in the Junior BRC has to be Josh McErlean in his rapid Citroen C2 R2. The Northern Irishman’s pace has been unquestionable as he threads the French pocket-rocket through the stages. With Aaron Johnston set to call the notes, the pair will be out to score their first points of the season in Scotland.

BRC Cadets ready for Scottish scrap

Josh Cornwell and Richard Bliss boast the perfect record in the Cadet Cup, having taken the top step of the rostrum on the opening two contests. Cornwell didn’t have it all his own way on the Pirelli as the Surrey-based driver in his Fiesta R2 enjoyed an opening day scrap with Fergus Barlow and Max Freeman. Barlow led initially until getting stuck in a ditch. The man from Mull will be treating the Scottish Rally as a home event and will be after that elusive win.

Tom Williams’ speed is growing with every event and a fine second on the Pirelli has helped his title hopes by elevating himself and co-driver Bryan Hull into second in the standings. Nabila Tejpar is ever consistent with Charley Sayer-Payne expertly guiding. The all female crew have two fourth placed finishes on the board and will be out to record their first class podium in the BRC in Scotland.

Alex Waterman suffered driveshaft woes, putting paid to his recent BRC foray. A solid finish on the non-championship Manx National, however will help his confidence heading to the Scottish Rally. Waterman will be joined in the Fiesta R2 by Tom Woodburn.

Close battles throughout the BRC classes

John Morrison/Peter Carstairs scooped their first National Rally Cup win on the Pirelli and comfortably lead the series. The flamboyant Donnie Macdonald will be back behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta R5; the local driver will be in full attack to reel in compatriot Morrison.

Mountain bike legend Gee Atherton returns to the series in his Ford Fiesta R2T with Keaton Williams reading his pacenotes and will be eager to stretch his BRC4 championship lead over the hungry David White (Fiesta R2) with son Matthew sitting alongside.

Production Cup leaders Spencer Wilkinson and Glyn Thomas are due to start the Scottish Rally but face a race against time to source vital components to put their Subaru Impreza back on track and extend their championship lead.

Keep tabs on all the latest BRC developments by visiting www.msabrc.com or following us on social media: Prestone MSA British Rally Championship on Facebook and @MSA_BRC on Twitter using #BRC.

MH Motorsport aim to get their Junior BRC aspirations back on track at this weekend's RSAC Scottish Rally

Posted: May 16, 2017 3:53 AM

Hampshire based MH Motorsport will head to round three of the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) this weekend in a bid to regain the lead of the hotly contested Junior category.

After narrowly missing out on their second win in a row at the Pirelli International Rally, the Ford Fiesta R2T Junior team will contest the RSAC Scottish Rally with their sights set firmly on regaining control of the series at the Dumfries based event.

MH Motorsport has enjoyed a run of success in both the Junior and Cadet categories this season, fielding a five car all-Ford Fiesta team in the BRC. The 1.0litre Ford EcoBoost R2T drivers of Callum Devine and Oscar Solberg have both been one of the favourites to take the Junior title in 2017.

Losing out by just 0.4 of a second on the final stage of the Pirelli Rally, MH Motorsport’s Northern Ireland driver Devine and co-driver Keith Moriarty took second in the Junior category to vault them into third place in the championship, adding to his opening round fifth spot.

Norwegian pilot Solberg and co-driver Patrik Barth took first blood for the MH Motorsport team in round one, taking the Junior win in convincing style on the Border Counties Rally. A fourth place in round two, leaves Solberg in second place in the standings, ensuring the MH Motorsport Junior team occupy the second and third podium positions as they head north for the two-day event.

Despite Solberg’s dominance of the opening round, the Pirelli Rally was a more complicated affair for the Norwegian, but he still managed to recover to set some impressive stage times over the closing stages of the event. Plagued by the same brake problems which hampered the leading crews, Solberg could not commit to the stages as he would have liked and elected to drive for points rather than risk his championship with a rally-ending off.

“The Pirelli Rally certainly did not go how we wanted and it was a shame because I had a good feeling with the car and the rally” said Solberg. “But we have a long season ahead and many things can happen so we need to just have the points and see what happens. Maybe now we can push in Scotland and get back out in front”.

Devine has had to learn quickly this season, stepping from a Vauxhall Adam into the Fiesta for his campaign has taken some getting used to. But his pace was clearly evident on the Northumberland forest tracks in Kielder forest, where he dominated the Junior category for much of the second day.

With fading tyres, Devine was forced to back off over the final stage and lost victory by the smallest of margins. But his outlook is nothing but positive for the weekend ahead. “Of course it was really disappointing not to have taken the win on the Pirelli but it proves we have the pace to challenge for outright wins” he says. “You know, it was just our second rally in the car so we still have a lot more to come as we settle into a pace that I`m happy with. Perhaps before the Pirelli we were looking for a podium position but now we are eyeing up a win in Scotland for sure”.

The RSAC Scottish Rally takes place on Friday 19th/Saturday 20th May. The event kicks off with two stages on Friday night during sundown, with the remainder of the stage mileage taking place over classic stages such as Twiglee’s, Ae and Castle O`er on Saturday.

MH Motorsport will also bring three more Fiestas to the event, with the 1600cc version suitable for the Cadet Cup category. They will be driven by Josh Cornwell, Alex Waterman and Nabila Tejpar.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: May 13, 2017 5:39 PM

1 Fredrik Ahlin/Torstein Eriksen (Skoda Fabia R5) [BRC1]
2 David Bogie/Kevin Rae (Skoda Fabia R5) [BRC1]
3 Osian Pryce/Dale Furniss (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
4 Tom Cave/James Morgan (Hyundai i20 RS) [BRC1]
5 Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
6 Martin McCormack/David Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) [BRC1]
7 Rhys Yates/Carl Williamson (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
8 Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) [BRC1]
9 Jock Armstrong/Paula Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza WRX) [11]
10 Matt Edwards/Darren Garrod (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
11 Jonathan Greer/Kirsty Riddick (Citroen DS3 R5) [BRC1]
12 Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
14 Shaun Sinclair/Jamie Edwards (Subaru Impreza WRC) [12]
15 Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) [11]
16 Jamie Anderson/Ross Whittock (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
17 Rory Young/Allan Cathers (Ford Fiesta R5) [12]
18 Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) [11]
19 Donnie Macdonald/Neil Shanks (Ford Fiesta R5) [N7]
20 Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [11]
21 Iain Wilson/Chris Williams (Subaru Impreza) [10]
22 Alex Laffey/Patrick Walsh (Ford Fiesta R5) [BRC1]
23 Freddie Milne/Jane Nicol (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [11]
24 Ian Baumgart/Mike Dickson (Subaru Impreza) [10]
25 Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5) [10]
26 John Wink/John Forrest (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [10]
27 Scott McCombie/Mark Fisher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [11]
28 Steve Bannister/Callum Atkinson (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
29 Matthew Robinson/Dave Robson (Fiat 131) [N4]
30 Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) [10]
31 John Morrison/Peter Carstairs (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [N6]
32 Ross Macdonald/Matthew Johnstone (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) [11]
33 Dougal Brown/Lewis Rochford (Ford Escort MK2) [7]
34 Oscar Solberg/Patrick Barth (Ford Fiesta R2T) [BRC1]
35 Callum Devine/Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta R2T) [BRC1]
36 Meirion Evans/Jonathan Jackson (Peugeot 208 R2) [BRC1]
37 Keith Morris/Murray Strachan (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) [11]
38 Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan (Peugeot 208 R2) [BRC1]
39 Fraser Wilson/Craig Wallace (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [9]
40 Mike Stuart/Sinclair Young (Ford Escort Mk 2) [7]
41 William Creighton/Liam Regan (Peugeot 208 R2) [BRC1]
42 Cameron Davies/Caron Tomlinson (Peugeot 208 R2) [BRC1]
43 Scott Macbeth/Daniel Forsyth (Citroen c2 r2 max) [3]
44 Ian Forgan/Kathryn Forgan (Subaru Impreza STi) [10]
45 John McClory/David Hood (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [9]
46 Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben (Vauxhall Corsa) [3]
47 Josh McErlean/Aaron Johnston (Citroen C2R2 Max) [BRC1]
48 Fraser MacNicol/Keith Boa (Ford Mk2 Escort) [4]
49 Paul McErlean/Niall McKenna (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
50 Josh Cornwell/Richard Bliss (Ford Fiesta R2) [BRC1]
51 Spencer Wilkinson/TBA (TBA) [BRC1]
52 Fergus Barlow/Max Freeman (Ford Fiesta) [BRC1]
53 Gee Atherton/Keaton Williams (Ford Fiesta R2T) [BRC4]
54 Darren Martin/TBC (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) [11]
55 Duncan MacDonald/Neil Ross (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
56 James Williams/Dai Roberts (Ford Fiesta R2T) [BRC1]
57 Keith Riddick/Mairi Riddick (MG ZR) [3]
58 Sean Will/Ashleigh Will (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo) [11]
59 John McIlwraith/Heather Grisedale (Subaru Impreza Gc8) [10]
60 Ross McFadzean/Shona Hale (Subaru Impreza) [10]
61 Jim Robertson/Mike Curry (TBA) [3]
62 Alex Pirie/Frazer Skene (Citoren C2) [3]
63 Neil Coalter/Hannah Cessford (Suzuki Ignis) [1]
64 Colin Baxter/Tracy Smith (Subaru Impreza gc8) [10]
65 Charles Blair/Mark Roberts (Citroen C2 VTS) [3]
66 Tom Williams/Bryan Hull (Ford Fiesta) [BRC1]
67 Ross Hughes/Ewan Leeming (Citroen C2 VTS) [3]
68 Luke McLaren/Phil Kenny (Ford Fiesta ST) [6]
69 Robbie Beattie/Dave Findlay (Peugeot 205 GTi) [2]
70 Kevin Gray/Daniel Christie (Vauxhall Astra) [6]
71 Graeme Sherry/Richard Wardle (Citroen C2) [3]
72 Michael Robertson/Gary McDonald (Subaru Impreza) [10]
73 Gina Walker/Richard Simmonds (Citroen C2) [3]
74 Niall Cowan Jnr/Thomas Bruce (MG ZR) [1]
75 Arron Windus/TBA (Vauxhall ADAM Cup) [Cadet BRC]
76 Alex Waterman/Tom Woodburn (Ford Fiesta R2) [Cadet BRC]
77 Michael Renton/Kenny Foggo (Peugeot 306 GTi) [6]
78 Andy Struthers/Alastair McIlroy (Citroen C2 VTS) [3]
79 Ian Milne/Sandy Milne (Ford Escort Mk2) [5]
80 Hamish Kinloch/Mark Grierson (Ford Escort) [7]
81 Kevin Crawford/Claire Martin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5) [10]
82 Max Redpath/Callum Redpath (Peugeot 205) [2]
83 Allan Matheson/TBA (Ford Escort) [2]
84 Ian Heard/Denny Calder (Ford Escort Mk2) [4]
85 James Johns/Paul Watkins (Skoda Felicia) [1]
86 Tommy Heard/Greg McCutcheon (Ford Escort Mk2) [7]
87 Elvin Smith/Shannon Turnbull (Citroen C2) [3]
88 Nabila Tejpar/Charley Sayer-Payne (Ford Fiesta R2) [Cadet BRC]
89 John Rowan/Bridget Rowan (Talbot Sunbeam) [1]
90 Eric McClurg/Robert Sherry (Subaru Impreza) [10]
91 Clive Allford/John Gage (Land Rover Wolf XD) [LR]
92 Chris McCarthy/Zak Smart (Land Rover Wolf XD) [LR]
93 Ben de Ronde/Scott Quinn (Land Rover Wolf XD) [LR]
94 Tyrone Westall/TBA (Land Rover Wolf XD) [LR]
95 Donald Peacock/Scott Peacock (Peugeot 205 GTi) [2]

Entries Received

Posted: April 28, 2017 6:56 PM

www.rallies.info/webentry/2017/scottish/

Entries Open / Rally Guide 1B available

Posted: March 6, 2017 4:37 AM

Scottish Rally

All change for the RSAC Scottish Rally in 2017

Posted: March 1, 2017 4:56 AM

Popular Dumfries and Galloway based rally announces new date and location for 2017 event

Organisers of this year's RSAC Scottish Rally have this week confirmed an exciting new format for the event which will play host to both the Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) and ARR Craib MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) on the 19th and 20th May.

The Dumfries and Galloway Council supported event will not only see a shift from its traditional June date, but will also move to a new home at Lockerbie Lorry Park offering competitors and fans a "Rally Village" environment for the weekend. The new venue will also play host to Rally HQ, documentation and Parc Ferme for the event.

Thanks to a long affinity with the event, Dumfries town centre will host the ceremonial start on Friday 19th before British Rally Championship crews head into the forest to contest a special test under the cover of dusk.

Saturday 20th will see competitors from the Scottish Rally Championship join the event to contest around 45 stage miles and finish during the late afternoon. The BRC crews will then return to the forests to tackle the remaining stages which make up their 75 competitive miles before a ceremonial finish back in Lockerbie later that day.

The 72nd running of the event will see around crews from across the world tackle classic Scottish stages in the Dumfries and Galloway region and Clerk of the Course Johnathan Lord is excited for the new-look 2017 format.

"The RSAC Scottish Rally was the first event in 2016 to bring the BRC and SRC together and it proved to be a fantastic spectacle for both crews and rally fans" he said.

"This year, the changes we have made to the format will certainly be an exciting prospect. A stage for the BRC crews on Friday night will undoubtedly draw the crowds and create a fantastic atmosphere. It will be a real challenge for the competitors too and we have picked some prime stages for them during the weekend. Its shaping up to be one of the best Scottish Rallies yet".

Councillor Colin Smyth, Dumfries and Galloway Council's Events Champion said,
"The town centre events and forest stages of the 2017 Scottish Rally are really exciting. The event is becoming more and more accessible to the public and there are so many great opportunities to view the Rally, including the new Friday stage that has been announced. I'd like to congratulate the organisers on their 21st Scottish Rally here in Dumfries and Galloway, and wish them every success in May."

Assistant Clerk of the Course, Craig Webster also added,
"I'm really looking forward to the new venues we are using this year. As ever though we need help staffing and running the event and I would urge marshals and radio crews to register through the website at www.scottishrally.co.uk."

The RSAC Scottish Rally is also a round of the C2RallyParts.co.uk Ecosse Challenge, the Border Challenge and Five of Clubs Rally Championship.

Event regulations will be available shortly on the website and spectator information will be available closer to the rally.

You can find more information on the RSAC Scottish Rally at www.scottishrally.co.uk or keep up to date with event information via social media:
www.facebook.com/scottishrally
www.twitter.com/scottishrally

Event Website

Posted: February 20, 2017 9:31 AM

Scottish Rally