As the curtain fell on the 2024 season of the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship, the motorsport community gathered in Lockerbie for the climactic Caledonian Rally. With crucial points still up for grabs in several categories, including the overall 2 Wheel Drive and Challengers, the event was set against a backdrop of intense competition and high stakes.
Mark McCulloch and Michael Hendy clinched their first Scottish Rally Championship (SRC) victory, a significant achievement after near misses in past events. Starting strong and consistently building their pace, their Proton Satria surged to the forefront by SS3, eventually securing a comfortable 15-second margin by the rally’s end. This victory not only marked a personal triumph for McCulloch in his local forests but also solidified their second-place finish in the overall 2024 Championship standings.
John Wink, fresh from his inaugural win in the previous round, faced the challenge of being the first on the slippery roads. Despite an early setback in SS3, Wink and co-driver Jack Bowen recalibrated and executed a remarkable comeback, posting the fastest times in the later stages to vault from fourth to second place. This performance earned Wink third place in the final drivers’ points tally for the season.
Jock Armstrong and Owen Paterson also delivered a noteworthy performance, initially leading the rally before mechanical issues set them back. Despite a temporary fix to their exhaust system, they lost ground but managed to finish third overall, enough for Paterson to secure third place in the co-drivers’ points in his inaugural SRC season.
In the fiercely contested G&M Mechanical services 2 Wheel Drive championship, Greg McKnight and Harry Marchbank emerged victorious in their yellow MK2 Escort, narrowly defeating Paddy Munro and Andrew Stevenson. The dueling Escorts finished an impressive fifth and sixth overall, showcasing the high competitive level within the 2wd category.
The Albyn Garage Challengers title saw another intense battle, with Munro and Stevenson securing a crucial win. However, Johnnie Mackay and Rachel Matheson’s strong performance in the latter stages allowed them to clinch the championship, marking a successful defense of their title after a strategic push post-service.
Rachel Matheson also claimed the Lady Navigator’s title, edging out Donald Peacock’s co-driver Mairi Riddick after the latter faced mechanical issues that hindered their performance in the historic Escort.
Junior Navigator hopeful Michael Moates, alongside driver Justin Gunning in their Renault Clio, showcased their potential by frequently challenging the top ten, ultimately securing the Moates Offshore Junior Navigator’s title with a twelfth-place finish.
In other categories, Mike Grant and Graham Kelman overcame mechanical adversities to win their first Groundwater Lift Trucks Subaru Cup of the year, while Walter Henderson and Jim Kinloch took their first Haddo Energy Super Seniors win after a full two days of competitive rallying in the Rally Anglo Caledonian.
The Caledonian Rally not only provided a fitting end to the 2024 Scottish Rally Championship but also set the stage for an even more thrilling 2025 season, as competitors and teams reflect on their achievements and gear up for the challenges ahead.
Caledonian Rally Final Results
01: M. McCulloch/M. Hendry (Proton Satria Evo S2000) – 45m 24s
02: J. Wink/J. Bowen (Hyundai i20 R5) + 15s
03: J. Armstrong/O. Paterson (Škoda Fabia Proto) + 39s
04: S. Petch/M. Wilkinson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) + 1m 36s
05: G. McKnight/H Marchbank (Ford Escort MkII) + 2m 29s
06: P. Munro/A. Stevenson (Ford Escort MkII) + 3m 15s
07: S. Peacock/S. Brown (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII) + 4m 22s
08: J. Mackay/R. Matheson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII) + 5m 56s
09: G. Morrison/I. Parker (Ford Escort MkII) + 6m 04s
10: S. Hay/C. Jaffray (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) + 6m 06s
