Having won the opening rounds of both the 2011 MSA Scottish and British championships, David Bogie and Kevin Rae will be the crew to beat on the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally this Saturday, 19 March. The reigning Scottish champions celebrated back-to-back victories on the Arnold Clark Thistle Hotel Snowman Rally and Rallye Sunseeker International in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. They head a strong field of 108 entries for the Jedburgh-based Border Counties on which they finished third overall twelve months ago.
“It’s a great rally. The Kielder stages are very fast, you really have to commit”, said Bogie: “Confidence is high, and we’re match fit after the events of recent weeks”.
Nevertheless, there are drivers more than capable of turning the tables on the Dumfries ace. Fellow SRC/BRC campaigner Euan Thorburn, co-driven by Paul Beaton, pushed Bogie all the way on the Snowman before settling for second in his Evo IX, while Jock Armstrong (Subaru Impreza) and Mike Faulkner (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) will both be targeting victory, after finishing third and fourth respectively in Inverness.
On last year’s Border Counties, Armstrong and former champion navigator Kirsty Riddick had to call it a day just a few miles into the first stage with gearbox failure, and Faulkner and Peter Foy retired with a broken diff on SS4.
“The Kielder roads are amongst the most challenging in the country with very fast flowing cambered roads – but there are also big ditches that suck you in if you make the smallest mistake”, said Faulkner: “We have a solid result from the Snowman to build on, but we have to push for a top two result if we are to have any championship aspirations”.
Andy Horne and Jim Howie (DAM 4100 GTi) launched their 2011 campaign with fifth overall on the Snowman, and will be out to better their sixth place finish on last year’s Border Counties.
The Cumbrian crew of Paul Benn and Richard Cooke (Ford Focus WRC) kick off their SRC campaign in Jedburgh, and are seeded one ahead of top Northern Ireland competitor Phillip Morrow, co-driven by brother Simon in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
Reay Mackay and Robert Macdonald from Fort Augustus return to action in their Subaru Impreza WRC, while young Highland prospect David Wilson, with Jedburgh-based navigator Dave Robson, will be hoping to put the disappointment of a DNF on the Snowman behind him as he sets out to kick-start his campaign.
Reflecting the tenth year of his sponsorship of the event, John McClory will run with the Number 10 on his Subaru Impreza, although will most likely run further back in the field. With navigator David Hood, he will be hoping to capitalise on a 13th place overall on the Snowman.
Rally preparation expert Wayne Sisson from Lancashire, fourth overall last year, returns to the fray in his Mitsubishi Evo 9, alongside David MacFadyen from Inverness, while Stephen Petch and John Richardson – eighth on last weekend’s Malcolm Wilson Rally – make the short trip north to compete in their Evo IX.
Another Evo 9 pilot, Invernessian Donnie Macdonald, co-driven by Keir Beaton, will be hoping to build on his 6th overall on the Snowman – his best SRC round result to date.
Experienced SRC campaigner Barry Groundwater from Stonehaven, with Daniel Paterson on the notes, will also be looking for a strong finish, having brought his Evo 9 home in eighth spot overall twelve months ago.
On his return to competition, former works driver Robbie Head lost valuable time on the Snowman with a burst brake pipe, but still managed to secure eighth overall in his Evo IX, and leads the DMACK Tyres Group N standings. Lanark-based Head will again be co-driven by Claire Mole from Paxton.
SRC stalwart Rory Young, from Kirkgunzeon near Dumfries, has his first outing of the year in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V. He was thirteenth overall on last year’s Border Counties, alongside navigator Allan Cathers from Carlisle.
Inverurie’s Calum Mackenzie embarks on his second SRC round in an unfamiliar Mitsubishi Evo 8, after securing eighth overall on the Snowman – his first 4WD outing since the 1990’s.
Jim Carty and Ian Fraser take to the Kielder stages in their Subaru Impreza WRC, one car ahead of John Morrison and Peter Carstairs in an Evo IX – the pair fresh from a 12th place finish on the Snowman.
Among the late entries is talented young Welshman Tom Cave, who finished second to Bogie on the opening BRC round in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, and will be one to watch for a podium finish on his Border Counties debut.
There is a mouth-watering tussle in prospect amongst the two-wheel drives with the return of Escort MkII maestro Steve Bannister.
The “Malton Missile” powered to seventh overall on the Border Counties last year alongside navigator Louise Sutherland from Hawick.
Malcolm Buchanan, who was the leading 2WD competitor on the Snowman in his MkII, co-driven by Ian Nicoll, is looking forward to renewing his battles with Bannister and fellow Escort drivers Mike Horne and Quintin Milne.
“I really enjoy the Border Counties stages – apart from the one I rolled on last year!”, said Buchanan: “Steve will be the man to beat as he has a vast knowledge of Kielder, but we’ll be pushing all the way”.
Other 2WD class winners from the opening round include Craig Smith/Colin Smith (Vauxhall Nova) and Iain Haining/Mairi Riddick (Vauxhall Nova) , who will be aiming to keep up the momentum in Classes 2 and 3 respectively.
James Robertson and George Myatt got their season off to the best possible start with a Class 4 victory in their Citreon C2R2, while 2010 Class 4 winner Graeme Schoneville, with Michael Hendry on the notes, will be determined to make amends after a very disappointing opening round.
Reigning Scottish Junior champion Peter Stewart was far from happy with his performance in Inverness (“To be honest the best run of the day was on the final stage, when I started driving properly”) but with co-driver Phil Shortt, he leads Class 7 going into next weekend.
The organisers of the Border Counties have made big changes to the rally route from last year, resulting in four stages in the Kielder and Wauchope complexes, totalling some 44 stage miles (70km), all single use.
The event will again be based in Jedburgh, with the Rally HQ at the Town Hall, adjacent to the start/finish ramp in Abbey Place.
The first two-wheel drive car will leave at 08h31, with the 4WDs starting at approximately 09h45. Full details can be found at the event website, www.bordercountiesrally.co.uk
– Credit: www.scottishrallychampionship.co.uk