Richard Archer took an astonishing victory on the Jim Clark Challenge Rally after overcoming a 40 second deficit in the final two stages. The rally finale showed just how competitive and coveted the BRC Challenge title has become.
But it was championship newcomer Jack Rowe setting the early pace on the opening Duns spectator stage on Friday night.
The Doncaster youngster, who had never driven a closed road event before, showed his quick learning abilities as he led the field through the Mantis Instant Shine sponsored town centre test.
The eight and a half mile Bothwell stage provided the competitors with the second challenge of the evening. And with rain clouds gathering and light fading, tyre choice and concentration were going to be at the forefront of drivers minds.
Former BRC Challenge stalwart Richard Sykes put his Citroën C2R2 Max into the lead of the rally going into the night’s final stage. Hot on his heels was tarmac specialist Richard Archer in his ex-Kris Meeke Vauxhall Corsa, just 1.1 adrift.
Alex Parpottas was an impressive third on Bothwell in his Fiesta ST ahead of Rowe, Matt Edwards and Phil Scholes.
The last stage of the night was the infamous thirteen mile Abbey St Bathans and it was Welshman Edwards who was quickest ahead of Rowe, Sykes and Moore. Once again the top runners and riders covered by less than ten seconds.
Going into the overnight halt at the Kelso Racecourse, it was Richard Sykes who managed to keep ahead of the pack, holding a 4.1 second advantage over his young rival Rowe. Round one winner Edwards lay third, seemingly putting his championship back on track, after retiring from the Pirelli event last month. The Cumbrian event’s winner Moore lay fifth just 22 seconds behind the leader and 6.1 behind fourth placed man Archer.
Meanwhile Mathew Jackson led the Super 1000 series back to Kelso with an impressive drive on the opening three stages, leaving him in eighteenth overall.
Jack Rowe and Alex Lee took up the gauntlet in their Fiesta R2 on Saturday morning by setting the quickest time ahead of Richard Sykes and Chris Peart.
While Richard Archer was struggling to gain his rhythm on SS7, dropping 22 seconds to Rowe, local driver Garry Pearson took advantage of his local knowledge in his Super 1000 Nissan Micra to post fourth quickest time over the four mile stage, sadly a feat he was unable to muster again throughout the day.
Perhaps the biggest news coming from the stage was the retirement of early championship leader Matt Edwards who crashed his MG ZR. Although he managed to get the car going with the help of some spectators, it came to a halt shortly after.
Stage eight offered up the same result as stage seven with Rowe quickest ahead of Sykes, making it look like a two horse race for the victory. But with tarmac ace Archer bedding in a new co-driver in the shape of Terry Martin, the pace would not abandon him for too much longer.
Championship contenders Simon Moore and Emma Morrison struggled to match the outright pace of the sealed surface specialists, but showed maturity in being the best of the rest. And by keeping a close watch over the leaders, any mistake made would be pounced upon by the Renault Clio pair.
Next up for the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship’s support series came the 12.45 mile Ayton stage north east of Duns. Archer’s S1600 Corsa was quickest ahead of Moore and Sykes, who posted identical times, just 5.9 seconds behind.
With Rowe a further 23 seconds back, the door was now ajar if not fully open for Archer. With the gap to the leader now 40 seconds it looked impossible for Archer to strike from this far back with only two stages to go.
The penultimate Eccles stage was the longest of the rally at 13.70 miles and would prove to be a turning point not only in the rally but perhaps the championship.
Simon Moore and Emma Morrison were the first to feel the pressure when they suffered a front right puncture, dropping them a minute in the stage. It still left them fourth overall, but left them no chance of capitalising upon any misfortune suffered by the leading pack.
Scholes and Damien Smith sandwiched Jack Rowe in third and fifth respectively, finally putting some quality times in after a difficult rally for the Fiesta SportChallenge pair.
Once again Archer put the bit between his teeth and attacked the stage with the skill and ferocity that delights watching spectators, as he clawed 16 seconds back on rally leader Sykes.
The Midlander still had 15 seconds over Rowe and nearly 25 on Archer heading into the final 11 miler at Swinton. Sykes had not only been quick all event but consistent with it too, it was going to take something extraordinary to take it from his grasp.
The final stage of the Jim Clark Challenge Rally will live long in the memory for those lucky enough to be roadside during the dogfight that ensued.
The drama started when Sykes misheard a pacenote from co-driver Janice Moore in his Citroen while flat in fifth. Struggling to make the following corner, Sykes decided to abandon the road and risk going through the oncoming hedge. After turning round in the field and punching a new hole in the hedgerow, the damaged C2 carried on, hoping to make the finish with enough time still in hand.
Archer was in hot pursuit and caught Sykes at the Swinton crossroads which became the catalyst of a no quarter asked, no quarter given, touring car style battle on the Scottish Borders roads, thrilling the spectators.
Archer managed to get past Sykes and pulled out an advantage that would secure him his third successive win on the Borders stages. “It’s the most memorable win I’ve ever had” said Archer who added “I’ve won from the front before but never from so far back”.
Mathew Jackson and Joe Cruttenden took a well deserved class win in RC1, while Manxman Kevin Vondy managed RC2 honours in his Vauxhall Corsa. RC3 was won by the impressive Des Campbell who finished fifth overall behind fourth placed Simon Moore who took the RC4 class.
And with the rally victory secured Archer also took the class win in RC5 to cement a great weekend for the Norfolk man.
With just three retirements on the event, 23 crews made the finish in sunny Duns, Edwards leaving the fray at the start of Saturday and Jamie Brown lasting until an off on the penultimate stage. Most galling was BRCC debutante Ella Flynn’s departure on the very last stage, a broken driveshaft preventing a siblings’ finish with brother Conor who was eighth.
Event results are available at www.rallybrcchallenge.co.uk.
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