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Bogie powers to Reivers win

David Bogie dominated the Jim Clark Reivers Rally to win the only tarmac round of the Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship for the second year running.

The reigning Scottish champion, driving a hired '05 Ford Focus WRC, mastered the often wet and treacherous conditions to complete the eight Berwickshire stages in a total time of 57 minutes 57 seconds - 2 minutes and 32 seconds ahead of last year's runner up Euan Thorburn in a Subaru Impreza N5.

Jock Armstrong ended the day third overall and, with Thorburn not registered for the SRC, was second in the points and first in the Hankook Group N category.

Paul Benn secured the final championship podium spot in a Ford Focus WRC, while hotly tipped young driver David Wilson was in impressive form at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Evo 9 to take fifth overall.

At the mid-way stage of the championship, Andy Horne, who finished fourteenth of the SRC competitors, leads the overall drivers' standings by a single point from Bogie, who now has two victories to his name this season. Armstrong is a further two points behind in third.

The "Reivers" proved to be a day of high attrition for many - with 48 retirements out of a start list of just over 130 crews.

Among them was Alick Kerr who had led the drivers' championship going into the Duns-based event in his Subaru Impreza but was forced to pull out with two broken driveshafts. He has now slipped to fourth in the drivers' points.

The day belonged to Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae, who threw down the gauntlet from the start in their Derek McGeehan prepared Focus - blasting through the opening 6.45 mile Bothwell stage to finish 9.8 seconds ahead of Thorburn and co-driver Paul Beaton.

Despite problems with his launch control which saw him stall at the start of SS2 Moon and Star, Bogie kept his nose in front and by first service had a 10.9 second advantage over Thorburn.

Mull's Paul MacKinnon - another non-SRC registered competitor - was closest to Bogie on the second run through Bothwell - the Subaru Impreza pilot missing out by a mere 0.1 of a second.

As the rain continued to fall and conditions deteriorated, tyre choice proved critical and many crews experienced "moments", spins and "offs" on the fast Berwickshire lanes.

By the end of SS4 Moon and Star 2, the top three of Bogie, Thorburn and Armstrong had been established in the overall classification.

With the rain clearing in the afternoon, the Dumfries driver steadily increased his advantage through the remaining four stages to build up a comfortable lead over the hard-charging Thorburn, who was keen to perform well in front of his home supporters after the disappointment of a non-start on the BRC round earlier in the weekend because of a mis-fire.

"It's been great to get the chance to drive the Focus on this event", said Bogie, at the sun-blessed finish in Duns town square: "Obviously we had a few problems along the way, and it was difficult to learn the car in the conditions, but all in all it's been a very enjoyable day. We just picked a pace and stuck at it and felt comfortable".

Hankook Group N leader Jock Armstrong was also satisfied with his day - the Castle Douglas co-driven by Christine Sanderson of Berwick while regular navigator Kirsty Riddick competed on the Sol Barbados Rally.

A puncture on the second stage did not hamper their progress, and the pair were just twelve seconds shy of Thorburn at the finish.

"You're always a bit disappointed not to take the top spot", said Armstrong: "But this has been a good day for points, because having dropped a score on the Border Counties earlier in the year, I'm really keen to capitalise on every event from now on in. It's going to be a close championship over the remaining four rounds".

Cockermouth's Paul Benn, who normally drives his own '01 Ford Focus WRC, had the loan of Michael O'Brien's newer model for the day, and took full advantage.

On the way to fourth overall, Benn and fellow Cumbrian Richard Cooke were second quickest through the final Fogo stage, having notched up three third-fastest times earlier in the day.

"It's been an excellent day and I'm very grateful for the loan of the car - it was sitting in the workshop with the right suspension set-up for the tarmac, and it's been perfect for the conditions", enthused Benn: "I hadn't done a competitive stage in the car until the event, so it took a while to get up to speed, but it's such a good car that you quickly build up confidence".

David Wilson led home the "Highland" contingent in his Mitsubishi Evo 9, the Alness-based competitor delighted with his result alongside highly experienced co-driver Dave Robson from Jedburgh.

Said Wilson: "If you'd said to me before the event I'd be in the top 15 that would have been brilliant, but to finish fifth overall is absolutely fantastic. It was very tricky early on - we were on cut slicks the whole day and although not perfect, I was used to them so we decided not to change. The car ran exceptionally well, Dave was fantastic on the notes with his local knowledge, so all in all I'm very pleased".

Lancastrian Wayne Sisson was one of many competitors who returned to Duns with dented and bashed body-work as a result of "off road excursions", but nevertheless the rally preparation expert, with David MacFadyen of Inverness on the notes, hoisted himself up the leaderboard to finish fifth in the points in his Evo 9 on his first-ever "Reivers".

"We went off on the first run through Blackadder - it was a slippy square left, we went into a hedge and bashed the left rear side of the car - it didn't cost us much time but we could have done without it", said Sisson: "I lost ten seconds apiece on the first two stages getting stuck behind cars in front so the day has not been without its problems, but we've made it to the finish, that's the main thing".

Local Duns driver Dale Robertson turned in another good performance to finish seventh overall for the second successive year in his Evo 9, alongside Paul McGuire from Tranent.

"As the weather improved, we were able to push on through the afternoon stages so we're happy where we finished up", said Roberston, adding: "The home support has been great this weekend".

Oban's Shaun Sinclair and Chris Hamill finished a further second adrift in their Evo 9 after brake problems on the first two stages and what Sinclair described as "a lack of punch" on some of the faster sections.

However, he was satisfied with the result which keeps him second in the Hankook GpN standings.

The Rintoul brothers from Fife had tyre issues with the changeable conditions in their Evo 9 but driver John was pleased with a creditable ninth place overall.

"Some of our forest results haven't been so good of late, so it's nice to get a top ten finish. The last two stages were really good. We should really have chosen a different tyre as the conditions improved and we might have made up a couple of places, but we can't complain".

The top ten was rounded off by Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy in their Evo 6 after a difficult and frustrating day.

"We got off to a bad start with a "moment" on the first corner of the first stage which dropped us 20 seconds and upset the rhythm, and then later driving on a puncture lost us more time," said the Kirtlebridge-based Faulkner: "But we've really enjoyed the afternoon fighting our way back up and we've finished the rally on an upbeat note. At least we live to fight another day, and we'll be back on the gravel on the RSAC Scottish and give it 100 percent".

In the "battle of the Escorts", top honours went to non-SRC registered Keith Robathan and Neil Ewing - who finished 12th overall - with championship contenders Steve Bannister and navigator Louise Sutherland a further five seconds back in 14th place.

"I think our car is suited to the tricky technical stuff, rather than the long straights", said Bannister: "As soon as we got onto those last two dry stages, Keith, with a similar car to mine last year and an extra 40 bhp more, was just that little bit quicker. But for the third time this year we've finished as first registered two-wheel drive, and first registered in class so we can't complain".

St Boswell's driver Ross Hunter and Jedburgh navigator Eildon Hall won the 1600 category in their Honda Civic - to make up for retirements on the two previous rounds - while Carluke's Graeme Schoneville - also in a Civic- increased his advantage in the SRC Junior Championship, finishing second in class of the registered competitors.

Jim Clark Reivers Rally - Top Ten Provisional Results - with total times (++ denotes SRC registered crew)

1 David Bogie (Dumfries)/Kevin Rae (Hawick) Ford Focus WRC 57 mins 57 secs ++

2 Euan Thorburn (Duns)/Paul Beaton (Inverness) Subaru Impreza N5 1.00.29.3

3 Jock Armstrong (Castle Douglas)/Christine Sanderson (Berwick) Subaru Impreza 1.00.41.7 ++

4 Paul Benn (Cockermouth)/Richard Cooke (Keswick) Ford Focus WRC 1.01.22.6 ++

5 David Wilson (Alness)/Dave Robson (Jedburgh) Mitsubishi Evo 9 1.01.40.1 ++

6 Wayne Sisson (Burton in Kendal)/David MacFadyen (Inverness) Mitsubishi Evo 9 1.01.51.1 ++

7 Dale Robertson (Duns)/Paul McGuire (Tranent) Mitsubishi Evo 9 1.02.07.8 ++

8 Shaun Sinclair (Oban)/Chris Hamill (Oban) Mitsubishi Evo 9 1.02.07.9 ++

9 John Rintoul (Leven)/Jim Rintoul (Ceres) Mitsubishi Evo 9 1.02.15.1 ++

10 Mike Faulkner (Kirtlebridge)/Peter Foy (Bingley) Mitsubishi Evo 6 1.02.24.1 ++ ..

Article Posted: 31 May 2010