David Henderson & Chris Lees wrapped up their 1st KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship title with a win on the final round of the season, the Carlisle Stages Rally, after another final stage shootout.
5th fastest in stage 1, the Fiesta crew had made their traditional steady start but were speeding up with every stage. They climbed to 4th after stage 2 and 3rd after a fastest time in 3 to head into service 10 seconds away from the lead.
Out for the 2nd loop and they recorded 2nd fastest time in stage 4 before another fastest time in 5 brought them up to 2nd equal with John Wink & Neil Shanks with 1 stage remaining.
The Fiesta crew would be fastest through stage 4 to draw level with the i20, before pulling clear to lead by 2 seconds over the tying Wink & Henderson with 1 stage to go. Unfortunately, it would all go wrong, the blue Fiesta sliding into a ditch and out of the event.
That meant the tie for 2nd was now the fight for the win. Both crews had a clean run but it was Henderson & Lees who would come out on top by 7 seconds at the finish. Wink & Shanks recording yet another podium, with 2nd guaranteeing 3rd in the championship after a very strong season in the i20.
For Henderson & Lees it was a 3rd win on the bounce and another final stage charge in 2023. A big weekend for the Fiesta crew as they took their 1st Scottish Championship title.
Behind the top 2 it was another strong weekend for Mark McCulloch & Michael Hendry in their home-engineered Proton Satria.
Jock Armstrong & Hannah McKillop headed into the weekend still in with a chance of the title, but luck wasn’t on the Impreza’s side, clipping a hidden concrete block in stage one and puncturing a tyre.
John Crawford headed into this round knowing an Autsohop 2wd win would give him the driver’s title. The white MK2 then would hold on all the way to the finish and John would take the win and with it the driver’s title. Harry Marchbank taking the navigator’s title.
Jordan Anderson just needed a finish to take the Groundwater Lift Trucks Subaru Cup driver’s title. Meghan O’Kane and Aileen Forrest headed into this round with the Ladies driver’s title still undecided. Unfortunately for Aileen her Lancer E9 refused to start after the mid-event refuel zone and she was out.
That left Meghan to charge to the Lady driver title along with an excellent 21st overall and a win in the Moates Offshore Juniors despite a visit to a ditch in the morning.
PROVISIONAL OVERALL TOP 5 AFTER ROUND 8 – DRIVERS
1. David Henderson 147pts
2. Jock Armstrong 143pts
3. John Wink 136pts
4. Michael Binnie 134pts
5. Mark McCulloch 132pts
PROVISIONAL OVERALL TOP 5 AFTER ROUND 8 – CO-DRIVERS
1. Chris Lees 145pts
2. Hannah McKillop 143pts
3. Neil Shanks 135pts
4. Michael Hendry 131pts
5. Michael Wilkinson 123pts
