The FUCHS Lubricants British Historic Rally Championship (BHRC) continued its asphalt campaign at the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally [19–20 June], with competitors tackling the unique closed public roads of Argyll and Bute in front of huge crowds across the weekend.
Damian Tourish and Kevin Duggan further cemented their status as the crew to beat on asphalt in 2026, securing a fourth maximum points haul of the season with a commanding Category 3 victory.
Fresh from their dominant performance on the Isle of Man in May, the Irish pairing once again validated their strength on sealed surfaces, eventually taking victory by more than two minutes aboard their Ford Escort MkII.
ourish stamped his authority on proceedings. A stunning performance on the third stage saw him stop the clocks an incredible 17 seconds faster than any of his Category 3 rivals, immediately launching himself into the lead.
From that point onwards, Tourish never looked back. Stage after stage he extended his advantage, building a commanding margin that would ultimately prove unassailable.
Behind him, Rowlands and Hill engaged in a fascinating battle for the remaining podium positions. The pair traded stage times throughout Friday evening and into Saturday, but the contest swung decisively in Hill’s favour when Rowlands went off the road after earlier damaging his steering on one of the event’s bale chicanes.
That left Hill and Cooper clear in second position, whilst Paul Thompson and Josh Davison completed the podium in third and a Ford Escort MKII lockout.
Paul Clayton and Veera Johnston enjoyed a successful trip to Argyll, claiming Category 4 honours aboard their Peugeot 205 GTi.
Ian Robertson’s hopes of a valuable points haul came to a heartbreaking end on the tenth stage of the rally.
The Hillman Avenger crew had been on course to collect important championship points before a fire forced their immediate retirement from the event. Thankfully, both Robertson and co-driver emerged unharmed from the incident, although their rally was over on the spot.
