Taking maximum SRC points, David Bogie (Dumfries) & Kirsty Riddick (Castle Douglas) made their usual fast start, blasting into an early lead by 1st service.
The middle loop saw them make their only real mistake, the Skoda Fabia crew surviving a big spin in the 1st run of the Dalbeattie stage. That left them tied for the SRC lead with 2 stages left, 2 fastest times pulling them clear of the chasing pack to win by 13 seconds at the finish.
Championship leaders coming into this round, Mark McCulloch (Dumfries) & Michael Hendry (Aberlour) weren’t even sure if they were going to contest the Scottish.
They were very glad they did, right in the mix at the top all day. The Proton crew were experimenting with a different compound of Pirelli tyre, which was working so well that they didn’t even notice a front puncture on the 2nd loop.
Tied for the SRC lead after 4 stages, they couldn’t quite get in front of Bogie & Riddick but still took a fantastic 2nd in the SRC points.
Scott Beattie (Alford) & Peredur Davies (Pwllheli) confessed to feeling a bit rusty having not been in the car since the Speyside.
They were out on 2nd hand tyres in the morning and weren’t too happy with how the car was handling, despite being in the podium mix. New tyres on after that they battled for the rest of the day with Jock Armstrong & Owen Paterson, grabbing 3rd in the SRC at the finish. Scott excited for his home event next time out.
There was an absolutely cracking battle for the G&M Mechanical Services 2 Wheel Drive (2wd) and Challengers wins. Paddy Munro (Kyle) & Andrew Stevenson (Grantown on Spey) squaring up against Ross Jarrett (Dingwall) & Iain Thorburn (Inverness) in a battle of the blue Escorts. Jarrett & Thorburn took the early advantage, 7 seconds up after 2 stages.
Munro & Stevenson counter attacked, turning that 7 second deficit into a 9 second lead after 4, despite requiring a gearbox change.
The G&M team changing the box in less than 28 minutes. Ross & Iain put on a late charge, closing to within 2 seconds of the win at the finish, but Paddy & Andrew were delighted to payback the team’s hard work with a well-earned double 2wd and Challengers win.
