The Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship headed back north for round 5 of the 2025 season, the Voly Grampian Forest Rally. What followed was one and a half days of tough competition on an event that felt like the Grampians of old.
Taking their 2nd SRC win in a row, David Bogie (Dumfries) & Kirsty Riddick (Castle Douglas) were 2nd after the 2 Friday evening stages, David reckoning they had gone the wrong way on car setup and he was also struggling to read the surface changes.
After the service crew made some tweaks overnight, they were back on top form, jumping into the lead on Saturday morning. A dusty cockpit and a small overheating scare on the middle loop thankfully came to naught and they would pull away to win by 42 seconds.
Scott Beattie (Alford) & Peredur Davies (Pwllheli) were the stars of this event last year, narrowly missing out on the win in Scott’s home forests. They were in great form once again, leading overnight ahead of the much newer and more sophisticated Fabia with 2 fastest SRC times.
A bent rear suspension arm delayed them on Saturday morning, but they kept close to the leaders, extracting everything they could out of their older Fiesta. Another 2nd on Scott’s home event was an excellent result.
Mark McCulloch (Dumfries) & Michael Hendry (Aberlour) had their own suspension dramas on the Friday night, changing a bent lower arm with some much-appreciated welding assistance from David Coutts.
The Saturday saw them shadowing the top 2, ready to capitalise on any mistakes and they set fastest SRC time through the spectator special stage 5 despite clipping a tractor tyre. 3rd at the finish, less than 20 seconds behind the Fiesta and adding another podium to their ever-growing collection in 2025.
The G&M Mechanical Services 2wd and Challengers were led by the same crew early on. Ross Jarrett (Dingwall) & Dan Forsyth (Elgin) on top overnight, although they had the close attention of Orrin McDonnell (Strathpeffer) & Clare Fraser (Inverness) and Paddy Munro (Kyle) & Andrew Stevenson (Grantown on Spey).
Unfortunately, Orrin & Clare would roll out of the rally on Saturday morning, leaving us with a repeat of the MK2 duel from the Scottish Rally. Paddy & Andrew were on the charge, taking advantage of a spin and brake issues for Ross & Dan on the middle loop.
Less than 7 seconds apart with 2 stages to go, it was Ross & Dan who would blink 1st, another spin and a brief off giving Paddy & Andrew the momentum to grab a 2nd double success in a row after another cracking battle.
Making it 2 Groundwater Lift Trucks Subaru Cup wins in a row; Jack Ryan (Castletown) & Robin Nicolson (Largs) were running even more strongly than they had at the Scottish.
Taking her 1st Lady drivers win of the season, Christina Robinson (Ripon) & York co-driver Grum Willcock’s event started with an overshoot and reverse in stage 1.
After their MG3 Challenge win at the Scottish, Robbie Wood (Melrose) & Simon Mills (Duns) were continuing in that mode on the Grampian. Robbie finding his years of quad bike racing had prepared him well for the multiple surface changes and loose nature of these roads.
