It's a fickle old game this rallying lark. Just when you think you've done enough to build up a solid cushion of a lead, the finishing line is almost in sight and the whiff of champagne is just a cork-pop away, Lady Luck has an uncanny knack of kicking the car off the axle stands.
It happened to all day rally leader Euan Thorburn. Going into the penultimate test of today's Jim Clark Reivers Rally, he and Bogie had a near 2 minute lead over the rest of the pack, with the margin between the leading duo nearly 30 seconds. Both of them beat the Bogey over that second Blackadder dash so nothing lost and nothing gained, but as Thorburn looked down as he approached the Stage Stop Line, flames started to appear through the floor. The marshals were quick on the scene as Euan and Paul Beaton jumped out of the car and extinguished the flames.
A hydraulic oil pipe had fractured and the oil had been set alight on the hot exhaust. Little damage was done but the crew had to seal the pipe, re-programme the ECU into 'road mode' and get through the final stage to reach the finish. They dropped 31 seconds to Bogie. Victory was gone, finishing second by 10.4 seconds.
Barry Groundwater finished a washed out but valiant third overall, still feeling very much under the weather after yesterday's dehydratory illness. Alistair Inglis scored an excellent fourth as Quintin Milne dropped valuable time with a shattered wheel and he dropped to sixth behind the DAM of Andy Horne. Fifth overall in this car was a memorable and stunning result.
Dom Buckley never gave up, but the lack of diffs cost him valuable time so 7th place was a worthy finish ahead of Donnie MacDonald who still says he doesn't like tarmac! Jock Armstrong made it back into the top ten after dropping over 2 minutes with a puncture and Karl Simmons rounded off the top finishers.
And the weather was a winner too, the crowds of spectators going home with red faces and legs, but better than sodden wet through! Summer has arrived in Scotland at last.
Provisional Top Ten after 8 stages (of 8)
1, David Bogie, 48m 04.0s
2, Euan Thorburn, 48m 14.4s
3, Barry Groundwater, 50m 07.9s
4, Alistair Inglis, 50m 26.5s
5, Andy Horne, 50m 36.9s
6, Quintin Milne, 50m 54.1s
7, Dom Buckley, 51m 15.4s
8, Donnie MacDonald, 52m 00.7s
9, Jock Armstrong, 52m 01.7s
10 Karl Simmons, 52m 14.0s
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