Rally - Faulkner and Foy

The Scots did themselves proud in Wales with Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy repeating last year’s glorious win on the Wales Rally GB National event. Going into the final stage they were holding second place behind Jock Armstrong and Paula Swinscoe, but a puncture caused the Subaru to slide off the road on the final stage and that was it. All over. What cruel luck.

When you think of the cruel luck that Mike has had on the Scottish Championship this past year, and then it all comes good here. Just reward for effort and determination. It all went wrong for Fraser MacNicol too, going off two stages from home, leaving just one Scottish crew standing on the podium.

And there’s more. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, Lee Hastings finished a rally. Not just any rally but perhaps the biggest one of his career so far, finishing 5th overall with Julie McGuire in the Hastings family Subaru. John Morrison and Peter Carstairs made it three ‘home’ crews in the top ten with Jim McRae just missing out, the V8 Firenza gurgling to a halt in the final stage!

And on her first major ‘international’ event Caroline Carslaw finished a superb 38th overall in her Fiesta with Michael Robertson finishing 48th and Iain Wilson 55th.

Sadly, Thomas Gray didn't make it home either, the Proton sliding off the road two stages from home. Berwick’s Carl Tuer was the other retirement of note, failing to make the start of the penultimate stage with his MG. And Mike Storrar finished 45th overall in his Honda engined Marina. Love it.

That makes it three years in a row that a Scottish crew has won the National (Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton won 2 years ago) which is a pretty good advert for Scottish rallying and the Scottish Rally Championship, eh? It would be nice to see more English and Welsh crews paying us a visit next year!

National Leaderboard:
1, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) 1:51:45.1
2, David Howells/Robin Hernaman (Subaru Impreza) +0:04:43.5
3, Wug Utting/Bob Stokoe (Subaru Impreza N12b) +0:06:16.0
4, Simon Webster/Frank Richer (Ford Escort) +0:06:42.9
5, Lee Hastings/Julie McGuire (Subaru Impreza) +0:07:10.1
6, John Morrison/Peter Carstairs (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) +0:07:13.0
7, Martin Berglund/Joakim Gevert (Mitsubishi Mirage) +0:08:14.1
8, Dennis Parry/Matthew Parry (Subaru Impreza) +0:08:52.0
9, Max Utting/Mike Ainsworth (Ford Fiesta ST MAX) +0:09:10.2
10, James Potter/Bob Duck (Ford Escort Mk2) +0:11:11.8 

38, Caroline Carslaw/John Duke (Ford Fiesta ST) +0:29:39.2
48, Michael Robertson/Gary McDonald (Subaru Impreza) +0:35:38.7
55, Iain Wilson/Keith Riddick (Subaru Impreza) +0:46:33.7