If it was hot for those who were based at the Service Area, just imagine those poor sods in their high speed ovens who were out there fighting the good fight. And pity the poor Marshals, if not sandblasted and scorched they were parched and weary. It was a long day, a very long day.
I learned a new phrase yesterday "risk against reward". This marked David Bogie's approach to the rally. Every decision on stage was assessed mentally and each manoeuvre judged accordingly. The result was a clean troublefree rally - and his 7th victory on the Dumfries & Galloway RSAC Scottish Rally.
Jock Armstrong was pleased, albeit almost a minute adrift of the leader, but progress is being made with this new generation of rally car. First time out in a Skoda, Garry Pearson was back in the winners' circle with Rory Young also showing well in a new car. James Wilson was a fighting fifth in the Hyundai after puncturing and striking a huge rock which bent the rear axle and young Elliot Payne rounded off the top six and took top BTRDA points.
George Lepley was the first of the 'non R5' brigade after a day long battle with an anti-lagless Michael Binnie who achieved a 4th consecutive class victory on the Scottish Rally.
Mark McCulloch and Michael Hendry scored a particularly gritty 13th overall and top 2WD finishers in 13th place overall in the Mk2 but perhaps the 'drive of the rally' was 18th placed Peter Stewart ad Harry Marchbank. Peter only picked up his new Peugeot 208 in France a week ago, had 3 runs at the test day, and then blitzed the Ae and Eskdalemuir forests first time out. And yes, I did ask what he had for breakfast - but I'm not telling.
And one more thing. Full marks to a steady and mature approach to the event resulted in 40th overall and top SRC Junior to Johnnie Mackay and Emily 'Esmeralda' Easton-Page who survived when others around wilted. And 'Argyll Rally' star, Keith Riddick blotted his copybook with a roll - not the edible kind!
Early on we lost Freddie Milne with TPS failure, Callum Black with a double puncture and resultant underbody damage, John Wink with an as yet undiagnosed electrical or fuel related problem and Marty McKenna with suspension failure.
Sad to say, road conditions played their part in the results with Ae in particularly showing bad moonscape conditions after days of baking sun and dust, lots of dust. As one competitor described it, "a wall of dust".
There will be a report in next Wednesday's 'Motorsport News' and the usual more comprehensive report in 'jaggybunnet.co.uk' shortly afterwards - once I get the dust washed out of personal places that dust has no right to be!
Top Ten:
1, David Bogie/John Rowan (MINI JCW WRC) 0:42:48
2, Jock Armstrong/Cameron Fair (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 0:43:46
3, Garry Pearson/Niall Burns (Škoda Fabia R5) 0:44:35
4, Rory Young/Allan Cathers (Ford Fiesta R5 Mk2) 0:44:43
5, James Wilson/Arthur Kierans (Hyundai i20) 0:44:50
6, Elliot Payne/Rhys Stoneman (Ford Fiesta) 0:44:54
7, Ian Bainbridge/Will Atkins (Škoda Fabia) 0:45:31
8, George Lepley/Tom Woodburn (Mitsubishi Evo10) 0:45:43
9, Tom Llewellin/Ross Whittock (Mitsubishi Mirage R5) 0:45:44
10, Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Mitsubishi Evo9) 0:46:13
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