The RSAC Scottish Rally provided a novel experience this year thanks to Jas P Wilson & Sons, agriculture and forestry engineers, as numerous spectators and anxious service crews watched the forest drama unfold on the large screen in the on-site ’fanzone’. Perhaps fanzone is stretching it a bit, but as a sign of things to come it was indeed a most valuable addition to Scottish rallying.
A lot of behind the scenes planning by both Iain and Michael had gone into this year’s lay-out, starting with a plan to place the larger support trucks at the back of the enlarged service area with the ‘smaller’ units in the middle ground between them and the facing large screen TV. This ensured that very few awnings and poles ruined the view and most folks could catch a glimpse of the screen from right across the service park. Many folk might not have noticed that, but it took some original thought and planning, plus a fair bit of cajoling by the somewhat harassed service park marshals on the day to make sure it happened.
But ‘Wilson’s Wonders’ had gone further by creating an area for spectators to gather and which rightly could be called a fanzone. Some new gravel had been laid and rolled in the parking field opposite the service area creating a curved ‘D’ shaped gravel drive on the inside of which was a grassy area with picnic tables. Lined up around the outer edge of the new walkway were the Country Kitchen food emporium and ice cream van, a model car seller and a bookseller (and indeed quite a few books were sold – thankfully!)) with the large screen TV set up at the end.
In fact, the boys had planned a much larger artic mounted screen but during the week got ‘the phone call’. Apparently the truck had broken down, but for a ‘smaller fee’ would a smaller trailer mounted screen be acceptable? With little choice in the matter the ‘Wilsons’ agreed and it all worked out perfectly well. The screen showed adverts and past filmed clips from previous events before showing live coverage from the stages. The pictures were excellent and the on-stage commentary provided as usual by our very own ‘Jack and Victor’ who were joined by a new ‘Isa’. Thankfully Isa was able to offer a bit more knowledge and intelligent insight into the more usual garrulous flow of information, comments and ribaldry.
If this idea proved successful then Iain and Michael might well have bigger plans for next year. Gaun yersel boys, it was magic. The picnic tables were kept busy as were the food and ice cream vans as folk came and went from the service park all day. Really well worthwhile and worked a treat.
Not only that a couple of large mini-buses had been laid on for ‘park and ride’ spectators to use between the car park at Jas P Wilson and the Dalbeattie stage. Nice one.
Topping that all off was the closed off High Street in the town which hosted the rally finish. The only thing that spoiled the day was the rain, but then we’re used to it, are we not?
So those of us who were not able to visit the stages, for whatever reason, could watch and listen from Dalbeattie. The next best thing!
As it turned out, it wasn’t a day for the local crews with Mark McCulloch and Michael Hendry the ‘only’ crew finishing in the top ten in eighth place to provide the local fans with some good cheer. Top seeds Jock Armstrong and Owen Paterson were out in SS2 with a broken bottom arm in the Skodaru while the normally cool, calm and reliable Rory Young and Allan Cathers caused a surprise when their VW slid off the road in SS2. David Hardie and John McCulloch put the Escort off in there as well although Niall Cowan with Jack Morris got as far as the penultimate stage before driveshaft failure in the MG. Stuart and Alice Paterson went foraging in the undergrowth with the Subaru and had to be rescued by the Army Land Rover lads, while Martyn Erskine did a passable impression of Robin Hood escaping from the Sheriff of Nottingham when he and Chuck Blair sought refuge with the Mitsubishi in the trees!
Iain Wilson and Mark Roberts didn’t even get that far, the hired MG’s gearbox getting stuck in 2nd gear and the car limped out of the stage into retirement. With no ‘trophy rally’ possibility that was their day done and dusted there and then. There ain’t no justice, eh?
I suppose there was some ‘local’ cheer after all because Kirsty Riddick co-drove the winning car, the VW Polo GTI R5 of David Bogie who comes from the far east – Dumfries! This was Bogie’s eighth win on his ‘home’ event but didn’t Jonathan Greer and Niall Burns do well with a strong second place in the Citroen C3 Rally2.
There was however one heckuva of a tussle going on for third place finally settled by ONE second in Euan Thorburn and Keith Beaton’s favour, the VW crew just pipping the Ford Fiesta crew of Finlay Retson and Paul Beaton. Scott Beattie and Peredur Davies drove well finishing fifth in the Fiesta just ahead of the Hyundai i20 of John Wink and Neil Shanks.
Top 2WD drive? Who else? Young Robert Proudlock with Steven Brown after an exemplary drive in the 1200cc Peugeot 208 finishing in a superb 13th place overall half a minute clear of the Ford Escort Mk2 of Greg McKnight and Harry Marchbank, but Greg was lucky to be there after an unbelievable week prepping the car after its comprehensive engine blow up in Argyll.
Top 1600 (non ‘world’ car) runner was the MG ZR of Niall Cowan and Jnr and Charley Sayer Payne in 28th place which was quite a feat, holding off the Peugeot 206 Cup car of the rapid Barry Lindsay and Caroline Lodge.
And so ended the 78th RSAC
Scottish Rally, but amongst the winners, there was one other, the Jas P Wilson
crew who created one of the best rally service park facilities and Rally HQ’s in
the country, and if encouraged, will do even more next year. Here’s to them,
and as Arnold Scotcheggnchips once said: “I’ll be back!”
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