Rally - All square

With 3 stages to go there is nothing between the top two on today's McDonald Munro Speyside Stages Rally. Both David Bogie and Euan Thorburn have 'cleaned' two stages so far, they equalled times on one other, Bogie took a second out Thorburn on the first stage and Thorburn took a second out of Bogie on that last one. In other words, those first five stages don't count anymore, it's now a three stage blast to the finish.

"These are great, great stages," said David, "but they're changeable. Approaching a crest you don't know what's on the other side, whether it's glaury, regraded or dry."

Thorburn had a wee scare though: "On the run into service it developed a misfire. It's done it before. We've changed the coil pack and it seems fine now," he said.

Dale Robertson still leads Group N in 11th place and Calum MacKenzie is 12th and top 2WD. Mark McCulloch is 13th after a steady run having reshelled the Subaru since its Scottish Rally roll.

And here's another fight brewing. Chuck Blair in his Peugeot is tying for the Class 3 lead with Ian Haining in his Nova with 3 stages to go.

Leaderboard, after 5 (of 8) stages:
1= Bogie, 26m 23s
1= Thorburn, 26m 23s
3, Armstrong, 27m 20s
4, Faulkner, 27m 29s
5, McCombie, 28m 09s
6, MacDonald, 28m 09s
7, Groundwater, 28m 31s
8, Brown, 28m 32s
9, Horne, 28m 50s
10, Rintoul, 28m 50s

Rally - Bogie - just

David Bogie still leads the Speyside by one second after 3 of the day's 8 stages. Both he and Euan Thorburn 'cleaned' stage 3 so no advantage gained by either. Jock Armstrong is still third in the Subaru but admitted to a silly wee off on the second stage at a hairpin with a fast entry, which tightened. In fact he was embarrassed to admit that he went off on a first gear corner, but so did Euan at the same place!

Mike Faulkner is fourth despite pulling on the handbrake at the Arrival Control at the first stage and it literally came off in his hand. Bruce McCombie is fifth in the Lancer ahead of Donnie MacDonald.

Quintin Milne is out. The Escort struck a rock in the middle of the road pulled out by an earlier car and took a wheel off. Martin Forrest then legged it down the road with his OK board to warn others. First on the scene was Calum MacKenzie: "Fair play to him, we would have hit it too."

Dale Robertson is leading GrpN at present just outside the top ten with Andrew Gallacher second in class after bursting a brake pipe and Fraser Wilson is third after a stone got jammed between the caliper and wheel rim ruining a wheel and a tyre.

Rally - Bogie leads

David Bogie leads today's Speyside Stages by ONE second after 2 stages (of 8) from Euan Thorburn. The Fiesta was 1 second quicker on the opening test and tied with the Focus on the second. Jock Armstrong is currently best of the rest 5 seconds up on Mike Faulkner from Barry Groundwater and Donnie MacDonald.

Andy Horne bent a suspension arm yesterday at the test but the Focus was fine this morning after sending someone to get parts - M-Sport In Cumbria! Quintin Milne is running out of his original seeding order as he's not in the Focus and didn't want to impede anyone so he's running beside The Hebridean Hurricane, that should be a good battle today between him and Calum MacKenzie. Sandy Arbuthnott (who else?) had a successful test yesterday but after completing all his runs, he was driving the Metro home when "it picked up a 'shell". That meant another overnight for the boys, stripping the engine, fitting a new set of bearing shells, and building the engine back up and sticking it in the car. His day job as a lucky white heather salesman still isn't working eh?

Rally - Rally school

If you want to keep the weans away from the sweetie jar - stick this picture on it. Calum MacLeod had the bright idea of taking Q for a run in his Subaru, hoping that Q could give him a few tips on his driving. You know what? Q was really quite helpful. Believe it or not, he actually talks sense - sometimes.

Rally - Just Friends?

Sandy Arbuthnot appeared at the test stage with the Metro and did numerous runs, and he completed them too. Fingers crossed for tomorrow, but Mike Grant is still not convinced and has a special message of encouragement and endearment on the rear end of his Subaru for Sandy.


Calum MacLeod must spend a fortune with his signwriter before rallies. He's got two middle names and a whole entourage supporting him.

Rally - Notes & Boots

What was Euan Thorburn up to? Making his own Notes, copying another competitor's Notes, changing Paul's Notes or was he just writing a note to Santa asking for a new co-driver? Do you think Paul should be worried?



Lovely boots. For some folk it's not enough to be practical when spectating at rallies, you have to be stylish too, so how about a pair of purple boots, with stout soles - and tasteful leopardskin patches!

Rally - Focus Gone

Quintin Milne appeared at the pre-Speyside test and VIP day with a 'new' car. "I've sold the Focus," he said, "it wasn't for me. I couldn't relax and drive it as hard as I wanted to because I kept thinking about the price of parts. Fabulous car, but not for the faint hearted. Within an hour of advertising it, it was sold. So I bought this. It's a MkII with a John Reid 2 litre engine, Tractive gearbox and wide track rear axle. It's not as good as my own MkII which I sold, but if I break anything tomorrow, I won't worry about it. I really like the stages up here and they suit the MkII, so I bought this in Ireland - yesterday!"