Defending ARR Craib Scottish Rally Champions Jock Armstrong and Paula Swinscoe won round 2 of the championship, the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally in their Subaru Impreza.
Garry Pearson (Ford Fiesta R5) and Shaun Sinclair (Ford Focus WRC) completed the podium.
Armstrong and Pearson finished the 6 special stages with identical times, but Jock took the win courtesy of his win on the day’s opening stage. However, Pearson now leads the championship thanks to his fourth on round 1 and his second in the Borders.
The conditions couldn’t have been more different to that of the Snowman Rally, with mild, dusty and sunny weather facing the crews as they tackled the stages in the Tweed Valley.
Mike Faulkner tried his absolute best and rejuvenated his championship challenge finishing fourth overall in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX.
Also in a Lancer Evo IX, Mark McCulloch started slowly and was never truly happy with his car’s handling, but he crept up the leaderboard as the day progressed to finish fifth overall.
Bruce McCombie guided his Mitsubishi to sixth overall, with Duns driver Dale Robertson coming home seventh despite tackling the two and a half stages with just front wheel drive.
Eighth went to Snowman winner Donnie MacDonald, who spent most of the day in the mix with McCulloch and McCombie, but ultimately finished behind them due to a front left puncture on stage 5.
Ninth overall were Barry Groundwater and Neil Shanks, staying out of trouble in their Lancer Evo X to take another strong points finish, nine seconds ahead of Andrew Gallacher and Jane Nicol.
The next round of the SRC is the McDonald & Munro Speyside Stages on 22 April.
A more detailed review of the rally is coming soon.
You can keep up to date with the SRC through the website www.scottishrallychampionship.co.uk or via Facebook and Twitter (@MSA_SRC).
