Border Counties Rally

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LATEST - 15 April

MSA Gravel Rally Championship

Further to the continued reference by the MSA Gravel Rally Championship to the “dropping” or “axing” of the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally from their 2010 Championship the organisers feel that they have no other option than to set the record straight.

Following the 2009 event, where the Gravel Championship only supplied 8 of the 103 entries to the rally, the organisers decided they could no longer justify running a National A event for 8 registered competitors and ANCRO were duly notified of this decision. This decision has been entirely justified by the entry for the 2010 National B event of 116 competitors.

Clerk of the Course, Paul Hughes, stated “ After supporting a championship for 5 years that has unfortunately dwindled to a negligible percentage of our entry, we felt we could no longer substantiate this element of our event and decided to concentrate on the most successful championship in the UK, the MSA Hankook Scottish Rally Championship.

We notified ANCRO of our choice last year and while we are disappointed at their continued referral to ourselves as been dropped, we wish them well for the future.”

20 March

Dave Weston Jnr/Ieuan Thomas in their Subaru Impreza 2010 win this years Border Counties Rally. For full results click on the Result link at the top of the page. (photo courtesy Lindsay Photosport)

Radio Man Cleans Up In The Borders

Ian Stuart, a volunteer radio operator in the Redesdale Stage, is the worthy recipient of a voucher from Muc-Off, one of the trade supporters to the Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship. The voucher entitles Ian to a selection of vehicle cleaning products.

The voucher was given to the event organisers for them to award to one of the many volunteer marshals and radio crews who gave their time to ensure that the event ran smoothly. After hearing that Ian had not only cleared his own junction after the stage closed but then also proceeded to clear the remaining 7 miles of the stage and return all the equipment back to Jedburgh, the organisers were unanimous in their decision to present the voucher to Ian.

Guy Wickham, the event's Chief Marshal said "We are always extremely grateful for the support provided by all the volunteer officials, without which it would be impossible to run the event, but in this instance Ian's actions were totally unexpected and went far beyond what we would expect from a radio operator."

14 March

Following a route recce by the Clerk of the Course today, we can report that the stages are completely clear of snow and in great condition ahead of next weeks rally.

The forecast for during the week is for mild tempratures with some light rain, There is no more snow forecast.

12 March Spectator Information available

11 March Seeded Entry list available

6 March Photos from the Stages

5 March

There are a couple of patch's of snow remaining in Bewshaugh & Redesdale totalling around 1 mile. The weather forecast for the weekend is sunny with temperatures of 12 degrees C.

The remaining patchs of snow in Hyndlee/Wauchope have been cleared by the Forestry Commision today (Friday 5th). The Forestry Commission will clear the remaining snow, if it has not thawed by Monday 8th, so the roads will be clear.

There is no further snow forecast presently.For a look at Carter Bar www.trafficscotland.org/lev/

LEADERS PACK INTO JEDBURGH!..

With less than three weeks to go until the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally, the entry list is rapidly filling up and amongst the latest to confirm their appearance in Jedburgh are the leaders of the Hankook MSA Scottish Rally Championship following the Snowman Rally, Jock Armstrong/Kirsty Riddick in their Subaru Impreza.

They join Alick Kerr/Neil Shanks (Subaru Impreza) and Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO6) who were 2nd & 3rd respectively on the Inverness-based opening round of the series.

Although the Brick & Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge doesn’t actually start until the Border Counties Rally, several crews used the Snowman as a shakedown, with Steven Smith and Garry Pearson ending the day just four seconds apart. There will doubtless be some fireworks when the Challenge ‘proper’ gets under way on 20th March.

One of a number of crews contesting the Brick & Steel Civic Ecosse Challenge is Ross Hunter and Eildon Hall. Having won the Junior section of the Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship in 2007 and then the Beatsons Borders Rally Championship in 2008, the pair moved up to a four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer last year for an assault on the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship. A superb start saw Ross finish in 13th place on the Tour of Epynt, an area he had not visited previously, and go on to claim the 2009 Wessex Ropes Junior Award in the Championship.

Previous News

A compact route, run entirely within the Wauchope and Kielder complexes, offers competitors 44 miles contained in five special stages in a total route of only 130. There are stages in Bewshaugh that have not been used since 2006 and a route in Redesdale that last saw action during the Lombard RAC Rally in 1991 when Juha Kankkunen, who went on to win the event outright, set the fastest time.

Rally HQ will, once again, be in the recently refurbished Jedburgh Town Hall, on Abbey Place, adjacent to the Start/Finish area which proved to be so popular with both competitors and spectators in 2009.

In addition to the Scottish Rally Championship, the event welcomes contenders for the Brick & Steel Ecosse Challenge, the S.G. Petch ANECCC Championship and the Scottish Borders Rally Championship.

Updated - 23 April 2010

John Parker Associates
Motorsport Management
& Promotion

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