Promising World Junior Rally Championship youngster Guy Wilks from Darlington, driving a Hyundai Accent WRC for the first time, took his maiden victory finishing 38 seconds ahead of reigning Scottish Rally Champion Raymond Munro from Inverness in his Subaru Impreza WRC. 2002 Champion Barry Johnson from Sunderland with an ex Petta Solberg Subaru Impreza finished third a further 90 seconds adrift.

Top Border finisher was Doug Redpath from Duns, co-driving for Ayr’s Neale Dougan aboard his Ford Escort WRC, the pair finished 5th overall. Doug was presented with the Richard Paterson Memorial award for the highest finishing Border co-driver.

13th place on the final leaderboard went to another Border co-driver Jude Wylie from Jedburgh sitting alongside Malloch Nicholl from Dundee with his Evo 4 Mitsubishi Lancer.

One place further back in14th spot was yet another local co-pilot, Kevin Rae from Hawick, partnering Steve Bannister from Malton in his legendary Mk11 Escort. They renewed their tussle with the similar Escort of Calum McKenzie but had to settle for second place in the two-wheel drive this time around after suffering a time consuming puncture early in the day.

Duns pairing of Michael Horne and Monty Pearson in the ‘Mill Garage’ prepared Subaru Impreza paced themselves well to finish 20th overall and claimed the award for top all Border crew. This proved to be excellent result as they lost around 90 seconds on the first stage when a vacuum pipe came adrift then lost a further 30 seconds when they had to drive for five miles with a puncture on stage 4.

Robbie Dale/Glenn Patterson from Dunbar brought their Peugeot 205GTi home in a creditable 34th place and winning class 3 by over two minutes on the final results.

Andrew Borthwick from St Boswells with Duns co-driver Fiona Gourlay out for the first time in their Ford Escort Cosworth

finished 54th overall. On the opening two stages their heater decided to stop working and the screen was a constant mist and combined with no intercom they lost over three minutes

Peebles team of Giles Brooksbank and Peter Nowell were placed 55th place in their Subaru Impreza WRX.

St Boswells driver Peter Hunter with Susan Brown on the notes finished 62nd in ‘PJ Hunter the Builders’ backed Mark11 Ford Escort. Their windscreen wipers packed up on the opening stage and at service had to rig up a string pull system for the co-driver to pull a string in order to keep the screen clear.

With the very slippy conditions a long retiral list was a foregone conclusion with 42 of the 105 crews starting coming to grief on the the 5 stages.

Stage 1, 9 miles in Wauchope, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 of Kelso’s Neil Buckley/Neil Ewing took the proverbial early bath after an unscheduled visit into the scenery.

Scotland’s leading lady driver Lorna Smith had Ancrum co-driver Dave Robson on the notes, they suffered ‘plumbing’ problem with their Evo 4 Lancer.. they thought they had a puncture near ‘Hells Hole’ and stopped, but no flat, so they continued then the car turned rather hot so now they suspect a broken driveshaft eventually shed the fan belt which caused the overheating.

The Kelso pairing of Ian Fullarton and Russel Blood also withdrew on stage one with a broken drive-shaft on their Vauxhall Astra Sport.

Coldstream’s Paul Gibson/Kerry Telford contesting the 205 Ecosse Challenge also retired their Peugeot 205 GTi here.

Hawick partnership of Ian Baumgart and Gail Hislop retired their J & AB Motors supported Subaru Impreza on Stage 2 at Buck Fell.

On Stage 3, 9 miles of Wainhope, Duns driver Alistair Thorburn with Kelso Navigator had to retire due to mechanical problems  with their ‘JTS’ backed Subaru Impreza. Dunbar brothers Carl and Rob Tuer also retired their Vauxhall Astra Sport on this special stage.

The 4th test of the day, just under 9 miles at Chirdonhead, claimed the Subaru Impreza of Jock Threadgall from Lauder with Wullie Mallen from Kelso in the ‘hotseat’, their demise was due to a distinct lack of brakes..none !

Also ending their rally at Chirdonhead were Jane Nicol from Duns and 206 pilot Chris Moore from Sunderland on the maps aboard her Peugeot 205 GTi.

Final stage of the day was a return to Wauchope for yet another nine miles of mayhem and more retirals. Warren Fairbairn and Derek Millar from Earlston in their 1.9 M16-engined Peugeot 205  GTi retired here. The trusty Hillman Avenger of Brian Middlemas/Stuart Bruce from St Boswells damaged the steering after a ‘trip’ into the undergrowth.

Full Results and more stories at the bordercountiesrally website

The Scottish Rally Championship contenders converged on Jedburgh  for the ‘Brick & Steel’ Border Counties Rally.

Redpath / Dougan

Nicol / Wylie

Bannister / Rae

Dale / Patterson

Borthwick / Gourlay

Hunter / Brown

The rally co-organised by Hawick & Border Car Club and Whickham & District Motor Club took the competitors down to the Wauchope and Kielder forests complex for 45 miles of competition divided five demanding stages.

Buckley / Ewing

Smith / Robson

Fullarton / Blood

Weather played a vital part in the fortunes of all the teams as they left a rain drenched start in Jedburgh town centre but they proved to be a lot worse further south where they encountered monsoon conditions with water running onto the stages making it rather muddy and treacherous for the unwary.

Baumgart / Hislop

Middlemas / Bruce