Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy were fastest through the dust to win Saturday's 2009 RSAC Scottish Rally in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6. Lockerbie driver Faulkner and Bingley co-driver Foy came out on top in a closely-fought contest through the forests of Dumfries and Galloway. Englishmen Wayne Sisson and Daniel Stone took second spot, with the Ulster crew of Stephen Whitford and Jonny Hart rounding out the podium.

Faulkner and Foy dominated the fifth round of the Hankook Scottish Rally Championship for much of the day, and a scintillating run over the final two stages in the Forest of Ae complex netted the pair their second outright rally win of 2009. Defending Scottish champion Jimmy Girvan kept Faulkner on his toes right up until the final stage, however the Inverness driver rolled his Subaru Impreza on the final Ae East test. Dumfries youngster David Bogie endured a disappointing day on his home event with Hawick co-driver Kevin Rae, putting his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9 off the road and into retirement earlier on in the rally.

Yorkshire's Steve Bannister finished as leading two-wheel drive competitor in the Mark 2 Ford Escort alongside navigator Louise Sutherland, however Cumbrian hotshot Kris Hall wasn't far behind in the Ford Fiesta ST as he and Robbie Durant took first place in the very competitive Kick Energy Fiesta SportTrophy. Production-class Group N honours went to Duns' Euan Thorburn and Howwood's Campbell Roy in the Subaru Impreza.

Things were just as frantic in the Brick and Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge. The Isle of Mull nephew-and-uncle crew of John and Peter MacCrone edged out Deeside's Colin Smith and Craig Chapman by the narrowest of margins to win the 1.6-litre class, whilst Aberdeen's Euan Duncan and Jake Dickie survived an electrical scare the night before the rally to take 1.9-litre honours.

In the Historic Rally, the Opel Ascona of Yorkshire's Steve Magson and Geoff Atkinson was able to fend off a late challenge from former Scottish Junior Champions Alasdair Graham and Andrew Falconer in the Ford Escort Mark 2. Steve Partridge and James Sunderland celebrated Armed Forces Day by coming home first among the Armed Forces Rally Team's Land Rovers.

The RSAC Scottish Rally is celebrating one of the longest partnerships in Scottish rallying by offering its support to Help for Heroes this year. The Armed Forces Rally Team have taken part in the Dumfries-based event virtually every year since 1963 - and to mark the squad's contribution rally officials have decided to donate the proceeds from the Rally Forum on Thursday 25 June to the charity established for British service personnel wounded in current conflicts.

Building on the format established last year, the forum will see some of the biggest names on the Scottish rally scene field questions about life on the stages. The forum will be held at the James Haugh Subaru showroom in Dumfries, with doors opening at 7.00pm for at 7.30pm start. A charity raffle with the top prize of a ride in British Rally Championship driver Stevie Brown's Ford Fiesta ST will follow the question and answer session. Entry is free, but donations to Help for Heroes will be accepted.

The Castle Douglas crew of Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick - currently leading the Hankook Scottish Rally Championship - will be joined by Subaru rally boss George Donaldson, British Rally Championship contender Stevie Brown and Armed Forces Rally Team Principal Alan Paramore on the forum panel.

For Major Paramore, this year's rally carries extra significance. “The history of the Armed Forces' involvement with the Scottish Rally goes back a very long way. We are delighted that this year the rally has decided to assist Help for Heroes and mark Armed Forces Day by inviting us to speak at the forum,” explains the Land Rover driver. “A whole load of the boys will be coming along to the forum with me - probably so they can sit at the back and ask me difficult questions!”

Scottish Rally Clerk of the Course Jonathan Lord is equally pleased to build on the excellent relationship his event has developed with the Armed Forces team over the years. “Alan Paramore has done a great deal to ensure the continued participation of the team by organising sponsorship and pulling strings behind the scenes,” he declares. “We are delighted to have him as a member of the Forum panel, and are proud to recognise the contribution of the Forces' Land Rovers to the Scottish over the years by supporting the Help for Heroes charity.”