Bogie takes record-extending eighth RSAC Scottish Rally victory

Bogie takes record-extending eighth RSAC Scottish Rally victory

Dumfries rally driver David Bogie extended his already impressive tally of RSAC Scottish Rally wins on Saturday [20 July], by taking his eighth event victory.

The former Scottish Rally Champion teamed up with Kirsty Riddick for the 78^th edition of the RSAC Scottish Rally and the pairing took their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 to an impressive win in tricky conditions. That meant Bogie’s already impressive record of seven wins was extended, standing on the top step of the event podium for a record-extending eighth time.

Northern Ireland’s Jonny Greer and co-driver Niall Burns ensured their trip across the Irish Sea was a worthwhile one, taking their Citroen C3 Rally2 to second overall, whilst Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship leader Euan Thorburn extended his advantage, taking the final podium spot in his Polo GTi R5 with Keir Beaton on the notes.

Around 80 crews gathered in Dalbeattie and the Jas P Wilson Forest Machines facility for this year’s event before heading out to tackle over 45 competitive stage miles, spread over six tests in the Dalbeattie, Kinharvie and Glengap forests. 

A dry start to the day, saw Bogie make headway on the opening test, stopping the clocks four seconds faster than Greer with Thorburn a further four back, ironically each driver in the positions that they would spray the champagne in back in Dalbeattie later that afternoon. But it wasn’t as clear-cut as that.

The Kinharvie test saw Thorburn leapfrog Greer into second, but that hard work would come undone on the next when a puncture dropped the Duns driver 26 seconds to the leaders. 

Greer’s scratch time on the first stage after service firmed up his second spot but it was Bogie’s unrivalled consistency in the rain that followed that saw him secure yet another victory in the Dumfries and Galloway forests. Even a penultimate stage puncture couldn’t derail his record victory, which also added to co-driver Riddick’s 2011 win alongside Jock Armstrong, and they were able to spray the champagne as winners in Dalbeattie High Street on Saturday afternoon.

Behind them, the battle raged on for the podium spots and Greer set two fastest times over the afternoon loop to secure second overall on only his second gravel outing of 2024. But it was Thorburn who fought back, and despite a further two punctures, snatched third place from Finlay Retson and Paul Beaton on the very last stage, beating them by just one second to third. A clean run from Retson wasn’t quite enough to take a podium but the third SRC point scorer was some consolation for the Polo driver.

Scott Beattie and Peredur Davies recovered from a slow start, to take fifth in their Ford Fiesta R5 whilst John Wink and Neil Shanks secured sixth overall in their Hyundai i20. Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson snatched seventh from the clutches of Dumfries driver Mark McCulloch and co-driver Michael Hendry on the very last stage in their Proton Satria.

Ian Forgan/Chris Lees took ninth whilst Hugh Brunton/Emily Easton Page rounded out the top ten. The two-wheel-drive honours went to the ultra-hard charging Robert Proudlock who took time out of his British Rally Championship campaign to contest his home rally. The Junior BRC front-runner and co-driver Steven Brown recorded a sensational 12^thoverall in their mighty Peugeot 208 Rally4, beating much more powerful machinery in the process.

Number one seed and 2023 rally winner Jock Armstrong ended his charge on the opening stage of the event with track control arm issues on his Skoda, whilst fifth seed, Rory Young, slipped off the road on the second test in his Polo.

Elsewhere, Tom Constantine and Tony Walker took the top spot in the MG3 Rally Challenge single-make series. The UK Armed Forces Rally Team have attended the Scottish Rally for over 60 years, with the familiar Land Rovers entertaining the crowds as usual in the forests and Martin George and Ashley Wilcox were the first crew home.

Dumfries and Galloway Council have long been loyal supporters of the rally, with this year marking the 27th anniversary of the partnership which is understood to be the longest-running partnership between a rally and a local authority anywhere in Britain. The rally forms one of the Council’s seven ‘signature events`, which cover everything from Burns Suppers to arts festivals and World Championship Ice Hockey each year.

Former winners of the event include World Rally Championship legends such Colin McRae, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist.

Dalbeattie Community Initiative getting behind Spectator Access

The team behind the RSAC Scottish Rally are very grateful to the Dalbeattie Community Initiative for their help with getting spectators into the Peter Burnside Dalbeattie stage.

Volunteers from the Initiative will run a two bus service from beside the service area at Jas P Wilson to take spectators from the car park up into the stage to watch the cars as they complete the final stage of the event.

Spectators will be able to see the cars come into service, then head off for the second leg of stages, before boarding the bus

To take advantage of this service, park in the service area car park, then cross the A701 to Town Wood where the bus will collect you. Volunteers from the Initiative will be on hand to direct you across the road to meet the bus.

All set for a scintillating battle in the forests

An impressive line-up some some of the best drivers in the country will head for Dalbeattie this weekend, as the 78th edition of the RSAC Scottish Rally takes place on Saturday 20 July.

Around 80 crews are set to tackle the ionic event which was first run in 1932, with a top-class entry assembling in the Dumfries and Galloway town to contest the one-day forest rally. Over 44 stage miles spread over six tests lie ahead, with 6 stages in the Dalbeattie, Kinharvie and Glengap forests to test the crews to the limit.

Returning once again to the Jas P Wilson Forest Machines facility in Dalbeattie, the rally will also bring the sport into the heart of the town, thanks to the all-new finish ceremony in High Street on Saturday afternoon, where fans can experience the exciting awards and champagne celebrations after a tough day in the forests.

Leading the crews away on Saturday morning will be last year’s winner Jock Armstrong, this time piloting a Skoda Fabia after years behind the wheel of his familiar Subaru Impreza. The Castle Douglas driver stormed to victory last year but has a swathe of talented rivals to do battle with and this event marks Armstrong and co-driver Own Paterson’s maiden gravel voyage with the car.

No one has won more Scottish Rally’s than Dumfries ace David Bogie, and he lines up as number two seed with John Rowan on the notes in a bid to make it eight event wins. Using a VW Polo R5, Bogie’s form on the event is unrivalled but hasn’t been in the woods since April.

Current Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship leader Euan Thorburn also heads for Dalbeattie in a VW Polo after back-to-back SRC wins at the Jim Clark and Argyll. The Duns driver has Keir Beaton alongside and will be searching for his first gravel win of 2024.

Finlay Retson and Paul Beaton mark the third of four VW Polo’s in the top five seeds and were denied an encouraging result in 2023 on the event, after a final stage retirement. It’s been a positive start to Retson’s season so far and a good result next week could put him back in the SRC title race.

Another Dumfries driver, Rory Young rounds out the top five, again in a Polo R5. With Allan Cathers on the notes, Young will be aiming to get his season back on track and second place last time out in Argyll is a sign of his intent.

Making the trip over from Carryduff in Northern Ireland, Jonny Greer will start his first Scottish Rally since 2017. Driving a Citroen C3 Rally2, Greer and co-driver Niall Burns are aiming for gravel miles after several seasons on tar, with the Irishman finishing as high as 5th overall in the past on the event.

John Wink makes the journey down from Huntly in his Hyundai i20 R5 with Neil Shanks alongside, whilst Dumfries ace Mark McCulloch will bring his Proton Satria Evo. McCulloch currently lies second overall in the SRC standings and will be aiming for a better outcome on the rally this year, as he and co-driver Michael Hendry failed to make the start in 2023.

Hugh Brunton [Skoda Fabia RS] and Scott Beattie/Peredur Davies [Fiesta R5] round out the top ten contenders. True local, and rally base boss Iain Wilson from Dalbeattie will head back onto the stages this year but swaps his four-wheel-drive Fiesta for a seat in the popular MG3 Rally Challenge which also joins the event in 2024.

Crews from the Motoscope Northern Historic Rally Championship also join the fray, as does the UK Armed Forces Rally Team who have been bringing their Land Rovers to the event since 1963.

Fans will be well catered for as usual with many opportunities to see the cars and stars up close and in action during the weekend. On Friday [19 June] the Jas P Wilson Forest Machines facility hosts the pre-event technical checks where fans can wander around the cars ahead of the rally. The venue also hosts service on Saturday at which spectators are welcomed, and a large scale screen will provide the live action rom the stages.

Two stages provide excellent viewing, with Eleanor Cordiner Glengap near Lauriston village getting underway from around 08:40, running again in the afternoon at around 13:15. The Peter Burnside Dalbeattie test starts around 11:00 and then 15:15. That stage can be accessed via the free shuttle bus service from Jas P Wilson Forest Machines.

High Street in Dalbeattie will host the Ceremonial finish in the town from around 16:00, the perfect ending to a high-speed day behind the wheel for the weary competitors.

Dumfries and Galloway Council have long been loyal supporters of the rally, with this year marking the 27th anniversary of the partnership which is understood to be the longest-running partnership between a rally and a local authority anywhere in Britain. The rally forms one of the Council’s seven ‘signature events`, which cover everything from Burns Suppers to arts festivals and World Championship Ice Hockey each year.

Former winners of the event include World Rally Championship legends such Colin McRae, Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist.

Keep up to date via social media:
www.facebook.com/scottishrally and www.twitter.com/scottishrally and the event website hosts further information for spectators.

Keith and Nickie’s Big Ride for Teenage Cancer Trust

Scottish Rally Chief Marshal , Keith Cowan will be joining his sister Nickie to complete a 170 mile Coast-2-Coast Bike ‘n’ Hike Challenge this summer, raising funds for Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of their nephew, Beck Cowan, who sadly passed away last November aged just 15 years old.

The pair will set out from Fort William on Monday 22nd July and finish just south of St Cyrus 6 days later, hopefully not too saddle sore, without blisters and still speaking!

We appreciate the rising costs of everything but please help us support, even with the smallest contribution, this fantastic charity. Cancer has sadly touched the lives of too many of us and every penny we raise for Teenage Cancer Trust will benefit teenagers facing this cruel disease.

We appreciate the rising costs of everything but please help us support, even with the smallest contribution, this fantastic charity. Cancer has sadly touched the lives of too many of us and every penny we raise for Teenage Cancer Trust will benefit teenagers facing this cruel disease.

Thank you for supporting our challenge as we puff our way up the hills and pound the tracks and paths to cross Scotland from coast to coast knowing we can help make a difference. You can follow our training and progress on the actual challenge on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557897243597.

Dumfries and Galloway hailed as “the perfect host” of the iconic RSAC Scottish Rally

One of the longest-running stage rallies in the UK, the RSAC Scottish Rally will take place on 20^th July and 2024 sees the prestigious event get underway for the 78^th time in its history.

And for over a third of that tenure, the popular event has taken place in the county of Dumfries and Galloway, with the region set to host the rally for the 27^th time. First run in 1932, the RSAC Scottish Rally has been a staple of the British rallying calendar and this year, will once again welcome a series of top-line rally series to the event.

In 2023, a revised format saw the rally move from its Lockerbie base to the `Granite Town` of Dalbeattie in south west Scotland, opening up a host of new stages and opportunities for the ever-progressive event.

Now it returns to its new home just 20 minutes West of Dumfries, with the facilities at Jas P Wilson Forest machines in Dalbeattie offering the ideal base for the highly anticipated rally. In a new move for this year, High Street in the town will be closed on Saturday [20 July] afternoon and the centre will provide the perfect venue for the ceremonial finish, awards and champagne celebrations after a tough day in the forests, bringing the rally into the heart of the community and townsfolk.

Dumfries and Galloway Council have long been loyal supporters of the rally, with this year marking the 27th anniversary of the partnership which is understood to be the longest-running partnership between a rally and a local authority anywhere in Britain. The rally forms one of the Council’s seven ‘signature events`, which cover everything from Burns Suppers to arts festivals and World Championship Ice Hockey each year.

Officially launched on Wednesday [26 June], with members of the organising team, Dalbeattie Primary School and competition cars from the MG3 Rally Challenge and Scottish F1000 Junior series, the rally is delighted to return to Dalbeattie for a second year and Clerk of the Course Jonathan Lord believes the town and surrounding region fit the event perfectly.

“Dumfries and Galloway are undeniably the perfect host to the RSAC Scottish Rally and you only have to look at the length of the partnership with the Council to understand that our relationship is extremely strong” he says.

“The support of the local community and authorities is second to none and everyone really gets involved with the rally. The likes of the Dalbeattie Initiative are a pillar of the event and even Dalbeattie Primary School take part in a rally-themed colouring competition. Major employers in the area Jas P Wilson Forest Machines are immensely supportive and provide the rally base, plus they will be assisting in transporting spectators into the stages to watch the action.

“Organising a rally of this size is no mean feat but being in Dumfries and Galloway makes our job so much easier. It’s really our spiritual home and I`m very excited to get this year’s rally underway in July”.

Harry Hay, Head of Thriving Communities at Dumfries and Galloway Council said, “Motorsports fans in the Stewartry and south west Scotland are in for a treat with the return of the Scottish Rally. The Council is pleased to support the Rally through our Events Strategy, that helps attract brilliant live sports and culture events to our region and contributes a great deal to tourism in Dumfries and Galloway.”

More information for spectators, including timetable and access information will be available in the run-up to the event.

Keep up to date via social media:
www.facebook.com/scottishrally and www.twitter.com/scottishrally