… Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally, Sat 10th Sept. 2016 …
Rd06 (of 6), ARR Craib Scottish Rally Championship …
Scotland has a new Rally Champion, or may be not quite ‘new’ as such. A more accurate term might be ‘slightly used’ or ‘second-hand’, since he’s won it before. Last year in fact.
Defending ARR Craib Scottish Champion Jock Armstrong did just that on the final round of the series at the Armstrong Galloway Hills Rally at Castle Douglas. Unfortunately, due to one of those odd points-scoring twists of fate, Jock’s team-mate, Paula Swinscoe didn’t win the Co-Driver’s title, that actually went to Garry Pearson’s co-driver Robbie Mitchell, who finished just one point ahead of Paula.
The rally provided a dramatic finale to the forest rallying season as pre-event favourite Garry Pearson was reduced to the role of spectator on the final stage. Given his improving pace all year and rapid mastery of the Dom Buckley prepped Ford Fiesta R5, he set off as favourite for the title. All he had to do was finish behind Jock and the TEG Sport Subaru.
Hope turned to heartbreak with one stage to go.
Behind the leaders there was an epic struggle to finish on the podium with Mike Faulkner having to beat off the pursuing pack led by Mark McCulloch, Greg McKnight and Bruce McCombie.
One more thing. Well, I thought it worthy of mention. Only 8 drivers dominated the top six fastest times on each of the day’s six stages. It was the same six drivers who shared the spoils on stages 2 to 5, but with John MacCrone (SS1) and Pearson dropping out (SS5), two more got a shot at the top times with young McKnight posting fastest time of all on the final stage. Another star is born, eh?
SS1, Craigencallie, 4.47 mls
1, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 3m 50s
2, John MacCrone/Stuart Loudon (Ford Fiesta R5) 3m 51s
3, Garry Pearson/Robbie Mitchell (Ford Fiesta R5) 3m 52s
4, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 4m 00s
5, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 4m 01s
6, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 4m 03s
To have any chance of the title, Armstrong needed to finish ahead of Pearson, so this event had little to do with tactics, it was all about speed. And proving that the old-timers wake up sharper than the youngsters, it was Armstrong who was quickest over the day’s opener, but by only a second from the slightly less old John MacCrone. That meant the youngest of the top three, the boy Garry, was third quickest, but again only one second behind the man in front. Bruce McCombie was up and at ’em too, but there was another reason for his fast start to the day, as revealed by co-driver Michael Coutts: “On the start line of the first stage I stabbed him in the thigh with my pen and told him ‘Let’s get an f’n move on’!” Speaking of youngsters, Greg McKnight was fifth quickest, leaving Mike Faulkner to make up the top six times.
SS2, Cairn Edward 1, 6.60 mls
1, Garry Pearson/Robbie Mitchell (Ford Fiesta R5) 6m 29s
2, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 6m 39s
3, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 52s
4, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 56s
5, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 56s
6, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 7m 02s
The fastest three became the fastest two on the next stage at Cairn Edward when MacCrone’s Fiesta hit something in the grass. It broke a wheel and spun the car backwards into a ditch. The duo were left to sunbathe, in complete contrast to the previous day’s storms, as the rest of the 90 car field sped by.
Now fully awake, Pearson hit back with a time 10 seconds better than Armstrong to snatch the rally lead: “It didn’t suit me,” said Jock, “It was wet, tight and twisty in the middle and faster at the start and finish. Arron (Newby) told me I should just click the ‘map’ up one in the tight bits and down two on the fast bits. I was trying pretty hard at the time so my attention was all on the road. What does he think I am, an airline pilot – I was busy at the time!”
Also now having fully woken up, Mike Faulkner was third quickest. This was where Mark McCulloch entered the fray, fourth quickest ahead of McCombie: “We had a half spin in there,” said Bruce, “|I thought we’d caught it – but No! Still I’m happier with my pace today than I was on the Grampian.” And with McKnight rounding off the top six times, it was really good to see the youngsters giving the old guard a hard time.
Meanwhile James Gibb was shaking his head. The Fiesta had blown a turbo boost pipe off – again. “It was overboosting on the last event so we reduced it for this – and it still blew a pipe off!” he said.
SS3, Glengap, 6.82 mls
1, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 6m 22s
2, Garry Pearson/Robbie Mitchell (Ford Fiesta R5) 6m 23s
3, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 35s
4, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 40s
5, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 41s
6, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 45s
Armstrong hit the front again in Glengap, but only managed to pinch back one second from Pearson. Both were trying, and the evidence was there at Service when Pearson’s Fiesta was jacked up to remove some grassy sods from underneath! “A corner tightened up a bit more than the Notes suggested, and we were off down a banking and through the weeds,” smiled Pearson, “clear the debris and we’re good to go.”
Meanwhile, behind these two, just 20 seconds covered the next nine places! Mike Faulkner was third, but by only 5 seconds from Mark McCulloch: “We took the spare wheel out this morning to make it lighter,” said Mark, “but it was too bouncey so we’re putting it back in.” Greg McKnight was a further second behind McCulloch, while Bruce McCombie thought a podium finish was still possible despite a “half spin”. Wayne Sisson had been going well with times just outside the top six but picked up a rear puncture in here with half the stage to go.
Alasdair S Graham was going well too lying tenth at the half way point: “I’m really surprised to be sitting tenth,” he said, “we’re both making mistakes, wrong Notes and wrong gears.” In fact he was so pleasantly surprised he went and bought two new tyres for the afternoon.
SS4, Black Loch, 9.99 mls
1, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 8m 51s
2, Garry Pearson/Robbie Mitchell (Ford Fiesta R5) 8m 56s
3, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 9m 05s
4, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 9m 06s
5, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 9m 18s
6, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 9m 22s
It was Armstrong again on the first stage after service, but by only 4 seconds from Pearson with McCulloch gaining a one second advantage on Faulkner. McCombie was rising to the challenge too, taking 4 back from McKnight.
Andrew Gallacher was just outside the top six in the Focus WRC, but so too was Quintin Milne in the ex-Callum MacKenzie Escort Mk2, and who’s to say he couldn’t have been quicker, but Milne was up to his usual tricks: “Whenever I see a crowd I set it up well before the corner to get it sideways – I love to see them all stepping back!” He’s such a rascal, eh?
SS5, Cairn Edward 2, 6.60 mls
1, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 6m 33s
2, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 34s
3, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 37s
4= Garry Pearson/Robbie Mitchell (Ford Fiesta R5) 6m 47s
4= Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 47s
6, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 49s
As the times clicked up on the ‘Flying Finish’ results service after the penultimate stage, eyebrows were raised. Armstrong had seized back the rally lead, taking 14 seconds out of his championship rival. In fact, both Faulkner and McCulloch took time out of Pearson too, with McKnight matching his stage time and McCombie just 2 seconds slower.
All became clear on the subsequent road section when Pearson and Mitchell smelled smoke in the car. They were forced to pull over and extinguish an underbonnet fire. The manifold had split and although they both thought they might make the finish, the heat melted the plastics and set fire to the wiring. And as the smoke dissipated into the Galloway air, so too did their championship hopes.
SS6, Glengap 2, 6.82 mls
1, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 20s
2, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 22s
3, Jock Armstrong/Paul Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 6m 24s
4, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 26s
5, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9) 6m 32s
6, Andrew Gallacher/Jane Nicol (Ford Focus WRC) 6m 40s
All we needed now was an orange Subaru to maintain its pace on the final stage. Then young Greg McKnight posted the fastest time on the final stage, and Mark McCulloch was second fastest. Crikey, what next? Then Armstrong’s time came through, third fastest. A canny run was called for and he duly delivered arriving back in Castle Douglas to a huge crowd at the finish. And what was particularly pleasing was two recognisable figures at the front of the crowd there to greet the new champions. Both Garry Pearson and Robbie Mitchell were amongst the first to congratulate Jock and Paula. A gesture much appreciated by the winners.
“I really felt for Garry, but I couldn’t believe it when I heard what happened,” said Armstrong, “You couldn’t make it up, could you? I remember being told at school that to finish first, first you had to finish. And that’s what I did today.”
Faulkner just managed to hang on to second place as McCulloch closed in. “I just kept the old tyres on for this afternoon,” said Faulkner, “that’s as well as I’ve ever driven, and they’re all snapping at my heels.”
McCulloch was happy enough with third, but rued what might have been: “After an all-nighter fixing a misfire I was pretty slow off the start this morning, but got going in the afternoon.”
McKnight’s final stage push also earned him his best forest rally result with fourth place just edging out a surprised Bruce McCombie: “I think I was lucky to get fifth, the pace of the top ten up here is just unbelievable at the moment.”
One second behind McCombie was Andrew Gallacher in an ex-Carlos Sainz Ford Focus WRC with Andrew thoroughly enjoying himself despite one tiny little drawback. As he pointed to the right hand seat in the front he said: “I keep forgetting I’m driving on the wrong side – it’s left hand drive!”
But perhaps the last word should be left to Armstrong’s proud Mum, Joyce, who remarked: “I’m just so pleased. That makes Jock a double champion (Scottish Champion last year and this) too, just like his sister Barbara who was a double British Rally (Ladies) Champion in 1998 and ’99!” And was that a tear in her eye, or just a splash from the champagne spraying?
Final Results:
1, Jock Armstrong/Paula Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 38m 39s
2, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +0:57
3, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +1:08
4, Greg McKnight/Laura Marshall (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +1:34
5, Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +1:42
6, Andrew Gallacher/Jane Nicol (Ford Focus WRC) +2:43
7, Quintin Milne/Sean Donnelly (Ford Escort Mk2) +2:54
8, Wayne Sisson/Neil Shanks (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4+) +2:57
9, Seamus O’Connell/Sean Magee (Ford Escort) +2:58
10, Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V) +3:06
11, Iain Wilson/Keith Riddick (Subaru Impreza) +3:10
12, Alasdair S Graham/Laura Stuart (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +3:18
13, Ian Baumgart/Mike Dickson (Subaru Impreza) +3:42
14, Scott McCombie/Mark Fisher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +3:44
15, Fraser Wilson/Craig Wallace (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) +3:47
16, Steve Bannister/Callum Atkinson (Ford Escort Mk2) +3:50
17, Nigel Feeney/Abi Louden (Subaru Impreza) +3:53
18, Richard Dickson/Roger Alcorn (Subaru Impreza) +3:59
19, Ross MacDonald/Matthew Johnstone (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Viii) +4:08
20, Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Vi) +4:25
21, Robert Thomson/Kyle MacKintosh (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Viii) +4:30
22, Thomas O’Connell/Emmet Sherry (Ford Escort) +4:38
23, Grant Inglis/Robert Gray (Ford Escort Mk2) +5:06
24, Duncan Campbell/Gavin Chisholm (Subaru Impreza) +5:20
25, Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben (Vauxhall Corsa) +5:22
26, Ian Archer/Helen Brown (Mitsubishi Evo IX) +5:25
27, James Gibb/Charley Sayer-Payne (Ford Fiesta) +5:29
28, Fraser MacNicol/Aaron Johnston (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Vi) +5:42
29, Allan McDowall/Gavin Heseltine (Ford Rs1800) +5:53
30, Thomas Gray/Dave Robson (Ford Fiesta) +5:53
Class 1: Andy Struthers/Alasdair McIlroy (Citroen C2) 54m 44s
Class 2: Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben (Vauxhall Corsa) 44m 01s
Class 3: Robbie Beattie/David Findlay (Peugeot 205) 49m 05s
Class 4: Thomas Gray/Dave Robson (Ford Fiesta) 44m 32s
Class 5: Scott McQueen/Alan Falconer (Peugeot 205) 48m 27s
Class 6: Steve Bannister/Callum Atkinson (Ford Escort Mk2) 42m 29s
Class 7: Luke McLaren/Phil Kenny (Ford Fiesta) 48m 18s
Class 8: Quintin Milne/Sean Donnelly (Ford Escort Mk2) 41m 33s
Class 9: Seamus O’Connell/Sean Magee (Ford Escort) 41m 37s
Class 10: Alasdair S Graham/Laura Stuart (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 41m 57s
Class 11: Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 39m 36s
Class 12: Jock Armstrong/Paula Swinscoe (Subaru Impreza) 38m 39s
Class 13: Andrew Gallacher/Jane Nicol (Ford Focus WRC) 41m 22s