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Rally News - December 31, 2010 Obituary Stewart Robertson Last weekend, Stewart Robertson died suddenly at home near Dalbeattie. The news hit the south west area hard, and it was a particularly cruel blow for Solway Car Club, where he previously served as Committee Member and Chairman, and also the nearby Machars Car Club where Stewart was one of the ‘guests of honour’ at the club’s recent 60th anniversary celebration to mark the long-serving achievements of Roger Anderson. Like many rally drivers of a ‘certain generation’ Stewart Robertson started with a Mini in the late 60s, tried his hand with an Escort, and then moved on to Talbot machinery. In both the 1973 and 1974 Shell Scottish Rally Championships he finished 13th overall each year where his highlight was surely 4th place on the 1973 Burmah Rally in Argyll. Like many competitors, then and now, rallying took second place to making a living, and in the mid 70s he started to spend more time in the family business, a car dealership in Dalbeattie. The garage business was started by his grandfather and followed on by his father so it was natural where Stewart would end up. Stewart moved the business on and built up a local and very loyal clientele and in 1993 moved the company into new and bigger premises in Castle Douglas where it flourishes today. Despite his hectic business interests he wasn’t finished with rallying. In1980 he contested the full season of the Scottish Rally Championship and finished 17th overall and 4th in the 1600 class in a Talbot Sunbeam. In 1985 he went one better and contested the full series with a Talbot Samba finishing 12th overall with one 16th, two 15th and one 20th place overall on the Snowman along the way – and this at a time when big Escorts ruled the roost! The Samba was sold to make way for an ex-works, Guy Fréquelin driven, Talbot Sunbeam Lotus and the immaculately prepped and maintained new car was further testament to Stewart’s unabated interest in the sport. With this car he finished 9th overall on the 1986 Esso Scottish Championship, he was sixth overall the following year, and in 1988 he finished 4th overall in the Championship, his best ever performance. On the Scottish Rally that year, contesting the National Scottish Championship part of that event, he finished third Scot behind Colin McRae and Murray Grierson. In 1989 the Sunbeam was sold to Digby Barlow and in its place appeared a Metro 6R4. By this time, the W S Robertson dealership was taking up more time, and although he now had the money to buy and run the Metro, he didn’t have the time to do the events. In a classic ‘what might have been’ tale of amateur rallying, Stewart won the Galloway Hills outright in 1989, but the result which pleased him most was wining his other ‘home’ event, the Tweedies Daihatsu Stages where he beat Murray Grierson into second place. Other irregular outings followed culminating in a hard fought victory on the 1991 Border Auto Developments Rally beating Dom Buckley and Donald Milne into 2nd and 3rd places. Speaking to Stewart at the Machars Car Club ‘do’ there was no regret at missing out on the Scottish title. He had the talent and the machinery, he just didn’t have the time, the business came first. In other words he went rallying for the sheer enjoyment of it, a lesson from which we could all learn something! Thereafter Stewart’s outings became less frequent and following the early death from cancer of long time co-driver Lawrance Clark (who also worked in the Robertson garage) Stewart hung up his driving gloves. Recently he turned his competitive streak to mountain biking and as recently as October contested the Dalbeattie Hardrock Challenge in Dalbeattie Forest with his son Jamie in the team event. The duo were chuffed with their finish just over an hour behind the winners. Stewart will be sorely missed by many, not least by all those who he has helped and encouraged over the years. To his wife Caroline and twin sons, Andrew and Jamie, and the rest of his family and wide circle of friends, we extend our deepest sympathy. **** |