28/05/2026
Well, that was the best weekendโs rallying for a long timeโฆ โ๏ธ and good times ๐ hectic, but wouldnโt swap it...!
----------
Where do we start? Well, instead of "and finally..." it's quite rightly โfirstlyโ this week! So! Firstly Iโd like to thank all our fantastic team members, colleagues and friends, for the most incredible effort over the last week. It really has been constant. Never does anyone complain or slack. Everyone gets on, gets stuck in, and produces the goods. Always a laugh or a joke, but serious and thorough. Workshop, test, rally, the complete package. It really is a privilege to be associated with you all and your attitude is entirely uplifting. Coping admirably with the stress the comes with both me, and running 6 cars in the top 9 on Sunday, running on 30 second intervals...! ๐ Five stars all round. โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
----------
So!! The Jim Clark Memorial Rally. Just three days, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, thatโs it! EASY... Rewind...!
----------
A week past Sunday there would be a small pre event test at Dundrennan ranges for Max and Cammy. The lads getting to grips with and fine tuning our Skoda RS hire car.
Diff in... Diff out.
Springs on... springs off.
Camera in... Camera out ๐คฃ๐คฃ
----------
Monday
Nice and easy with the sister Skoda RS rental car returning back from Ireland after the Carlow Stages and needing a little TLC ๐จ๐จ๐จ to see it ready for Sunday's Jim Clark Reivers Rally. JC (the one and only John Crawford) would dial in his tarmac expertise and build up some asphalt speed with a small shakedown. Colin arrives sharp to get off to ๐ฎ๐น to collect a car for us. That plan goes astray, but Iโm sure we have something to keep him active!!
----------
Tuesday
A test with Ernie and Patricia Lee in their ever so sweet sounding Historic BMW M3. ๐บ Incidentally whilst standing looking up (obviously!) at Ernie, I thought, if I grew my hair we would look like twins! ๐ Hugh Brunton (without Drew 'I canโt be bothered testing' Sturrock) would join with his virgin white Toyota Yaris Rally2. Happy to get some running and really starting to gell with his new mount.
----------
Wednesday
Michael Binnie and Claire Mole would have their first experience of our Rally2 Fiesta Rental car. Having never driven the Rally2 car on tarmac, it was a learning experience and with a few miles completed they were somewhat more comfortable (oh hang on, Claire needs another cushion ๐คญ). Dale Robertson would also shake down his RHD Rally2 Fiesta RLA loan rental car. No messing around here, and the lad was off like a rocket... ๐
----------
Thursday
Last but not least, Scott MacBeth and Andrew Falconer (not Folconer) would give the R5 VW Polo it's first Tarmac blast since Mull last year. A quick run up the RSC test road. ๐ The lads were a little rusty, but soon up to speed and returned to the Duns Service Park happy. Meanwhile, the transfer of the circus from HQ to Duns had begun! Scrutiny, for all cars, and set up service. Really one of the most frustrating things must be that period between arriving and getting all set. It really does BUG me, everything is so disjointed, nothing in place and total disorder. Not anyoneโs fault, just chaotic. You look round and see everyone else with their tents nicely on position and you think... ๐คฆ๐ป๐คฆ๐ปThen we have a tourist set up his camper van in prime position (nicely levelled and all)! ๐ JC, I never had you as a stereotypical camperโฆ! Eventually as Iโm thinking 'first there, last to leave and we're not going to have tents up tonight' it all comes together and is looking ace. Top job boys. ๐ Suddenly, I realise Colin is still with us, as he requests to go home as the weekend is approaching! ๐๐ Granted, see you Tuesday, we'll try the Italy trip again next week!
----------
Friday
Morning and Shakedown commences. With six crews using the official shakedown, things were getting pretty busy, pretty quick. After one run Scott txts to say he fancies the long ratio box, so we despatch a couple lads back to HQ. JC has a few small issues, all in hand. John Morrison hasnโt even sat in his new car pre-shakedown! So its seats in, seats out! ๐คฃ Anyway, some runs complete and more than happy. And finally, Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton would head off for a quick blast on our test road and return to service for pre-start formalities.
----------
This yearโs rally would follow the same format as previous. The British Rally Championship would run over the Friday night stages, half and half in daylight and darkness. Saturday some nice compact stages and done by 15.00. Then we'd have scrutineering and re-scrutineering for our Sunday crews. Sunday's totally separate sprint event would be a counter as the third round of the 2026 Scottish Championship. EVERYONE ALL SET? Let's go! ๐
----------
Euan and Paul first up with number 3 on the door, they really are quite something. Honesty, with minimal preparation the boys can put it up there. Right rusty but with plenty talent, the boys can mix it. Friday we took it easy, building nicely they rounded off Saturday in 6th ? position. Ready for Sunday. Morning dawned and as usual the two lads are sleepyโฆ ๐ด From then on in though, they were on fire. Coming into the last stage it was all to go for and didnโt they just! Cruel as rallying is, they clipped a rock not more than two miles from the finish! (ironically 200m from my house) Game over! With the wheel broken the boys limped home. So close but so far. Tough luck lads, a real shame. ๐ฅ
----------
Max and Cammy, some boys. Once we got the camera sorted ๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ they were set (they do like a camera these pair!) ๐คฉ๐คฉ With a small change to suspension in service after the first two stages, the lads were properly comfortable and boom ๐ฅ the car was on rails. ๐ From here on the two lads maintained their lead and really pushed on. Fantastic win, putting their BRC campaign back on track. ๐ฅ Meanwhile Big Al was seen leaving Service with the last of the sandwiches tucked in his inside pocket... ๐ฅณ
----------
Dale Robertson and Keir Beaton once again out for their annual blast. This really is so fantastic that they can just jump in there and instantly drop back into a consistently sharp pace. As always, it's about getting the mileage, to compete and cover the stages but the lads would also be giving it plenty... Building over the Friday night, the boys were set for a run on Saturday. Great speed saw them safe in 10th position and ready to give it all on Sunday. With the soft compound tyres fitted for the morning loop, Dale found the back end wandering a bit. Then after a fifth gear jump, there was a bit of a handful (I sh** myself) ๐ซช when a rear suspension bolt sheared. With this righted in service, and medium compound tyres fitted the boys were off on a hack. Gret result 11th and only a missing wing mirror!๐๐ผRESULT.
----------
Scott and Andrew are true competitors. Quiet, but prepared. Friday night was good, all comfortable, until coming off the last stage. There was a misfire / cut and the pair coaxed it back to Service. There it started to try and solve the issue with the Polo. At 02.30 when the Gate Marshal said (quite rightly!) we werenโt allowed to run the car any more... we were stuck! ๐คจ I really felt at 03.04 when climbing into bed that I wasnโt sure if we would mange to get them going on Saturday. ๐ Having changed practically everything, the last ditch was a set of injectors off my own car in the workshop! BINGO! That old Dutch saying ๐ JUST IN TIME IS ALSO IN TIMEโฆ. ๐ณ๐ฑ From there the two boys motored round for Saturday with no problem finishing in 8th. Just need to bolt all the changed parts back now! Sunday's SRC was the big push today for these lads. Good strong time over the opening two stages saw them build up for a push on ss3. Going too deep, there was only the option to pull the magic wand, which unfortunately on this occasion said NO! A broken wheel resulted in a stop and change, and really there wasnโt much point to continue after. Tough luck lads. ๐
----------
Hugh and (glad you could join us) Drew suddenly didnโt have a virgin white Yaris, but a vibrant green machine (very smart! ๐) With a precautionary clutch change after the shakedown, the boys were flying. Really settling into the new car, Hugh was feeling pretty comfortable. Saturdayโs stages were very flowing and suited the partnership well. Great speed and consistency saw the pair wind up 9th and very much looking forward to Sunday. Sharp and ready for it early, the boys were set for another day. As Hugh knocked back another coffee they headed out to the stages. Going well up until the stage before service, and Drew called to say the clutch had started slipping! With another new clutch not available, we only had the option to recycle and reuse from a selection of used items! Calculations done and the lads had it changed in good time. Thank you. ๐ ๐๐ป ๐๐ป Pushing on well over the final loop saw us home and dry and a great 3rd overall. ๐ฅPhilo was top camera man on this team also... ๐คญ๐คญ
----------
John and Josh Davison in their RHD Rally2 Fiesta were set for the off. This really is light-hearted rallying, but we also have a fierce competitive streak. Unfortunately, Friday night saw time loss when the fire extinguisher became dislodged and knocked a PDU connector off. As the car ground to a halt in the darkness, fair play to John rectifying the fault and getting the wheels rolling again. Saturday the boys flew on and increased their pace, until an unfortunate failure of one of the exhaust clamps which was causing severe heat build up, melted a steering bush. With a chance of an early BBQ occurring, it was decided to return to Service. Danny & Hayley got the clamp sorted, while Mikey and Spud departed to Thorburns and spinning back the years Mikey was piloting the lathe as if it was 20 years ago in Hassington..! Top job done in the nick of time, and the lads returned for the afternoon loop! Sunday morning we started off with the soft compound tyres but realised by the time we arrived in Service the Berwickshire tropical weather was far warmer than that of Lanarkshire, and the next step up would be required! Suitably booted the two bold boys enjoyed their afternoon and now can be regarded as tarmac specialists! ๐ค ๐ค
----------
John Morrison and Iain Thorburn were first time in the new car and Friday was learning, and tipping on through the night stages nicely. On arrival in Service, they were concerned about some transmission noisesโฆ a quick run up the road and we decided to pull the rear diff out. As luck would have it, our spare car was on site so a rapid transplant saw the Morrison Rally Team car back up and running in no time. Saturday was good except for some handbrake abnormality, with the disconnect pump changed at the final Service the boys were flying. A great days rallying and a lot of leaning done. Sundays Reiverโs rally really was a ball, revelling in the new cars capability the boys pushed on nicely. Thoroughly enjoying their weekend and rounding the day off in 32nd. ๐
----------
Michael and Claire had a quick spin Wednesday evening, but really thatโs nothing to grasp the possibilities of these machines. Light years on from the MK1 R5, never mind the Evo9. ๐ Anyway, they spent the day gathering pace and exploring the potential of the machine. Fair play 4th place overall time on the last stage of the day was a marker as to the competitive nature of this pair! Well done, great effort. ๐ฅณ
----------
Our Icelandic ๐ฎ๐ธ super sibling stars ๐คฉ Dani and Pinky are so much fun to be around! They are competing on the BTRDA this year, but after two good events in the SRC this year, they thought they'd give the Jim Clark a whirl! Arriving into Scotland on Saturday, we had no time for a recce, and just had time for a quick run on the Greenlaw test road (I mean like 10miles max!)... in our SOCKS as our oversized shoes didnโt fit between the pedals! ๐คญ This is not really the full preparation to be swapping times with the establishmentโฆ but we will give it a good go, and this does show the pairs level of skill and comitment to be up there punching in great times! 15 years since they last compete on tarmac in an Evo X (Tank!) this really was a great result! Daniel announced whilst sitting in his boxers drinking a beer after the rally (he had forgotten his trousers ๐) that heโs officially old: heโs bought a VOLVO!! However, this result goes to prove Volvo drivers are not old but young at heart! โค๏ธ Top result at 6th overall, and now leading the SRC! ๐ See you both soon.
----------
Bob Adamson and Harry Stubbs were back together hoping for more miles than their last event. ๐คฆ๐ป The last crew for a Greenlaw blast! (George has fairly been cramming them in this week!!๐ค ๐ค )
With a quick reset to tarmac driving, the lads were set and off they went on Sunday morning. The lunchtime Service break saw Ian need to leave the BBQ๐ for five minutes to do a wee adjust to the suspension! The afternoon's motoring was the finest! A wee issue with the launch saw minimal time loss, but over the moon to be round. Fair play lads. ๐๐ผ๐๐ป
----------
Ernie was excitedly telling me and showing pictures of his new Combine Harvester! (I think thereโs a 70s song theme here) however once he set rip on the stages, there was only one vehicle he was excited about!! Ernie and Patricia were loving it! Big drifts and revs all day long! Iโm not sure if drifting is the fastest on tar, but who gives a stuff! ๐๐ A fantastic day out loving it! Super Senior could be taken to description court! ๐ฅณ๐คฉ
----------
And that's it! A few weeks ago my friend said we should cap at no more than 9 cars on one day ๐ Split over the weekend, that average was achieved! ๐ There were 17 starts, one retrial and one restart. 15ยฝ finishes isn't bad: weโre still striving for 100% and one day we will get there. ๐คฉ
----------
๐ท AF Motorsport Media ๐๐ผ
----------
Special mention today is all about the Jim Clark Rally and the people of Duns! The town where I went to school and have so many friends, and really the enthusiasm for the rally is fantastic! Thanks to Wink at Border Baguettes for putting on a fantastic Sunday BBQ - the atmosphere was great. And to all the old hands turning out this weekend to lend a hand - fantastic, thanks to you all. ๐๐ป
