The 2026 Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally delivered a spectacular weekend of motorsport action as Max McRae and Cammy Fair took an impressive rally win as thousands of fans lined the streets and lanes of the Scottish Borders across three days of competition [22–24 May].
There was plenty for the host-town residents of Dun to celebrate as Garry Pearson also secured victory on home soil, thanks to a dramatic Reivers Rally victory on Sunday with Hannah McKillop alongside.
Kicking off the weekend, the Jim Clark Rally is the jewel on the crown of the motorsport calendar in the UK, and it was Max McRae and Cammy Fair who produced a sensational performance to secure a hugely popular maiden victory after mastering the demanding Borders asphalt in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
McRae, son of 1995 British Champion Alister, arrived in the Borders as one of several young stars tipped for a top result. Still, few could have predicted the maturity and composure shown by the Scotsman across two dramatic days. A blistering charge through Friday night’s stages under darkness ultimately proved decisive, allowing McRae to build a crucial advantage over the pursuing Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 crews of Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss and Osian Pryce/James Morgan.
The battle at the front was intense from the outset. Pryce struck first on the opening Bothwell stage before Evans responded immediately on Abbey St Bathans to ensure the leading trio remained separated by only seconds through the early stages.
As darkness descended, however, McRae came alive.
The young Scot delivered a series of stunning stage times across Friday evening, mastering the difficult night-time conditions to establish a commanding overnight lead. Behind him, Evans remained firmly in contention despite admitting to an issue with his auxiliary lighting setup on the final stage of leg one, whilst Pryce struggled to regain confidence after setup changes to his Yaris.
Saturday morning saw McRae immediately continue his relentless pace, extending his advantage on the opening tests as Pryce’s hopes faded following an overshoot which cost valuable time. Evans continued to apply pressure throughout the remainder of the rally, but McRae controlled the gap expertly across the final loop to seal a landmark victory on home soil.
The emotional result marked McRae’s second British Rally Championship victory and one of the standout drives of his career to date.
“This win feels pretty good,” said an emotional McRae at the finish ramp in Duns Square.
“This one came to us, not easily, but I think we had a really good rally this time. Compared to the Cambrian [Rally], this last stage was a lot less stressful!
“Massive thanks to the team and luckily Dad was over to witness this one. Obviously, this win is for Dai [ Roberts] and James [Williams] and their families.”
Behind the leading trio, the battle for fourth proved equally captivating. Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop initially held the position comfortably on home asphalt before a Friday night off opened the door Sam Touzel and Max Freeman.
The Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew capitalised immediately on Saturday morning, moving ahead of Pearson on the opening stage of the day before securing an excellent fourth overall finish. Local favourites Euan Thorburn and Paul Beaton completed the top six after another assured performance aboard their Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 on familiar roads.
Sunday’s Jim Clark Reivers Rally provided a fitting finale to the weekend, with another spectacular entry tackling the famous Borders roads as the Asset Alliance Scottish Rally Championship and RAC Historic Asphalt Championship rounded out a memorable three days of competition.
Garry Pearson ensured he set the benchmark early on with a sensational time over the opening stage, seven seconds faster than Thorburn, who confessed to ‘not waking up’ over Westruther.
Thorburn kept Pearson within reach when the Ford Fiesta driver damaged a rim in Eccles, ensuring the afternoon loop was as breathtaking as the rest of the weekend.
Try as he might, Thorburn couldn’t catch Pearson, who went on to secure his first home win. Thorburn took second with Hugh Brunton and Drew Sturrock rounding out the Reivers podium.
“It’s a dream come true for me to win the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Reivers Rally – it’s going to take a while for me to understand it, I think”, said Pearson.
“Growing up in Duns and the Scottish Borders, the Jim Clark Rally is such a big part of the year and was definitely responsible for me becoming a rally driver. To have my name on the roll of honour makes me feel extremely proud”.
Beyond the competitive action, the event once again delivered a festival atmosphere across the Borders. Duns Square remained packed throughout the weekend for ceremonial starts, regroup halts, live coverage and podium celebrations, whilst spectator areas across the weekend attracted huge crowds in the glorious spring sunshine.
The success of the 2026 event once again highlighted the importance of the Jim Clark Rally to the Borders region, with thousands of visitors delivering a significant boost to local businesses, tourism and the wider community while showcasing the area to a national audience.