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The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally brought some of the best motorsport action in the country to the Scottish Borders last weekend [26-28 May] as the three-day closed road event took place for the 47th time.

A sensational weekend of action brought thousands of eager motorsport fans and casual followers to the region to witness some of the best drivers in the world tackle the iconic Borders roads near the Duns rally base.

But the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club Ltd, organisers of the popular event, have issued a stark warning to spectators wishing to attend the event in 2024. Due to the actions of a small number of fans, the event was almost halted during the Reivers Rally on Sunday, when the spectators failed to move from their location and stay off the road.

As a condition of the event taking place, once the road has been closed, under the ‘Motor Sport on Public Roads (Scotland) Regulations 2019 and Temporary Traffic Restriction Order’, the law prohibits unauthorised persons to set foot on those roads closed for the rally, which includes spectators attempting to recover cars.

Despite repeated requests by event safety marshals, during the Scott’s View and Westruther stages, several spectators refused to abide by those requests and the stage was halted. A team was dispatched to the location to resolve the issue but could have well caused the cancellation of the stage, or the event.

Clerk of the Course, Jonathan Lord has issued a plea to spectators ahead of the 2024 running of the rally.

“The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally is one of the biggest stage rallies to take place in the UK and attracts attention from across the country as enthusiasts are eager to watch the drivers in action,” he says.

“The safety of everyone involved in the Jim Clark Rally from spectators and residents to competitors and officials is our highest priority.

“Once the road is closed for the rally, it becomes an offence to walk on the road, including heading onto the road to recover or push cars, and it is a condition of use that this is policed. But a small number of people chose to ignore that and sadly we had to stop the stage to deal with their actions and relocate them. That subsequently causes delays and could stop the entire rally, spoiling it for both competitors and fans”.

Lord wishes to reiterate ahead of next year’s event, that spectators are more than welcome at the rally, but must adhere to the safety guidelines.

“It was just a small number of people who caused the issues, but we work closely with the Police and Local Authorities during the rally, and they will have no hesitation in pulling the plug on the event. But I`m confident that our like-minded rally fans will heed the advice for next year and we can continue to enjoy this ground breaking event”.

Organisers will also be looking at ways to improve the spectator experience.

“We have received some feedback from spectators that some of the viewing areas were less than ideal this year. Sadly, we don’t have the luxury of grandstands or stadiums and are working totally with the natural landscape around us and what we can utilise thanks to the generosity of local landowners. However, we appreciate that we need to review these for 2024 to ensure they can enjoy this spectacular event even more.”

Tragically, on Friday night of the event, a spectator took unwell and passed away.

The family would like us to post this message to you all.

I would like to give my sincere appreciation to all the doctors paramedics marshals who were involved in trying to bring my father in law back last night at the spectator area. It was Johns first time at a rally and was excited to be coming along to spectate and take photos. Unfortunately he didn’t even get a chance to have his bacon roll. We lost his wife, Mum and Gran in December and as you can imagine this has been quite traumatic for myself and my wife, brother in law and grandchildren. Also my friends who were there with him.
Everyone involved including all the medical staff and staff working the coffee stall, Marshals emergency services were fantastic and all the spectators who stood in calm whilst he was worked on. From me and my family I have cannot describe the appreciation of the efforts taken by all, Including a very great friend who worked on him relentlessly.

I have been involved with rallying for a number of years whether navigating, driving, spectating or marshalling and can say John would not have wanted the rally to be stopped or cancelled on his behalf.

RIP Johnny, you will be missed greatly.

Mark Stewart.

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally brought some of the best drivers in the business to the Scottish Borders this weekend [26-28 May], as the three-day motorsport event took place on the closed roads around Duns.

The market town offered a fantastic backdrop for the rally, hosting the event service area and the centre itself seeing the cars assemble for the start and finish celebrations throughout the weekend. A big screen played live coverage of the rally to the fans who were able to get up close to the cars as they passed through Market Square.

A top-class line up of contenders from across the world gathered to contest the highly regarded rally, with almost two hundred and forty crews tackling the closed public roads in Berwickshire on both the Jim Clark and Reivers events.

Sponsored once again by leading construction merchants Beatson’s Building Supplies, the Jim Clark Rally took place across Friday and Saturday, hosting Motorsport UK British Rally Championship [BRC] as well as the Protyre National Asphalt Rally Championship and several regional championships. Sunday saw the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship contenders join for the Reivers Rally.

The British Rally Championship attracted top-level crews and it was unsurprisingly a familiar name that secured the overall rally win. The Jim Clark Rally enjoyed its traditional format of two tests during Friday night and an action-packed evening saw World Rally Championship contenders Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria open up a twenty-eight second advantage by the time the sun dropped over the North Sea.

The all-French Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew, are regulars on the WRC tour and as M-Sport factory drivers, would be hard to bet against. That lead, over last year’s victors Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin would be more than enough to ensure they could manage their lead throughout Saturday’s stages, returning to the Duns town centre to spray the champagne as worthy winners.

“We can be really happy with that, and the car has been in a good position all weekend so yes, very happy,” said Fourmaux.

“We were really enjoying the rally; it was really technical and slippery in places. We had a really good day yesterday and then we could just enjoy the stages today.”

“I am really enjoying [the British Rally Championship] and it is very different being on the gravel and then the tarmac. It is really interesting.”

Cronin managed to salvage second place in his Volkswagen Polo R5 whilst the Duns honours were upheld by a flying Euan Thorburn who took third place in his similar machine and Paul Beaton alongside.

The battle outside the top three was intense and a gutsy driver from Citroen C3 Rally2 driver James Ford, saw him take maximum National Asphalt Championship points and fourth overall with Neil Shanks in the co-driver’s seat. David Henderson and Chris Lees rounded out the top five in their Fiesta Rally2.

Local hopes had rested with Garry Pearson thanks to his third overall last year on the event, but the Duns driver suffered a painful weekend behind the wheel. A brush with a bale on the opening stage of the rally rearranged the bodywork of the Volkswagen Polo before he sadly crashed out for good on the very next stage.

With Thorburn claiming the podium, it was Dale Robertson who was next best Duns driver home in eighth in his Fiesta Rally2, whilst St Boswell’s Ross Hunter took 13^th in his Mitsubishi Evo and the all-Duns crew of Michael Binnie and Claire Mole took 14^th spot in their similar machine.

On Sunday, attention turned to the Reivers Rally and the battle for the rally win enjoyed some familiar names. Thorburn secured a win here last year and once again was fastest on the opening stage, fresh from his podium place the day before. Henderson was his nearest challenger, and the two drivers enjoyed a tit-for-tat battle for victory throughout the day’s six tests.

It was Thorburn’s time on the second pass of the Westruther test which decided the outcome, and despite Henderson’s best efforts, could not catch the local ace as he stormed to back-to-back Reivers Rally wins. Henderson had some consolation in taking maximum Scottish Rally Championship points with second overall.

Hugh Brunton and Drew Sturrock secured the third and final podium place in third in their Skoda Fabia R5. Steeped in history, the Jim Clark Rally first ran in 1970 and has remained one of the most prestigious stage rallies in the country. Names on the winner’s trophy include Roger Clark and Ari Vatanen. The event is named after Jim Clark OBE who was a two-time Formula One Champion, a winner of the Indianapolis 500 and a host of saloon and touring car races and hailed from Chirnside.

The event is at risk of being halted by the authorities if spectators do not abide by the following:

• Spectators must not walk on a live rally stage – it is an offence to do so and occurrences could lead to the rally being halted.

• Spectators must NOT assist or recover stranded or stopped rally cars on the stages

• The Police and authorities are willing to make arrests and prosecute should these requests not be adhered to.

The organising team

It is with immense sadness that we inform the community of the passing of a Jim Clark Rally spectator, who was taken unwell and pronounced dead at the scene, on Friday 26 May 2023.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 7.40pm on Friday, 26 May, 2023, police were made aware of a 73-year-old man having taken unwell at the Jim Clark Rally in the Abbey St Bathans area of Duns.

“Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Officers remain in attendance.”

Jim Clark Rally Officials acted immediately to assist emergency services after receiving a notification through the command centre. We remain in contact and continue to assist emergency services.

The thoughts and condolences of everyone at the Jim Clark Rally go out to man’s family, friends and loved ones.

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally has attracted a world-class entry ahead of this weekend’s event [26-28 May] as around 240 drivers get set to tackle the highly acclaimed three-day closed road motorsport event.

Heralded as one of the most popular stage rallies in the UK, the Jim Clark Rally has taken place for almost fifty years and continues to attract leading drivers to the Scottish Borders and the closed public roads in Berwickshire.

And this year will be no exception, as stars from across the world head for the market town of Duns to tackle the top-drawer event, competing across some of the most iconic stages in the country in a bid for the coveted rally win.

Sponsored by leading construction merchants Beatson’s Building Supplies, the rally returns with a slightly adapted format for 2023, with the three days and almost 110 miles of competitive driving split into the now traditional two-event structure. Using classic tests from previous editions, the event remains fresh and exciting with many stages being moved to alternative days.

The top-flight Motorsport UK British Rally Championship returns to the fold for the Friday and Saturday legs, with fans enjoying a glimpse into the pace of the UK’s premier rally series, as well as the Protyre National Asphalt Rally Championship and a host of regional championships.

The KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship contenders will tackle Sunday’s Reivers Rally with a bumper entry list bolstered by an impressive list of popular local rally championships.

The traditional rally base in Duns town hosts the Rally HQ and service areas, and the Market Square in the centre will see the Ceremonial Rally Starts and Finishes take place on the famous cobbles. In a repeat of 2022, crews will be flagged away from the town on Friday at 19:00 with two passes of the Longformacus stage ahead of them, the latter of which will be under the cover of darkness.

However, day two sees a switch to stages in the northeast, with Fogo, Ayton and Edrom being run twice throughout the day before the fan-favourite ceremonial finish, presentations and champagne spray celebrations back in Duns, set to take place from 13:45.

Sunday’s Reivers event is a shorter day but no less impressive and once again enjoys a ceremonial start at 10:00 from Duns and heads southwest for the popular Eccles, Westruther and Scott’s View tests being run twice throughout the day, before the finish celebrations from 16:00.

Steeped in history, the Jim Clark Rally first ran in 1970 with names on the winner’s trophy including Roger Clark and Ari Vatanen, so there is no doubt the race to etch a new name alongside rallying royalty will be an intense one.

Leading the field away is Frenchman and World Rally Championship driver Adrien Fourmaux who is dovetailing a British Rally Championship campaign with his WRC commitments.

The M-Sport Ford factory driver took victory at the opening round of the BRC in March but will be visiting the Scottish Borders for the very first time in a bid to gain additional seat time behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally2 and will be joined by Alexandre Coria in the co-drivers seat.

They will have last year’s Jim Clark Rally winners Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin breathing down their necks however as they return in their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5. The breathtaking performance in 2022 underlined their asphalt pace and a repeat victory would also assist the Irishman’s quest for a fifth BRC title.

Callum Black and Jack Morton are fresh from a Manx National win in their Fiesta Rally2 so head to Scotland on form. They also lead the National Asphalt crews away and will aim to score well in both championships. Also in a Fiesta Rally2, are James Williams and Dai Roberts who will be using the Ford on asphalt for the first time this season. They took second place in the event in 2022 so will be one to watch in new machinery.

Elliot Payne and Tom Woodburn round out the top five seeds, also using a Fiesta Rally2 and managed fifth pace here last season on only Payne’s second-ever asphalt event at the time.

The Scottish flags will be flying for a swathe of home – heroes as several Duns drivers set out their stall to take a coveted home win. Leading them away is Garry Pearson who has made a switch to a Polo R5 for the remainder of his BRC campaign. He took third last year and could now have the machinery to challenge up front. The experienced Dan Barritt will co-drive.

Local ace Euan Thorburn took the Reivers Rally win last year but this time around, he will tackle both events in his Ford Focus WRC. With Paul Beaton alongside, it’s been 12 months since his last outing but don’t underestimate the Duns man in the lanes. Another Duns driver Dale Robertson makes his annual outing and has Keir Beaton on the notes and are piloting a Fiesta Rally2.

Multiple Scottish Rally Champion David Bogie brings the noise with his Ford Escort MKII and is front-running two-wheel drive with Kevin Rae alongside.

One of the most famous family names in rallying will also be represented during the weekend, with Max McRae, son of 1995 British Champion Alister contesting the event. The Australian driver will be fresh from his FIA European Rally Championship debut in Poland and will give the Opel Corsa Rally4 its UK maiden outing in the process.

Sunday’s Reivers Rally sees the Scottish Rally Championship join the lineup and will be headed by Thorburn who will be aiming for the double in his Focus. Pearson will also be looking for a clean sweep as he re-joins for the event, as will 2011 rally winner Bogie. An impressive top ten also includes SRC leader Jock Armstrong and Hannah McKillop in a Subaru Impreza, as well as Cornhill’s Michael Binnie in his Mitsubishi with Duns co-driver Claire Mole alongside.

Spectators will be well catered for across the rally weekend with plenty of opportunities to catch the action on the stages and get up close to the stars and cars during event formalities.

Duns will be a hive of activity during the rally weekend with commentary by Knockhill’s Duncan Vincent and a big screen showing the action from the stages and cars will never be far away during the rally.

Spectator access to watch the action is available on many stages in the rally, with full information available on the rally website and in programmes which are available throughout the town of Duns during the rally week.

A full list of entries for the Jim Clark Rally is available HERE
A full list of entries for the Reivers Rally is available HERE
Spectator information and times are available HERE

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally has introduced a Carbon Contribution Programme for the 2023 event which kickstarts an ongoing commitment to aim to reduce the carbon footprint of the prestigious annual motorsport event [26-28 May].

The closed-road stage rally, based in Duns in the Scottish Borders attracts some of the best drivers in the world to the region throughout the weekend as competitors in the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship, Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship and KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship tackle some of the most highly regarded stages in the country.

Organised and promoted by the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club (JCMMC), the Jim Clark Rally will embark on a project to recognise its impact on the environment and set about reducing its carbon footprint, with officials, competitors and spectators all playing a part in its commitment.

With guidance from the sports governing body Motorsport UK and the Scottish Borders Council, the Jim Clark Rally has selected the Tweed Forum as the Official Carbon Capture Partner for 2023. With stages taking place mostly in and around the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders, the Tweed Forum programme ensures a relevant and local programme is utilised in the heart of the region used by the rally.

The event has used the Tweed Forum’s tree planting programme, and will be contributing towards new woodland creation in the area. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the Jim Clark Rally is set to plant around 660 new trees this year to reduce the carbon footprint created by the event.

This commitment will see approximately 130 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) being captured over 35 years, with a further dedication to carry out more planting each rally year.

Professor Dan Wright MBE Chairman, Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club Chairman recognises the importance of a sustainable commitment to reducing the impact the event has on the environment.

“Despite the perception, motorsport is far from the most damaging sport to the environment and all stakeholders involved in the discipline are working hard towards lowering the climate impact, for example, more sustainable fuels,” he says.

“But many of these are developing technologies and unviable for an event such as the Jim Clark Rally, and so we have been looking at ways to reduce our overall footprint by utilising a carbon capture programme.”

“It was vital that the scheme was local to the event and a non-profit organisation, so we are delighted to partner with the Tweed Forum’s tree-planting programme in 2023 and make the first and vital steps in the process. There is no doubt our commitment will increase in the future as we all have a part to play.”

Tweed Forum Director, Luke Comins said:

“Organisations are increasingly recognising the importance of addressing the environmental impact of their activities so we’re pleased that the Jim Clark Rally organisers have decided to support our work in this way. As well as capturing carbon, the right trees planted in the right place at the right scale provide multiple benefits including flood risk reduction and biodiversity enhancement. We’re grateful that this high profile event has chosen to back our important work in the Tweed river catchment.”

Clarification

The Jim Clark Rally has this year chosen to make a contribution towards tree-planting in the Scottish Borders to help reduce the event’s carbon footprint. We would like to clarify that this is not part of an officially accredited carbon off-setting scheme. 

For more information on the Tweed Forum visit tweedforum.org
Find out more about the rally at www.jimclarkrally.co.uk

For further media information about Tweed Forum, please contact Karen Finlay, Artisan PR | 07803 945043 | karen@artisanpr.co.uk

Note to Editors:

Tweed Forum is a Scottish Borders-based charitable trust and umbrella organisation whose remit is to promote the sustainable use of the Tweed and protect and enhance the natural, built and cultural heritage of the region.

-Ends

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally has today [3 April] officially launched the 2023 event, which is set to attract some of the best drivers in the world to Duns in the Scottish Borders on 26-28 May.

The prestigious closed-road stage rally released its regulations for competitors which outline the format and route of this year’s spectacular weekend of action, ahead of entries opening on Thursday 6 April.

And interest in the event is at an “all-time high” thanks to a shift in the route during the weekend, as well as being all set to attract a string of top-flight championships and some of the best drivers in the business to the region for the event.

The ever-evolving rally will once again be a round of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship, bringing the UK’s elite to the two-day event which winds its way through the Borders. Also likely to make an appearance will be World Rally Championship ace Adrien Fourmaux who will drive an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 in a bid for seat time in between his WRC commitments.

The BRC will also be joined by the best-sealed surface drivers in the country as the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship brings a top-quality field and they will be joined by a host of regional series including the A S Performance North of England Tarmacadam Championship, the S G Petch ANECCC Stage Rally Championship and the Armed Forces Rally Team.

The two-day Jim Clark Rally offers over sixty miles of competitive action and will enjoy its traditional Duns town centre start on Friday [26 May] evening before crews head out to tackle a double run over the daunting Longformacus moorland stage with the second pass likely to be under the cover of darkness.

After an overnight halt, Saturday [27 May] will be unfamiliar to many, as six stages in Edrom, Ayton and Fogo, situated to the West of Duns are introduced into the itinerary to test the crews to the limit before an early afternoon, champagne spray and finish celebrations take place back in Duns Town Square.

The highly regarded Reivers Rally takes place on Sunday [28 May] and sees more top-class categories head to the area as the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship marks its first asphalt round of the season at the event.

They will also be joined by contenders in the Burnside Piling Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship, as well as the North of England, ANECCC Championship, Northern Historic and the Armed Forces series enjoying a double-header weekend, contesting all three days.

The Reivers rally will also get underway from Duns Town Square, at around 10:00 Sunday [28 May] before utilising the Westruther, Scott’s View and Eccles stages. Totalling 41 stage miles, the compact event will see the finish celebrations just before 16:00 later that day back in Duns.

“We are very excited to be launching the 2023 Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally,” said Dan Wright, Chairman of the organisers Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club.

“The organising team work tirelessly behind the scenes to produce a world-class event and it’s all set to be another fascinating weekend of motorsport for the region. Interest in the rally is at an all-time high and we hope that fans and competitors alike will enjoy the offering we have this year. To keep the event fresh, there is a switch around in the route, meaning everyone can enjoy some new stages and see just what the Scottish Borders has to offer. We look forward to a bumper list of entries heading to Duns this May”.

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally will return to the British rallying calendar in 2023, taking place on 26-28 May.

The popular event will once again return to its traditional host town of Duns in the Scottish Borders for a spectacular weekend of closed-road motorsport.

Announced today [24October], the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship will return to the event as Britain’s premier rally championship brings some of the best drivers in the business to the region to tackle the opening two days of the event which last year saw four-time British champion Keith Cronin seal honours in his Volkswagen Polo GTi R5.

With the news that the event will feature on the BRC roster, organisers are delighted to be able to reveal outline plans for the 2023 offering which includes a new look for competitors to ensure the rally remains fresh and exciting for all.

Once again, two events will feature over the weekend with the Jim Clark Rally taking place on Friday night and Saturday and offering around 67 stage miles, whilst Sunday will host the popular Reivers Rally at just over 42 miles.

After a town centre ceremonial start on Friday night in Duns for the Jim Clark Rally entrants, crews will head out to tackle two moorland stages, one of which will be under the cover of darkness to test the crews to the limit.

Saturday will consist of six tests but will feature stages that formed the Sunday leg of the 2022 event to offer a new challenge for those that contested this year’s two-day rally. Those contesting the Reivers Rally will be able to look forward to the stages that the BRC crews enjoyed in 2022, effectively switching the entire event around.

Across the weekend, the rally will also host some of the most popular stage rally championships in the country and the organising team are anticipating a bumper entry to the three-day motorsport event.

“We are delighted to reveal our outline plans for 2023 and of course welcome the British Rally Championship back to the Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally next year,” said Dan Wright, Chairman of the organisers, the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club.

“We have been working very hard behind the scenes to build on the success of 2022 and part of the plan has been to ensure crews have a new challenge this time around. We want to keep evolving and keeping the route fresh but will still be keeping the fundamental structure of the rally which has proved to be so popular. It’s great to have the support of Beatson’s Building Supplies once again and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Duns on 26 – 28 May”.More information on the event will be revealed in due course.

The Beatson’s Building Supplies Jim Clark Rally made a welcome return to Duns in the Scottish Borders this weekend [27-29 May], as the popular motorsport event blasted back into action with three days of top-level rallying in the region.

A sensational array of drivers from across Europe and the UK took part in both the Jim Clark Rally and Reivers Rally, with around two hundred and forty crews tackling the closed public roads in Berwickshire.

Sponsored by leading construction merchants Beatson’s Building Supplies, the rally returned after a two-year sabbatical but retained many of the features of past events which has heritage back to 1970.

Friday and Saturday’s Jim Clark Rally would play host to round two of Britain’s premier rally series, the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship [BRC] as well as the Protyre National Asphalt Rally Championship and several regional championships.

It was the BRC contenders that would predictably see the biggest battles played out over the first two days as some of the best drivers in the country and beyond went head to head on the tricky Borders roads for the first time this decade.

Friday night provided a double run over the Longformacus stage and it was Irishman Keith Cronin who set a blistering time over the first pass, eight seconds faster than round one winner Osian Pryce. Winner of the event in 2012, Cronin and co-driver Mikie Galvin were in a league of their own by the time the stage ran again in the dark, heading into day two with a 40 second lead in their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5.

Saturday saw him maintain that gap to his nearest challengers James Williams and Dai Roberts in their Hyundai i20 R5, who would take second spot after a gutsy drive, whilst the podium places were rounded out by Duns driver Garry Pearson in his Fiesta Rally2 and co-driver Dale Furniss.

“It feels great, it’s so nice to get a BRC win again,” said Cronin at the finish celebrations in Duns town square.

“Last year didn’t go one hundred per cent to plan for us. So, it was encouraging to see the pace at Clacton and after we started so well here [Jim Clark Rally], it was all about managing the lead.”

“We had to keep our pace up. Today we weren’t quite as flat out as last night, you just can’t let go of the concentration with the level of competition in the British Championship. You start hearing noises & listen out for punctures but it all came good, it was nice to get the win.”

The race to be the top non-BRC crew home centred around the National Asphalt Championship and it would be Steve Wood and Dale Bowen who took the win in their Fiesta WRC.

However it was Duns ace Euan Thorburn who led for most of the day before a hydraulic pipe failure forced him out on the final stage of the rally. Having been out of the driver’s seat for over two years, the local ace would be able to repair the Focus WRC to contest Sunday’s Reivers Rally.

Mark Kelly and Neil Coleman took second with Stephen Simpson and Neil Shanks rounding out the top three.

Pearson would have the honour of the leading Duns driver home, with fellow local Dale Robertson enduring a tough day in his Fiesta Rally2 to finish down in 45^th after getting stuck in a ditch. Cornhill’s Michael Binnie took Duns co-driver Claire Mole to sixth in their Mitsubishi whilst St Boswells resident Ross Hunter finished just outside the top 10 in eleventh with Martin Woodcock alongside.

With the Jim Clark Rally done, attentions turned to the Reivers Rally on Sunday and the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship contenders would be all aiming for a maximum points haul on their first visit to asphalt in 2022.

But it was Euan Thorburn who was looking for redemption after his last-minute retirement the previous day, stopping the clocks on an equal time with Rory Young in his Fiesta Rally2 on the first stage of six.

Heading into the mid-point service halt, Thornburn and co-driver Paul Beaton opened out a 13-second lead to David Bogie and John Rowan in the raucous MINI WRC and the two crews would fight it out over the final three tests.

Thorburn did enough to keep Bogie at bay in the afternoon loop taking a superb win on his home event, adding to his 2012 victory on the rally. Bogie’s result would also give him maximum points in the Scottish Rally Championship.

Steeped in history, the Jim Clark Rally first ran in 1970 and has remained one of the most prestigious stage rallies in the country. Names on the winner’s trophy include Roger Clark and Ari Vatanen. The event is named after Jim Clark OBE who was a two-time Formula One Champion, a winner of the Indianapolis 500 and a host of saloon and touring car races and hailed from Chirnside.