The Border Counties Rally based in Jedburgh, round 2 of the ARR Craib Scottish Rally Championship, is an event I have always been familiar with. This year though was the first year I attended, partly because I have recently passed my driving test giving me a great opportunity to head into the forests and partly because of the new exciting itinerary which included stages in the Tweed Valley that hadn't been used in the 1990's. Pictured above is Steve Bannister in his Escort Mk2, on one of these stages, Ellibank. This was my first ever forest rally, so I was quite excited despite getting up at 7am which for a Saturday is far too early for me! I got myself to a hairpin on SS2 Riccarton which looked like a promising spectating point, with the cars bursting their way out of the turn and down the hill. However, due to some quad bikers plunging into the forests, the organisers sensibly had to cancel the test. Below, David Bogie and Jock Armstrong crawl through the stage. This was disappointing but not enough to dampen my spirits! On that note, the organisers of this years Border Counties deserve a huge amount of praise. The route selection was fantastic, and when I got to the forests every single marshal or spectator officer was very helpful, informative and safety conscious. All the correct safety measures were in place, and the spectators all obeyed the advice. Long may this continue! My spot on SS4 Ellibank was brilliant, offering excellent views whilst also being close to the cars. I could see them drive along up to a square left bend above, then charge down the hill into some S bends before firing up the hill past my viewing point. I had waited a long time to see some action and come 2pm I finally got some, and wasn't disappointed. There is something so much different about this rally on gravel compared to tarmac events I've previously seen. The dust, the sound of the stones being scattered, the echoing of engines in between the trees. It was great, although I now have a blood shot eye this morning due to the dust! Event winner David Bogie (left) beat Stephen Petch (right) by 40 seconds, with both of them taming a Ford Fiesta R5+. Bogie's advantage was probably aided by the fact he knows the Border Counties better than his rival, but he was by far and away the most spectacular and exciting driver to watch on the day. I only got to see the cars from one point, but it's not hard to see where Bogie gained his lead. Through the section I saw at least, he was visibly faster. Look at the difference in lines into this quick right, left complex before going up the hill. David has the car balanced beautifully, the front end tucking into the apex with the rear gently sliding. This is a man full of confidence and determination. I am a fan of Bogie's and yesterday he did a lot to make me love him even more. He was that good to watch. Stephen on the other hand was slower on the square left at the top of the hill and as pictured, has fluffed his lines. He has gone too deep into the corner, meaning he loses a lot of speed having to correct the car and get it back on the perfect line. You can see this in the video below. If I was to take a cynical view of yesterday's rally then I would say it was a little sub-standard. I spent at least 2 hours waiting around for cars, and only saw about 45 minutes worth of action. But that is missing the point. Rally is all about the experience. The adventure heading off into the forests and selecting the best viewing point. Being close to ultra-competitive men and machines, the hope that you will see some drama. The addictive smell of petrol that floats in the air, adding to the potent mix of excitement. Yesterday was a brilliant day. Thank you to the organisers of the Border Counties Rally, I'll be back next year!
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BRITISH RALLYINGArticles covering rally in Britain, looking at the MSA BRC Archives
September 2017
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