Hannu Mikkola, Roger Clark, David Llewellin, Jonny Milner...and now Dave Weston. On the 2008 RSAC Scottish Rally, Weston joined an elite club of drivers to have won the Scottish three or more times thanks to a commanding display in his Ford Focus WRC. And just like the rallying legends to have gone before him, the operations director from Aberdeen had to fend off some world-class opposition to take his third RSAC crown - namely, Dumfries youngster David Bogie, who put in a terrific performance in the older Toyota Corolla WRC to push the eventual winner all the way to the last kilometre of the final stage.
“This win means a lot to me - the Scottish has always been one of my favourite events since I was a wee boy, and my earliest memories are of the guys whose records I’ve matched today,” declared Weston, the 2006 overall Scottish champion, at the finish line. “But I have to admit my car is superior to David Bogie’s and David pushed me all the way today and made it hard work for me. He took seven seconds out of us on the fourth run so we had to get back on the pace and go for it through the long Ae North stage.”
”This is a special win for me too, with my father having shops in Dumfries and living just outside the town. It’s quite special to be on a bit with some of the elite of rallying,” added Weston’s experienced co-driver Dave Robson from Jedburgh. “The mechanics told us Bogie had taken seven seconds out of us with one long stage to go, but Dave was super-cool about it and got on with the job.”
Despite narrowly losing out on a win on his home rally, talented 21 year-old Bogie was satisfied with his day’s work in the hired Toyota. “Coming into the rally, my aim was to get maximum points in the Scottish Rally Championship and seeing as Dave Weston isn’t registered I’ve achieved that,” he reflected. “My luck on the Scottish rounds hasn’t been brilliant for the first half of the year, so getting a maximum score here means it’s still all to play for over the last three rallies.”
Inverness driver Jimmy Girvan - with Castle Douglas’ Kirsty Riddick calling the corners - took third spot on the Scottish in his Subaru Impreza to retain the SRC lead after five rounds of eight, with Gretna’s Mike Faulkner and navigator Peter Foy not far behind in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6. In the Group N category for production-standard machines, Stonehaven’s Barry Groundwater came out on top in his Mitsubishi alongside Borders co-driver Jude Wylie. Duns driver Mike Horne and Greenlaw navigator Robbie Mitchell were the first two-wheel drive competitors home, enjoying a largely trouble-free run in the Mark 2 Ford Escort.
In the one-make Brick and Steel 205 Ecosse Challenge, Aberdeen offshore engineer Euan Duncan and Craig Chapman took the honours after local star Mark McCulloch suffered driveshaft failure on the start line of the fifth Ae North test, however Atholl Highlander Jamie Stewart was right behind them as he maintains his good run of form of late. Glasgow’s Michael Dymock and James Crichton were the overall winners in the Historic Rally, and Del Hope/Emma Morrison won the Land Rover section. Englishmen David Marshall and Chris Hudson were rewarded for making the long trip north in their Ford Escort with top place in the Motoscope HRCR Northern Historic Championship.
The overcast conditions and damp stages prevent us from using the cliché that the dust has settled, but It is clear to see there was plenty going on as the cars made their way round forty-five miles over six stages in largely dry but cloudy conditions. The man making all the news tonight, however, is Dave Weston, who can deservedly take his place in the history books after beating a man who may himself rewrite all these books in the years to come.
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