… Arnold Clark Snowman Rally, Sat 10th Feb 2017 …
Final Class Results:
Class position / Start No. / Dvr / CoDvr / Home Towns / Car / Time
Notes:
No Class 9
Class 10, 4WD:
1st, 21 Fraser Wilson/Craig Wallace (Port William/Kirriemuir) Mitsubishi Evo 9, 49m 11s
Still in GrpN spec, the Clone Motor Sport Mitsubishi scored an impressive Class win and 13th overall. The ever parsimonious Fraser commented: “The tyres were wearing out too quickly, so there must have been some grip out there. We had a couple of wee overshoots on the brakes and managed to get into the top ten. Then we had puncture in S5 and dropped out of it again.”
35 Duncan Campbell Mauchline Michael Cruickshank Crieff Subaru Impreza, +1.17
Finished 14th o/a and 2nd in class adding: “If you had offered me that at the start of the day I’d have taken it,” said Duncan, “That’s my best result ever on the Snowman.”
2nd, 44 Ally Reid/Donald Urquhart (Muir of Ord/Muir of Ord) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, +3.25
Broke a drivrshaft on SS1 but fixed it by the side of the road.
3rd, 75 Mark Shaw/William Munro (Argay/Bonar Bridge) Subaru Impreza, +4.28
Mark reckoned: “The chicanes were too narrow in SS2, but I blame the car ahead of us, he knocked them in the way, not out!”
4th, 78 Brett McKenzie/Lauren Murray (Elgin/Fochabers) Subaru Impreza, +4.34
Summed it up with: “Fantastic day.”
5th, 43 Ross McFadzean/Laura Marshall (St Quivox/Ayr) Subaru Impreza, +4.42
Got held at the start of the last stage after an accident and was first car through. By then it was quite dark.
6th, 56 Donald Brooker/Rachel Booth (Ballater/Inverbervie) Subaru Impreza, +6.22
“Lucky we had a Lazer lightpod,” said Donald, “that was a good day.”
7th, 59 Kevin Crawford/Claire Martin (Alford/Huntly) Mitsubishi Evo V, +7.20
Another driver with a unique measure of success: “We’re still talking and still smiling. She hasn’t hit me – yet.”
8th, 89 Stuart Urquhart/Rod Manson (Shotts/Aberdeen) Subaru Impreza, +8.42
“A few cagey moments.”
9th, 93 Ronnie Horne/Paul Horne (Nairn) Subaru Impreza, +9.51
Finished with a blowing exhaust manifold and no auxiliary lights: “We judged it as best we could in the dark,” said Ronnie.
10th, 81 Graham Morrison/Steven Edward (Inverness/Tomatin) Subaru Impreza, +12.14
“We enjoyed our day,” said Graham, “although ‘enjoy’ is not the right word. Good to get a finish.”
11 Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Cornhill/Duns) Mitsubishi Evo 9 – DNS
Injured his arm at work.
22 John McClory/David Hood (Strathblane/Elderslie) Mitsubishi Evo 9 – DNF
Retired in SS2 with a mechanical issue.
24 Ian Baumgart/Dave Robson (Hawick/Jedburgh) Subaru Impreza – DNF
Slid off the road in the first stage.
25 Brian Ross/Iain Thorburn (Elgin/Elgin) Mitsubishi Evo 6 – DNF
Retired in SS2 with mechanical problem.
36 Ellya Gold/Jean Hay (Dunfermline/Dunfermline) Mitsubushi Evo 6 – DNF
Slid off the road in SS5.
39 Matthew Thomson/Ian Graham (Inverurie/Inverurie) Subaru Impreza GC8 – DNS
45 Sandy Arbuthnott/Ian Arbuthnott (Elgin/Forres) Ford Focus – DNF
An encouraging run cut short by electrical problems in the final stage.
51 Ian Petrie/Alan Falconer (Muir of Ord/Inverness) Mitsubishi Evo 4 – DNF
Slid off the road in SS4.
55 Tommy Graham/Mark Pickering (Bedale/Leyburn) Mitsubishi Evo 8 – DNF
Engine mounting broke in SS4.
76 Hector MacInnes/Jenny O’Kane (Breakish/Kyle of Lochalsh) Subaru Impreza – DNF
Engine failed in SS5
79 Mike Moates/Gary McDonald Aberdeen (Ellon/Subaru) Impreza – DNF
Engine fire in SS1.
83 Gary Blackmore/Sandy Corrigan (Fort William/Ardgour) Subaru Impreza 555 – DNF
Driveshaft broke in final stage.
Class 11, 4WD GrpA:
1st, 10 Steven Clark/Paul Gribben (Mostyn/Annan) Mitsubishi Evo 5, 47m 09s
On course for a top 3 finish when the turbo failed in final stage.
2nd, 5 Bruce McCombie/Michael Coutts (Banchory/Torphins) Mitsubishi Evo 9, +0.22
Puncture one and a half miles into SS1: “We just nipped a rim,” said Bruce.
3rd, 17 John Morrison/Peter Carstairs (Conon Bridge/St Andrews) Mitsubishi Evo 9, +1.07
“We had a BIG moment in SS4,” said John, “There was a long straight into a L1, we thought it was flat – it wasn’t.”
4th, 19 Ross MacDonald/Matthew Johnstone (Conon Bridge/Aberdeen) Mitsubishi Evo 9, +1.16
First time out in Donnie MacDonald’s well-sorted Evo9, Ross found it handled better, stopped better and had more power than his own Evo8.
5th, 26 Alan Dickson/Martin Forrest (Glasgow/Bridge of Don) Mitsubishi Evo 9, +1.44
It’s around 12 years since Alan Dickson last sat in a rally car and after just one outing in a Lancer on last December’s Grizedale he wasn’t far off the pace and he was: “Delighted. I’m not brave enough yet. Conditions have not been encouraging for that, I need more practice.”
6th, 28 Keith Morris/Terry Mallin (Aberdeen/Motherwell) Mitsubishi Evo 6, +4.01
“That was fantastic. We’ve been on our side once, and spun and had punctures.”
7th, 23 John Rintoul/Ross Hynd (Lower Largo/Dalgety Bay) Mitsubishi Evo X, +5.26
Good clean run finishing just inside the top 20 in 19th place o/a.
8th, 41 Robert Adamson/Richard Wardle (Moscow/Pickering) Skoda Fabia S2000, +6.57
First time out in the new car: “That was eventful, a baptism of fire. There was lots of brown ice out there today and we’ve been in a few ditches on our way here.”
2 Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Aspatria/Bingley) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 – DNF
Soft roll in SS2, hardly a mark on the car.
9 Barry Groundwater/Neil Shanks (Stonehaven/Elgin) Mitsubishi Evo X R4+ – DNF
Off twice in SS2, the second time till the tow truck arrived.
14 Scott McCombie/Mark Fisher (Banchory/Workington) Mitsubishi Evo 9 – DNF
Slid off in the first stage.
27 David Ross/Kyle MacKintosh (Auldearn/Auldearn) DAM Metro 4100 – DNF
Had electrical problems at Scrutineering, but got them sorted. Then they did for him again in SS4.
Class 12, WRC and R5:
1st, 7 Andrew Gallacher/Jane Nicol (Hurlford/Edinburgh) Ford Focus WRC, 46m 28s
A canny but quick, sensible and intelligent run to victory. Big threat for the 2018 title?
2nd, 6 Quintin Milne/Sean Donnelly (Banchory/Elgin) Subaru S11 WRC, +0.06
Unfamiliarity with the car over the early stages but turned it on for the final run.
3rd, 4 Donnie MacDonald/Andrew Falconer (Inverness/Inverness) Ford Fiesta R5, +0.20
Benefitted from Steven Clark’s problems but 3rd overall showed he’s back on the pace.
4th, 16 Reay MacKay/Keir Beaton (Fort Augustus/Inverness) Ford Focus WRC, +0.23
An outside bet for victory on this event, demonstrated his pace on snow and ice with one fastest time, and two second fastests.
5th, 12 John Wink/John Forrest (Huntly/Rothienorman) Hyundai i20 R5, +0.45
Superb result despite one slight off on the opening test.
6th, 3 Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Dumfries/Archiestown) Ford Fiesta R5, +2.34
Equal Fastest on the first stage promised much, but a misfire and then faulty steering ruined what might have been a fairytale debut.
7th, 15 Lawrence Whyte/Stuart Loudon (New Aberdour/Bothwell) Ford Fiesta R5, +6.01
Second ever stage rally provided steep learning curve and huge experience. Slid off into ditch on the ice for over 3 minutes on opening stage, but thereafter setting good times.
8th, 8 Freddie Milne/Patrick Walsh (Aberdeen/Aberystwyth) Subaru Impreza, +11.54
On course for a top ten finish until a 10 minute penalty was handed down.
1 Garry Pearson/Paula Swinscoe (Duns/Withnell) Ford Fiesta R5, 12 – DNS
Still had his leg in stookie after an accident at work four weeks ago when he slipped on ice running across the yard.
92 Shaun Sinclair/Paul Beaton (Connel/Inverness) Subaru Impreza – DNF
Two punctures and slightly damaged front end after 2 stages.
[Main Report]
[Fastest Stage Times]
[Classes 1 to 4]
[Classes 5 to 8]
Snowman Blethers