By DAVID FERGUSON
YOUNG Borders rally driver Robbie Wood stepped up the pace in the Voly Grampian Forest Rally at the weekend, finishing second in the Scottish Rally Championship’s Junior (under-25) class.
After moving from a successful youth career in quad racing, the 21-year-old from Melrose made the shift to a full season of rallying last year in the MG3 Championship. An engine problem in the final event denied him the title and he had to settle for runner-up to Rian Walker.
This year, the young farmer has focused on the SRC Junior Championship, and introduced his own Pirelli-shod Peugeot 208 for the first time in the Jim Clark Rally in May. Unfortunately, after running well through the two days of the British Rally Championship event, he rolled in the Jim Clark Reivers Rally, the counter for the Scottish Championship, and, after a good outing at the Argyll Rally, a mechanical issue brought an early halt to his RSAC Scottish Rally in Dumfries and Galloway.
But at the weekend the car stayed true and he and experienced co-driver Steven Brown finished 36th overall in a field of British, European and World rally crews – ahead of the World Rally Championship coming to Aberdeen next year. They were the 13th British Championship crew and Robbie the fifth British Junior driver.
That brought second place in the SRC Junior field, just 28 seconds behind winner Natalie Robinson, from Yorkshire, who he beat by 16 seconds on the final stage – and by then was wishing the rally had more stages to go.
‘Delighted to break into top 30 on final stage’
Robbie said: “It was a great weekend and, yes, I was wishing the rally kept going!
“After the problems on the ‘Scottish’, I took it a bit too easy in the early stages but we moved on after that and got on the pace of the junior leaders over the last six stages and I was delighted to break into the rally’s top 30 on the final stage.
“Taking runner-up in the SRU Junior class was a great step in the right direction, and now we know what the car can do when we push, so all eyes now are on the final event of the year.”
Robbie congratulated fellow Borderer Garry Pearson on sealing the Asset Alliance Scottish Rally Championship title, for a second time, and paid tribute to his support team, having received some extra support from Euan Syme and Mark McCulloch on set-up in the lead-up to the Grampian, and from Scott and the team at G&M Mechanical Services Rally Preparation.
“I couldn’t do this with the support and sponsorship we have from a lot of people,” he said, “and it’s great to feel that we are showing them what we’re capable of now.
“I’d also like to thank the Grampian organisers, marshalls and other volunteers who put on a fantastic event, and the rallying community for all their brilliant support because the number of people out supporting was amazing, which suggests the WRC Rally Scotland event is going to be fantastic next year.”
Thank you also to Shannen McInally for supplying great action pictures from the Grampian Rally.
