Horne delighted with new car after fourth place finish
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ANDY Horne finished just outside the top three placings after enjoying an impressive run at the RSAC Scottish Rally.
Competing in his new Ford Focus World Rally Car, Horne finished in fourth overall, but was less than a second behind third place Jock Armstrong.
Reigning Scottish champion David Bogie won the event in Dumfries, beating Euan Thorburn, who had Inverness co-driver Paul Beaton on notes.
"I thoroughly enjoyed it," said Horne, who had Jim Howie on notes. "The car is fantastic and long may it continue."
Inverness duo Dougal Brown and his co-driver Lewis Rochford ended the day sixth in the championship points after coming home eighth overall in their EVO 9.
"We had a great event," said Brown. "We started the day knowing that even a top 10 finish would be a great achievement.
"There were probably at least 20 crews with their eyes on a top 10 spot and half of those had a strong chance of taking a top five place. However, we knew that we had the pace when the car is going well and we are on form.
"Now, we’ll keep pushing on and we’re determined to keep getting consistent finishing results. It’s from consistent good results that were are now lying fifth in the driver and co-drivers championships.
"For the last two years, we have finished the season in seventh place, so we are on a mission to better those results this year.
"We’re looking forward to getting back out in the Speyside Rally to keep our momentum going’.
Meanwhile, the Highland crew of Scott MacBeth (Rosemarkie) and Danny Sutherland (Golspie) were convincing winners of Class Two, despite their Vauxhall Nova, following a little nosedive of a jump in the short Dalbeaty stage, cutting out after hitting water.
The next round of the championship is the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages in Elgin on Saturday 2nd August.
