Strong Highland contingent set for Snowman rally
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HOME fans will be spoilt for choice with a strong Highland contingent set to challenge defending Scottish champion David Bogie at tomorrow’s Arnold Clark Snowman Rally.
Inverness driver Donnie MacDonald could lead the fight against Bogie alongside co-driver Andrew Falconer, also from the Highland Capital.
MacDonald is seeded eighth in the opening contest of the eight-round ARR Craib Scottish Rally Championship — the 58th annual Snowman, organised by Highland Car Club.
He will be among more than 100 crews hoping Bogie slips up as he aims for his third consecutive Snowman victory.
Seeded ninth is Reay Mackay and co-driver Robert MacDonald, both from Fort Augustus. They will aim to avoid engine problems which forced them to pull out early last year as they try to repeat their winning performance of 2009.
Andy Horne, of Inverness, is seeded 11th in his return to competition after an absence of more than a year. He was fifth alongside co-driver Jim Howie in his last outing over the five-stage course in 2011.
Last season’s Group N section champion Dougal Brown, of Inverness, and co-driver Lewis Rochford will want to continue where they left off. Brown finished seventh in the main rankings last season, but he won the Group N drivers’ championship.
They are seeded 16th, one place ahead of Inverness crew Steven Ronaldson and co-driver Ann Marie Fraser.
Former Scottish champion Jimmy Christie, of Inverness, will be joined by debut co-driver Ian Thorburn (Elgin) as seed 22.
Local success may also come from Inverness-based Paul Beaton, who is co-driver for second seed Euan Thorburn, who will be trying to dent Bogie’s title-chasing ambitions.
Although Bogie is the top seed, this will be his first competition behind the wheel of a newly-acquired Ford Focus WRC ‘02, having retired his faithful Mitsubishi EVO 9 at the end of last season.
During the past few weeks, the Dumfries-based driver has been familiarising himself with the car, particularly the switch to left-hand drive.
Further pressure is set to come from third seed Jock Armstrong, who won the Snowman in 2010, and last year’s runner-up Mike Faulkner, who was also second in the championship overall.
“It will be a case of trying to stay as close as possible to Euan and David and hopefully pick up the pieces if they have problems,” Faulkner commented.
Banchory’s Quintin Milne bagged his first ever championship win at the Colin McRae Stages in October — the last event of the 2012 season — and will be pushing for another podium place.
