Rallying: Granite glory for Faulkner

Published on Monday 27 April 2009 00:32

MIKE Faulkner and co-driver Peter Foy won their first Scottish Rally Championship round after a day of drama in the forests south of Aberdeen.

Gretna-based Faulkner had been trailing Dumfries's David Bogie by five seconds going into the last stage of the Station Garage Mitsubishi Granite City Rally.Then Bogie put his Mitsubishi and, with more than three minutes lost, it was game over as he and co-driver Kevin Rae slipped back down to 14th.

Barry Groundwater finished runner-up on his home event in his Evo 9, with Jock Armstrong taking the final podium spot in his Subaru Impreza N11.

Faulkner's win at the wheel of his Evo 6 leaves the race for the Hankook Scottish Championship title wide open after three rounds – all of them with different winners. Faulkner said: "Word's can't describe it – we've had success in one-make championships, but to win a round of the Scottish series is absolutely brilliant."

GRANITE CITY RALLY: 1 Mike Faulkner (Gretna)/Peter Foy (Bingley) Mitsubishi Evo 6 42 mins 00 secs; 2 Barry Groundwater(Stonehaven)/Jude Wylie(Jedburgh) Mitsubish Evo 9 42.44; 3 Jock Armstrong (Castle Douglas)/Kirsty Riddick (Haugh of Urr)Subaru N11 42.53; 4 Jimmy Girvan (Inverness)/Mike Ramsay(Forres) Subaru Impreza 42.56; 5 Jim Carty (Elderslie)/Ian Fraser (Tobermory) Subaru Impreza WRC 43.17; 6 Calum Mackenzie (Sauchen)/Alan Clark (Glasgow) Ford Escort Mk2 43.18; 7 Reay Mackay/Robert Macdonald (both Fort Augustus) MG Metro 6R4 43.39; 8 John Crawford (Motherwell)/Ian Simpson (Dumfries) Ford Escort Mk2 44.23.