Herefordshire farmer, Roger Chilman, started his preparation for November’s Roger Albert Clark Rally by making the long trip north for the Scottish Rally. He walked away with 12th overall, 1st 2wd car, 1st in class and 1st Historic car home.

The event, now a former shadow of the five day international rally of the 60s and 70s, forms part of the Scottish Rally championship and offered the 93 crews 44 miles in the classic border stages of Twiglees, Castle’O’Er and Forest of Ae from its new Moffat base. 

Teaming up with the Ross-on-Wye based co-driver, Paul Morris, the duo totally dominated the 2wd category, managing to gradually extend their lead after every stage to win the 2wd drive battle by 39 seconds from Ian Wilson. They were nearly three minutes ahead of his nearest rival, David Brown, in the Historic class. After a trouble free event in their Securcom, Connop and son, Morspan Construction, Pirelli backed Escort RS1800.

Chilman said: “After doing both RAC and Silver Fern Rally in last two years, I enjoy the long events more so than the one day events, and with an entry in for the 2019 RAC I decided just to do events this year that use the same stages as the RAC in readiness.

“I’ve never been here before, but the stages are fantastic, and being my first event since November last year, I used the first two stages to blow the cobwebs away, but it went very well thanks to Paul for a great job on the notes.”

Chilman will be partnered on the RAC by Aberystwyth’s Patrick Walsh and the event will once again start from Leominster in late November.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.