Jim Clark Rally hitting Borders roads again at weekend

​The three-day event, sponsored by Clackmannanshire-based firm Beatson’s Building Supplies, gets under way this Friday and runs until Sunday.

As ever, it will be contested mainly in and around Duns but, once again, its 100-plus miles of routes feature a stage in the central Borders taking in Bemersyde and Redpath, east of Melrose.

Its main attraction will be the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship, and that top-flight competition, taking place on Friday and Saturday, will be accompanied by the Protyre National Asphalt Rally Championship and several regional competitions.

Sunday’s Jim Clark Reivers Rally will form a round of the current KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship, also accompanied by regional championships.

Duns Market Square will host ceremonial rally starts and finishes, the first leaving at 7pm on Friday for two passes of the Longformacus stage, the latter taking place after dark.

Action heads north-east to Fogo, Ayton and Edrom on Saturday, that stage being run twice too.

Sunday’s event includes an Eccles, Westruther and Scott’s View stage to the south-west.

Leading the field will be French World Rally Championship contender Adrien Fourmaux, also contesting this year’s British Rally Championship.

The 28-year-old, driving for M-Sport Ford, won the opening round of the British competition, Cumbria’s Malcolm Wilson Rally, in March and will be racing in the Borders for the first time to gain additional minutes behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally2, accompanied by co-driver Alexandre Coria.

Last year’s Jim Clark Rally winner, Ireland’s Keith Cronin, with Mikie Galvin alongside him, will be returning in his Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 with a hat-trick of wins in Berwickshire in his sights, having come out on top in 2012 too, as part of his bid for a fifth British title.

Northamptonshire’s Callum Black, with Jack Morton as co-driver, arrives fresh from a Manx National win in his Fiesta Rally2 and will be competing in the national asphalt championship too.

Several Duns drivers will be hoping for a win on home turf, and leading them away will be Garry Pearson, now, like Cronin, in a Volkswagen Polo and currently sixth on the British championship leaderboard.

The 31-year-old, 2021’s Scottish rally champion, took third place last year and is setting his sights higher up the podium this time round, with Burnley’s Dan Barritt as co-driver.

Pearson is also hoping to get back on track after making a faltering start to his 2023 British championship campaign at Cockermouth, with Melrose’s Hannah McKillop as stand-in co-driver, due to a clutch issue affecting his old Skoda Fabia R5.

“It was a difficult rally so I was delighted to get to the finish, to be honest,” he said afterwards.

“I think it’s fair to say it was a tough start to our season, but we’ve got some decent points on the board.

“Considering the issues we faced – lack of seat-time and familiarity with the stages and then, of course, our clutch problem – I think we have to be happy with that result.

“For sure it was a character-building day but that will stand us in good stead for the future.

“Up next is the Jim Clark, my home rally, so I’m really looking forward to that.

“Hopefully we can try and improve on our third place from last year.”

Fellow Borderer Euan Thorburn won 2022’s Reivers Rally and is contesting both events in his Ford Focus WRC this weekend, with Paul Beaton alongside.

Another Duns driver, Dale Robertson, will be making his annual outing in a Fiesta Rally2, accompanied by Keir Beaton.

Six-time Scottish rally champion David Bogie, of Dumfries, will also be competing in his Ford Escort Mk II, with Kevin Rae at his side.

Sunday’s racing will see the Scottish Rally Championship join the line-up, headed by Thorburn, 36, looking for a winning double, along with Pearson and 2011 main rally winner Bogie, 35.

Also competing will be Scottish championship leader Jock Armstrong, of Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, accompanied by McKillop, in a Subaru Impreza, as well as Cornhill-on-Tweed’s Michael Binnie in his Mitsubishi with Duns co-driver Claire Mole alongside.

This year’s Jim Clark Rally, staged in memory of the late Berwickshire farmer and Formula One champion of that name since 1970, is only the third in the last nine years, 2015 to 2018’s having been cancelled after the deaths of three spectators in an accident in 2014 and the event’s comeback in 2019 being followed by two years off due to coronavirus restrictions.

“We are very excited to be staging the 2023 Jim Clark Rally,” said Dan Wright, chairman of the event’s organisers, the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club.

“The organising team work tirelessly behind the scenes to produce a world-class event and it’s all set to be another fascinating weekend of motorsport for the region.

“Interest in the rally is at an all-time high and we hope that fans and competitors alike will enjoy the offering we have this year.

“To keep the event fresh, there is a switch around in the route, meaning everyone can enjoy some new stages and see just what the Borders has to offer.”

Further information, including advice for spectators, is available at jimclarkrally.co.uk