Thorburn wins Granite City Rallyposted in RSCOT26 | 04 | 2014
BORDERER EUAN THORBURN took a firmer grip on the ARR Craib Scottish Rally Championship when he won the third round, the Granite City Rally.
Piloting his Ford Focus World Rally Car, the Duns driver (pictured in action in the Granite City Rally) finished the 45-mile event — fought out through the forest stages south-west of Aberdeen — 37secs ahead of the Subaru of Jock Armstrong (Castle Douglas).
Five-times Scottish champ, and pre-event favourite David Bogie from Dumfries, was forced to retire his Focus WRC with piston problems after setting the fastest time on the opening stage.
"That was a tough test, but it's fantastic to win another round of the championship and extend our lead in the title race," Thorburn, who won the season-opening Snowman Rally in February and now leads the championship by eight points, said today.
Related: Bogie wins; MacCrone takes 2WD
"It's a pity David had to retire, because I would have loved to have battled it out with him today, but two wins out of three certainly boosts our championship hopes."
With the Mitsubishi of Kirtlebridge's Mike Faulkner third, and Thorburn's nearest title challenger, Aberdeen's Quintin Milne, fourth in another Mitsubishi, Bogie was left ruing his misfortune.
"Not an ideal day," the 26-year-old, who won the last round on Jedburgh, reflected. "Hopefully the damage to the car isn't too bad.
"We've made life a bit difficult for ourselves this year, in terms of winning the championship again, but we'll be doing everything we can to retain the title."
Bogie will take delivery of a new state-of-the-art, four-wheel drive Ford Fiesta R5 in the summer which he will use for the final four rounds of the championship.
Mull's John MacCrone again dominated the two-wheel drive 1600cc Class in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta R200.
The 24-year-old islander — co-driven my his uncle, Peter MacCrone, and who won on his debut in the Castrol-backed car last month in Jedburgh — was again imperious in the N-east as he cruised home 2mins 2secs ahead of his nearest rival.
Related: Euan Thorburn wins Snowman Rally
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Jim McGill
Photo: LindsayPhotoSport