A week after grabbing his first podium finish in the British Rally Championship, Dumfries 21-year-old David Bogie threw away victory in the third round of the Hankook Scottish Rally Championship when he crashed on the final stage.
The talented youngster, who started the final 5.75-mile stage of the Aberdeen-based Granite City Rally leading the Mitsubishi of Gretna’s Mike Faulkner by just five seconds, hit trouble midway through the forest stage.
Despite getting his Mitsubishi Evo IX back on the road, Bogie could only manage to nurse his stricken car out of the stage dropping 3mins 29secs to Faulkner who claimed the first Scottish victory of his career.
“I can’t believe I’ve won,” Faulkner, who was quickest through four of the six stages run through the Kincardineshire forests, beamed today. “I’ve been knocking on the door a few times with seconds and thirds, but to finally win is fantastic.”
Faulkner finished 44secs ahead of the Mitsubishi of Stonehaven’s Barry Groundwater, with the Subaru of Jock Armstrong from Castle Douglas nine seconds further back in third.
Defending champ Jimmy Girvan was fourth, just three seconds adrift of Armstrong and 56s behind Faulkner, despite dropping 54s when his Subaru suffered a puncture in the day’s second stage at Fetteresso. Bogie meanwhile took full responsibility for his error.
“It was just a stupid mistake, and completely my fault,” the youngster, who eventually finished 12th, admitted. “I just carried too much speed into the corner and that was that. Game over. Stupid really, but that’s rallying.”
JM