William Creighton delivered a masterclass on gravel to dominate the 2025 Voly Grampian Forest Rally this weekend [8/9 August], taking five stage wins from ten to secure his second Probite British Rally Championship victory of the season and secure the outright lead in the standings.
Partnered by Liam Regan in their Michelin-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the former FIA Junior WRC champions stamped their authority on the event from the very first mile, winning both of Friday evening’s tests to build a commanding lead.
By the finish on Saturday, Creighton’s measured pace and faultless execution earned him a convincing victory by over 30 seconds, ahead of Max McRae/Cammy Fair in second and teammate Meirion Evans/Dale Furniss rounding out the podium.
Dry, dusty, and ultra-fast, the Aberdeenshire stages demanded bravery and precision in equal measure, offering the perfect arena for another BRC battle, which has seen more than a handful of drivers show their mettle on the stages this season.
Creighton wasted no time in stamping his authority on proceedings, winning both of Friday evening’s stages to open up a 16-second cushion over teammate Evans. Returning on Saturday with equal confidence, Creighton rattled off another two stage wins in the morning loop, extending his advantage to 25 seconds by midday. From there, a controlled drive brought him home to a convincing win.
“It feels amazing!” said Creighton at the finish.
“We put a lot of preparation into this rally beforehand, working on the videos, with the car and my driving to get the most out of this weekend and to get the result, it makes it all worthwhile, so I’m delighted.”
“We have worked so hard, it’s fantastic to get good points for the championship, so super, super pleased! This year [Grampian Rally] went a lot better than last year, I guess we learned from last year and tried to right those wrongs. I think we’ve done well, and it’s great to achieve what we have.”
Behind him, McRae celebrated a breakthrough BRC podium on home soil in his MRF Tyres-backed Citroën C3 Rally2 after overhauling Evans on Saturday morning. Quick out of the blocks on Friday, McRae held third overnight before a strong push on Saturday morning saw him edge past Evans into second. Despite intense pressure from the Toyota man, McRae held firm to secure a hugely popular result in front of home support, delivering an emotional maiden BRC podium in the process.
In his Pirelli-supported Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, Evans admitted he couldn’t quite match Creighton’s pace or repel McRae’s charge. Still, third place keeps the Toyota teammates locked in a thrilling title battle heading into the final two rounds of the season.
Garry Pearson’s rally was a story of highs and lows. Fourth on Friday and just 3.5 seconds from the podium, he and co-driver Hannah McKillop were set for a strong finish until a Saturday morning puncture dropped them down the order. M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 teammates Romet Jürgenson/Siim Oja endured an equally frustrating weekend, suffering a misfire on Friday before the same puncture curse on Saturday.
Both mounted spirited recovery drives, with Pearson clawing his way back to fourth whilst Jürgenson charged from 15th to fifth after taking four stage wins in the afternoon.
Callum Black showed impressive form on his Grampian debut and was in podium contention before an overshoot cost him dearly. Ending his rally equal on time with Jürgenson, he secured fifth and remains upbeat about his pace, which saw some flourishing times in the Fiesta Rally2 for him and co-driver Jack Morton.
Jonny Greer/Niall Burns marked their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2’s gravel debut with seventh, locked in a close scrap with Welsh champions Matthew Hirst/Decland Dear in their Skoda Fabia Rally2, who were eighth on their first visit to the Grampian. Robert Proudlock/Harry Marchbank were standout performers, wrestling their BRC3 Ford Fiesta Rally3 to 13th overall and a class win, beating machinery with considerably more power in the process.
The Junior BRC battle boiled down to a weekend-long Peugeot 208 Rally4 duel between Joe Kelly/Killian McArdle and Kyle McBride/Darragh Mullen. Kelly struck first on Friday night, but McBride hit back on Saturday morning, drawing level to set up a tense final loop. Kelly held his nerve and his pace to take his second Junior BRC and Stellantis Motorsport Cup win of the year.
“That feels pretty good, we’ve worked for that big time,” said Kelly. “No moments, no issues all weekend apart from that puncture on SS8. I’m speechless, over the moon!”
Sam Mason/James Seymour took their first Junior BRC podium in third, steadily building pace in their 208 Rally4. Natalie Robinson/Sam Collis claimed fourth, while Kalum Graffin/Mark McGeehan completed the top five.
Alexander Vassallo and Michael Gilbey delivered a commanding victory in the Open Rally Title category, their Ford Fiesta Rally2 taking 12th overall. Alan Carmichael/Harry Walshaw brought their Hyundai i20 home in second, while John Morrison/Sinclair Young rounded out the podium in a VW Polo R5.
In the National Rally Title, Rob Cotton’s Subaru Impreza claimed top honours with Ethan Kidd alongside, ahead of early-season leaders Chris Richmond-Hand/Izzie Holman in their crowd-pleasing Toyota Starlet.
With just two rounds remaining, starting with the asphalt showcase of JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion [5-7 September] in September, where the FIA European Rally Championship joins the fray, the fight for the BRC crown is tighter than ever. Creighton has the upper hand, Evans is in striking distance, and McRae is now a proven podium threat. Across every class, the battles are heating up, and the title showdowns are far from settled.
