British Rally Championship front-runner Garry Pearson took victory at Scotland’s most historic event, the RSAC Scottish Rally, last weekend (Saturday July 19).
Competing in Dalbeattie as preparation for the upcoming British Rally Championship round near Aberdeen, the Grampian Forest Rally (August 8-9), Pearson and his co-driver Hannah McKillop won the 41.5-mile rally by 15 seconds in their M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Being competitive was never Pearson’s plan as he instead focused on getting reacquainted with gravel driving and finding the perfect setup for his car, however he soon found himself in the lead of the event and able to control the pace.
Victory elevated Pearson’s name alongside rallying legends such as Colin, Jimmy and Alister McRae in winning Scotland’s most revered rally.
“The winning feeling never gets old!” Pearson smiled. “We had a really enjoyable day in the car on some great stages, and to have our names on the same trophy as rally legends like Colin McRae,
Ari Vatanen and so many other legends is really special. However we didn’t go to the Scottish Rally aiming to win.
“Instead the plan was to get much-needed seat time in the car, having not driven on gravel since April, and we managed to work on a few things in terms of the set-up which gives us good confidence. I know I could’ve driven better than I did but we’ll save our best for the Grampian!
“A big thanks to M-Sport for the opportunity to compete because it’s a much more valuable experience than testing, just being in rally mode and doing everything as you would on a championship-scoring round.
“But we never expected to win this rally. As a driver you’re always competitive and want to do well, but up against a field of quality drivers using bigger turbo restrictors I thought I’d be eaten alive in places. The fact we weren’t is a nice reminder of how far we’ve progressed.”
Pearson’s attention now turns to his next BRC round, the Grampian, as the season resumes after its two-month summer break.
“The pace is hot in the British championship, but I hope we can deliver a strong podium – that’s got to be the aim considering our recent momentum,” said Pearson.
“However we know that won’t be easy. Our M-Sport team-mate Romet Jürgenson will have done both Rally Estonia and Rally Finland in the World Rally Championship before the Grampian, and we’ve seen how quick both the Toyotas are. For sure it’ll be a big fight but we’re preparing really well and the Fiesta Rally2 is developing very well, so along with Romet we’ll try and take the battle to the Toyotas.
“But most importantly, together with the entire rallying community, we’ll be rallying in memory of Dai Roberts.”
