WITH the weather set to be hot and dry over the weekend, the pace promises to be blistering in the climactic stages of the Jim Clark International Rally.
The annual Borders event, which also accommodates a round of the Scottish Rally Championship tomorrow, got underway last night in Kelso with the opening six stages.
The serious business begins today and the fast pace should suit last year's winne
r and reigning BRC champion Mark Higgins. The Welsh-based Manxman will line up in his Morgan Motorsport-prepared Subaru Impreza lying second in the title race and desperate not to repeat the two punctures which cost him victory in the Pirelli. "The Jim Clark is always a cracking event and it's going to be fast as always," Higgins said.
"It will be very tough this year with the cars so closely matched. The event is not as technical as the Manx or the Ulster rallies but if anything that will make it harder for anyone to gain much of an advantage."
Two other drivers likely to set the pace are former champs Gwyndaf Evans from Wales and Yorkshireman Jonny Milner. While the Englishman admits to loving the event, he has mixed feelings.
"I've had two cars capable of winning the event go up in flames on me during the Jim Clark. While I expect things to be hot this weekend, hopefully they won't be that hot," he laughed
Fastest Scot in the championship, and current S1600 class leader, is Aberdeen's Barry Clark who will be driving his Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Fiesta S1600.
"It will be good competing back in Scotland," explained Clark, who is also contesting the Junior World Rally Championship and Fiesta SportingTrophy International this year. He has contested the Jim Clark before in a Ford Ka, a S1600 Puma and a Subaru Impreza.
"They are nice fast roads which should suit the Fiesta and obviously I'm hoping to do really well this weekend."
Such is the attraction of the only event in mainland Britain to be staged in its entirety on closed-off public Tarmac roads that the entry list was closed after 350 applications for the 300 places. Thanks to a special Act of Parliament which suspends the Road Traffic Act for the period of the road closure, there are no speed limits.
"Our only disappointment is having to turn so many away," said rally manager Colin Pagan. "We have worked hard to accommodate as many as possible by altering the numbers in some events but, ultimately, our road closure timings only allow a certain amount of flexibility, and we've squeezed that to the maximum.
He added: "With the way the weather is shaping up, plus the high level of competitors taking part, I'm sure we're guaranteed a top class weekend."
The full article contains 494 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
