Rallying: Burn puts on scorching show

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Sep 14, 2003

Former Scottish champion Jon Burn dominated the final round of the New Pig Scottish Rally Championship, the Park Systems Furniture Stages Rally in Newton Stewart, on his way to winning by 93 seconds.

The Larkhall driver, partnered in his 20-year-old MG Metro 6R4 by co-driver Stan Quirk and whose last win came in the McRae Forest Stages Rally in Perth in July, set fastest times in all four stages to finish well ahead of second-placed John Morrison's Mitsubishi.

"That's the perfect way to end the season," said Burn, who only managed to compete in the event after borrowing a car part from rival John Bogie in Dumfries.

"We went testing with the car on Thursday and the centre diff went. If we hadn't managed to borrow one from John, well we wouldn't have been here today. The win's really down to him."

Burn, using a new compound of tyre from Yokohama, was in dazzling form on the fast forest stages and threw down the gauntlet right from the start, scorching through the opening stage 4.2 seconds faster than the Subaru Impreza of Thorntonhall's Chris Wagner.

Wagner's assault though came to an end when he parked his Impreza on its roof, an ignominious end which also befell Andy Horne. The Inverness driver, third last time out in Elgin, seriously damaged his MG Metro when he rolled It. Both Horne and co-driver Jim Howie escaped uninjured.

Burn's progress continued through stage two at Glentrool when he was 30 seconds faster than his nearest rival, Conon-Bridge driver Morrison. The Mitsubishi driver held off the challenge of Aboyne's George McDonald (Subaru) who finished 11.3secs back in third. Aberdeen's Calum McKenzie (Ford Escort) and Gordon Cunningham (Subaru) from Galston rounded off the top five.

Aberdeen's Lorna Smith, with dad Andrew as co-driver, clinched the New Pig Ladies Scottish Rally Championship when she brought her Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV home in 11th place overall.

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