The 2010 Hankook Scottish Rally Championship got underway on Saturday 20th February with The Arnold Clark Thistle Hotels Snowman Rally based in Inverness.
The conditions were very tricky to say the least with frozen snow covering ice on most of the 5 stages.
Connel’s Shaun Sinclair with Co Driver, Chris Hamill from Kilmore near Oban were confident of a good result after pre-season testing in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 had proved successful.
However a poor tyre choice in the first two stages saw the number 5 seeds drop 1 minute and 45 secs to the leading Subaru of Castle Douglas driver Jock Armstrong. With so much time lost, the rest of the day became a damage limitation exercise, with the Oban crew eventually finishing in 14th place overall and 3rd in class 10.
The Isle of Mull father and son team, the Eddies, O’Donnell, (Junior and Senior) were out in their Escort Mark 2. Having only two wheel drive, the experienced pair put in a tremendous performance in the treacherous conditions to finish 29th overall and 1st in class 9.
The rally was won by Jock Armstrong and Kirsty Riddick in the Subaru Impreza, having been fastest on all five of the stages and creating a margin of nearly 3 minutes to the next car – a marvellous display of car control and bravery.
The next round of The Hankook SRC is on the 20th March based in the Border town of Jedburgh. We can only hope the winter is over by then…
Campbell Cameron, Motor Sport Editor
The photograph above is of the Sinclair / Hamill Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and is by copyright holder Neil Loughray.
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