Borderers ready to reap the benefits of Jim Clark Rally’s return

The full-scale return of the annual Jim Clark Rally is being hailed a “good news story” for the region as it looks set to venture further into the central Borders than ever before.
The 2014 Jim Clark Rally in Duns.The 2014 Jim Clark Rally in Duns.
The 2014 Jim Clark Rally in Duns.

The two-day event returns in all its glory this spring, for the first time since a fatal tragedy struck in 2014, forcing a five-year hiatus of the event.

Held in honour of Fife-born racing driver Clark, the rally took place annually on closed roads in Berwickshire and at Kelso from 1996 to 2014, until three spectators died after being hit by a rally car near Swinton during the event six years ago.

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It made a comeback, in scaled-back form, in Berwickshire last November and now its organiser, the Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club, is planning a repeat on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, May 30 and 31, with the intention of going further west than on previous routes, into Cheviot and Eildon.

But before Scottish Borders Council can grant a traffic order to give the rally a final green flag, community councillors and other residents are having their say on it at the council’s Berwickshire, Eildon and Cheviot area partnerships.

Tom Weatherston told the latter of those at its latest meeting: “I think it’s great that the rally is coming back to the Borders.

“It quite rightly starts in Duns, Jim Clark’s home town, and it’s good to see it coming further into the region this time.

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“I think it’s a great for the Borders. When you see what is spent over that weekend it’s definitely a good news story.

“Hopefully in future it will creep further into the Cheviot valley.”

The proposed first stage is around Westruther, the second stage is from Redpath to Scott’s View and Clintmains, with stage three at Eccles, followed by a repeat of the Westruther and Scott’s View stages and on to Eccles and two further stages at Longformacus.

Sunday’s racing will be at Edrom, Ayton and Whitsome.

“I never try to justify the rally in any other way that on economic development grounds ... even though I am a complete petrol head,” Jim Clark Memorial Motor Club chairman and director Daniel Wright said.

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“While we are limiting it to a 114-car rally at the moment, we have three rally runs so expect a total of 228 cars over the two days, which will bring a lot of people into the area.”

The event, estimated to generate £2.5m a time for the Borders economy, was cancelled for four years to allow action to be taken to ensure there was no repeat the fatalities in 2014’s race.

“A lot has been done in terms of how we control the press and what access they are given, Mr Wright added.

“There’ll be unique spectators areas and a lot of thought has gone in to its set up.

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“It’s a very expensive thing to do, but we had a lot of scrutiny in the run-up to last year’s rally to ensure that we were abiding by the rulings of the sheriff.

“We ran a smaller scale rally then, but we are back to a full scale event this year.”

Following the fatal accident inquiry in November 2017 into those deaths, sheriff Kenneth Maciver criticised the rally’s system for identifying and overseeing safe viewing spots for spectators.

He issued 12 recommendations for rally organisers and other authorities and suggested a further 11 matters for consideration.

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Mr Maciver added it was lucky that photographer Iain Provan, 64, his partner Betty Allan, 63, both of Barrhead in East Renfrewshire, and spectator Len Stern, 71, of Bearsden in East Dunbartonshire, were the only casualties.

Despite the accident and that criticism, there’s been widespread calls for the event to make a full-scale return.

“The Jim Clark Rally is regarded by competitors as being at the peak of rallying,” Mr Wright added. “People come from all over to not just take part in it and compete, but to marshall as well.

“It has got prestige, quality and is well organised.

“It’s almost like a military operation getting this to work.”

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Should the proposed routes be approved, organisers also intend to stage a trial run for competitors on Friday, May 29, south of Mellerstain Mill, near Smailholm.

“On the Friday there’ll be a reconnaissance run where competitors will go round the routs in road cars under supervision,” Mr Wright said. “So there will be action in the area the day before too.

“Anyone that breaks the rules will be banned and given a £400 fine which will go to charity.”

A chartered engineer by trade, Mr Wright has also worked as a consultant in aerodynamics for various Formula 1 and racing car designers.

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In response to questions over the impact the rally has on the environment, and whether plans are afoot to make the rally more eco-friendly, he told embers of the Cheviot Area Partnership: “At the moment the technology for electric cars is not suitable for this kind of event,” but he assured its environmental impact is something they “do give thought to”.

Comments on the rally’s return, following its comeback in November in scaled-down form after a five-year absence, can be left at www.scotborders.gov.uk/jcrsurvey until Sunday, March 8.