Motorsport: Borders co-drivers Hannah McKillop and Claire Mole finish in first and second teams respectively at RSAC Scottish Rally in Dalbeattie

McKillop was navigating for race winner Jock Armstrong in an Impreza, while Mole was in tandem with runner-up Michael Binnie in a Ford Fiesta R5, with Armstrong and McKillop ultimately finishing just five seconds clear by the end after a dramatic final stage.

In Armstrong’s home territory, his Impreza crew was fastest by four seconds in the opening stage and never out of the top two times over the next three stages.

Speyside winners Finlay Retson and Paul Beaton were closest challengers in their Ford Fiesta Rally 2, six seconds quicker than everyone else through stage five and crucially eight quicker than Armstrong and McKillop. The top two were now tied on time with just one run left.Both crews then put their cars off the road, but the difference was their luck.

A suspected puncture left the Fiesta crew stuck on some rocks and unable to continue while the Impreza amazingly bounced back onto the road with only cosmetic damage. Despite the off, Armstrong and McKillop were still fifth quickest over the final stage, Armstrong describing himself as “the luckiest man in Dumfries and Galloway” and saying he was determined to take the win in his backyard to keep the dream of another Scottish title alive.

Binnie and Mole were second quickest in stage five and fastest in six to close within five seconds of the win at the finish. A good result and a fitting send off for Mole as she takes a step back from rallying.

After five rounds of the KNC Groundworks Scottish Rally Championship, the overall drivers standings have Armstrong (137 points) seven clear of second-placed John Wink, with Binnie third on 108.

In the co-drivers leaderboard, McKillop (135 points) is 26 ahead of Mole.

The next meeting in the eight-event series is the Voyonic Grampian Forest Rally at Banchory on Saturday, August 12.