Motorsport: Duns driver Garry Pearson achieves his best career British Championship result at Ulster Rally

“This is exactly what we came here for,” a delighted Pearson, 31, who was Scottish Rally champion two years ago, said post rally.

“The Ulster is an incredibly tricky event but this year’s was extremely difficult with the torrential rain on Friday.

"It was a challenging weekend to say the least!

“With the championship in mind we knew we had to be sensible and keep it on the island which is exactly what we did, but I was really pleased with our pace towards the end of the rally.

“Big thanks to Dan (Barritt, co-driver) - it was great to learn from his experience - and the whole team for their continued effort.

“Our focus now turns to Rali Ceredigion in just two weeks!”

Round four of this year’s BRC, the Ulster took Pearson and his Melvyn Evans Motorsport-prepared Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 to Northern Ireland for 10 challenging Tarmac tests.

With a clear objective to build his experience and make the finish of the event, the last thing Pearson wanted to see was monsoon-like conditions on the first day which made the going incredibly treacherous.

Pearson therefore elected to check his pace on Friday before mercifully the weather cleared for Saturday’s second day and the Duns driver’s confidence grew.

Keeping his head and avoiding any drama however was the name of the game, and Pearson was able to record a well-deserved second place finish - which was also his second BRC podium in as many events after his third place In Belgium.

Playing his joker also allowed Pearson to scoop an additional four championships points, meaning he has now climbed into second overall in the points table.

Pearson is supported by Billie Bowie Special Projects, Hankook UK, Asset Alliance Group, George Anderson General Builders, Solid Fuel Hub, Husqvarna, R.L Smith & Sons, Brick & Steel Construction and Morris Lubricants.

Pearson will next be in competitive action on round five of the British Championship – consisting of 12 stages totalling 100 miles – which will be held in Aberystwyth, Wales, on the weekend of September 2 and 3.