Scotland-England rivalry in prospect as Border Counties Rally returns to Scottish Rally Championship fold after seven years away
Rugby’s 2026 Calcutta Cup might already have been added to an Edinburgh trophy cabinet but further Scotland-England rivalry is in prospect as the Border Counties Rally returns to the Scottish Rally Championship’s fold this Saturday after a seven-year absence.
Englishman Elliot Payne is the top seed but he will face tough competition as the top crews from last month’s Snowman Rally in the Highlands and Riponian Stages Rally near his home-town meet up in the Borders.
The 23-year-old, from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, won February’s Riponian for the fourth time in a row, and he’ll be easy to spot when he arrives at Newtown St Boswells for Friday’s scrutineering in his Hooch-branded Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Following him north to contest the Hawick and Border Car Club event are five of the top seven from the Riponian – Liam Clark and Jack Morton, Alexander Vassallo and Chris Lees and Stephen Petch and Michael Wilkinson, all in Fiesta Rally2s, and Icelander Daníel Siguroarson, with Martin Brady on notes, in a Skoda Fabia RS.
They’ll be up against a Scottish contingent led by Borderers Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop, fresh from placing sixth in last year’s British Rally Championship.
Pearson, 2021’s Scottish rally champion, didn’t compete in the latest Snowman Rally, round one of 2026’s Scottish championship, but has entered that homeland competition, potentially to be contested alongside the British version he’s been taking part in since 2022.
The 34-year-old won one Scottish championship event last season, Dumfries and Galloway’s Scottish Rally, and he and Melrose’s McKillop are looking forward to hitting the road for round two of this year’s sequel, with round three, the Jim Clark Reivers’ Rally, based in his home-town of Duns, to follow in May.
“It is really exciting to see the Border Counties Rally back in the old Tweed Valley stages, and while I’ve not committed to full championships yet, I couldn’t miss this event just 20 to 30 miles from my home,” he said.
“Having two big Scottish championship events here is brilliant for Borders rallying, sport and tourism, and Hannah and I are looking forward to very competitive rallying on great stages this Saturday.”
The Scottish championship is led for now by Highlander Scott Macbeth and navigator Andrew Falconer after their round-one win. They’ll start in the No 3 car, behind Pearson and McKillop, in their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5, with Siguroarson on his tail, followed by former Scottish champion Jock Armstrong and Craig Nelson, with 2024 Scottish runners-up Mark McCulloch and Michael Hendry in car seven.
Current and past Border Counties Rally winners and favourites are coming out in force.
Duns co-driver Claire Mole is out with Dingwall’s Ross Jarrett in car 22 and 21-year-old Melrose driver Robbie Wood continues his debut season in the Scottish championship with navigator Steven Brown.
Coldstream’s Des Campbell, Galashiels veteran Alistair Brearley, Hawick’s Alistair Crawford, Kelso’s Ian Watson and Jedburgh’s Keith Atkinson, Iain Heard and Jack Amos are all taking part too.
Also competing are three female drivers, North Yorkshire’s Christina and Natalie Robinson and Kyle of Lochalsh’s Meghan O’Kane, and Kelso navigator Carin Tait-Logan is back in action as well, this time keeping Dumfries competitor Richard Stewart on track in his Peugeot 208.
For details, visit https://www.bordercountiesrally.co.uk/