Dom Buckley RSC

With our hire Škoda finishing the Monaghan rally on Sunday night in tarmac spec, and my dawn arrival to HQ on Monday morning, it really does pile the pressure on for the week ahead. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Yes, in the ideal world, we'd have all cars sitting ready to go. This would not be an issue, however with seven cars to be ready to leave Kelso by Wednesday afternoon, it was going to be a tough week. The boys were really getting stuck into the task in hand, the cars were well on their way by Tuesday night. Fairness to all the lads, they put in a full shift each day. 💪🏻💪🏻.
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There is however so many other moving parts to take into consideration! Yes, the simple option is one make and one spares package but really…! Historic BMW M3, Skoda, Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota Yaris Rally2 cars.... five totally diverse, non-interchangeable spares packages. Wheels, tyres, body panels, the lot, all to be packed and loaded in a tidy, uniformed, format so they can be easily located and accessed at short notice. Wheels coming out our ears! Fletcher flatout fitting test tyres, almost non-stop! I know it sounds like I’m groaning at everything, but honestly time gallops on and it’s actually not that bad! Every car needs a run to make sure all systems are correct, brakes bedded etc. clean off and loaded to trailer.
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On a rally departure or return day, it really is chaotic at HQ. Cars, vans and trailers loaded / half loaded / lights checked / half checked, parked up, on the road! Oh hold on, a delivery van is coming! Move that truck now, and so it goes on! It really is always quite nerve racking, when there’s a big event coming off. There’s so much to remember, and to be honest, I just want it all to go smooth.
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Grampian Rally. As schedule, we were all on the road Wednesday night, and overnight at Finavon left us just a short spin Thursday morning to our test venue at Fetteresso forest. The morning session would see Max McRae and Cammy Fair shaking down the #1 Skoda RS rental car. Joined for the morning session by our new recruit Brandon Semenuk and Ross Whittock in the #10 Škoda RS. Brandan has rented from us back in the day in Canada, so it was nice to catchup and we were looking forward to working together with the mountain bike pro again. The Thursday morning shakedown / PR day was calm, with nothing stressful, just nice'n'easy, some small changes and general maintenance.
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How quickly things can change… with the arrival of another five crews for the afternoon sesh, and our morning two still running we plunged from verging on the over staffed 😂😂😂 to running possessed (my base setting... 🤪). All done by 17.30 and we’d be on the way to Banchory Service Park. It was suggested that perhaps we could do the tents on Friday morning - Willie, what were you thinking?! 😂 (Wash your mouth out). Annoyingly, I’m a great believer that it’s always done with more enthusiasm in the evening before finishing time... 🏃‍♂️🍻
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Friday was a decent day, nothing too early and quite relaxed. We’ll start from Fletcher, who I’m sure is gonna be pumped! 💪🏼💪🏼 He must have pushed 100 tyre trolleys around! With Scrutiny in the Banchory Fan Zone, it really does bring the rally to the town. The local interest and support is second to none. With a mid-afternoon start the day really flies in, and suddenly if time to GO…!
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This weekend, we had some pretty cool dudes in the team!

> Red Bull mountain bike extraordinaire, the one and only Brandon Semenuk

> Cammy the multi-talented fisherman’s friend, reading notes, frying fish and changing tyres 💪🏻💪🏻 mighty powerful.

> JC the superbike racer (showing my over 50 age bracket again) like the lead character from the 80s Silver Dream Racer movie.😂

> And the coolest crew, who really don’t have to try hard at it, are our Haddo residents Ernie and Patricia Lee. The lust for life and pure enjoyment they bring is second to none. 😍 They would bring their historic BMW M3 to the Grampian event for the first time. Having campaigned their old BMW 325 for years with great success, they have migrated to the more potent M3 machine.
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Patricia has been in love with the M3 since day one. 😍 Ernie initially still had the old 323 in the back of his heart (big sentimentality) anyway when George dropped the old car to Haddo on route to Banchory last week, the comment was "I can’t believe you let us use the old 325 for so long!!" 😂😂 Anyway, we’re off for the 2026 Grampian Rally, hop in dear (see not trying to be cool, it just happens….) So Friday's stages really were a blast, the pair were over the moon with their Friday night date night! 🥰 Saturday was more of the same, a great push round apart from the ss5 spectator stage, where it was felt the ruts were nearly too much for the historic beast. (That's the CAR, I mean! 😉) During the lunch break, Patricia mentioned Ernie had waved to the crowd. I didn’t realise the extent until I saw the actual photograph! Left hand out the window whilst grabbing a little RH opposite lock. COOL. 😎 A great weekend for the pair finishing up 53rd.
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Hugh Brunton and Greg Halfpenny would run their Toyota Yaris Rally2 for the first time on gravel. Thursday's shakedown has been a short blast but with limited time after Friday evening, the pair decided to call it quits and retire. Next time up. 👌🏼
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Bob Adamson, this weekend partnered by Emma Clarke, had the gleaming VW Polo R5 out for the race. Thursday's shakedown was great to blow the cobwebs away after a long lay off from the gravel and they were feeling good. Friday night was great stages round and easy, Big Ian away for the 🥩! Saturday the new pairing worked away well, and picked up the SRC places, a nice clean run saw them in a great 26th overall. 🙂
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Scott Beattie and Andrew Falconer would use our VW Polo R5 rental car for the first time. Scott attended the Thursday test and really got to grips with the car. Friday night saw great pace and they were feeling confident starting Saturday. Good morning stages, but unfortunately on the run out to the Saturday afternoon stages the fuel pump cried enough. So sorry about this lads it gets to me when we get failures. 😞
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John Crawford and Josh Davison were in their RHD Rally2 Fiesta.
This pair have been really pulling their pace up this season. The speed has been building with every rally. From the Friday off they had been at it. Saturday afternoon and as they approached a R3 - prob two gears too high - they disappeared off the road backwards and into the distance… with little damage but the mountain to climb too big, they would need to wait in the recovery crew. Top job with the extraction and the lads drive back to the trailer. Hard luck lads…. 😞
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John Morrison and Sinclair Young had never used a Fiesta Rally2 on gravel, but had decided to keep their car in tarmac spec for their next event and utilise our 24-spec Fiesta for the weekend. With Gav sitting in at the test, John was on a familiarisation mission. Friday evening and Saturday morning was tackled with some caution but really putting the hammer down over thd afternoons stages the boys would up 32nd. Good effort. Thank you. 🙂
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Max and Cammy were right up for it this weekend. Great stage splits on ss1 saw the boys flying, but an unfortunate double puncture just before the end of the stage really was a disappointment. 😞 With some tyre juggling pre-ss2 the boys started the stage with a full puncture on the back and the punctured tyre in the spare. Great intelligence (obv you had no input here Cam 😏) and tyre management saw the lads arrive back at Banchory Service well inside the regulation stipulation of driving on a puncture. Disappointed but well up for it, saw the boys pulling well back. Great top stage times on Saturday put them down close going into the last stage. 🤦🏻 another puncture would see them from what could have been, absolute great attitude and strong mindset on Saturday. Top job boys.
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Finally Brandon and Ross really were the unknowns in the pack. Outsiders that I’m sure a lot of people didn’t really know how well they would go. Friday afternoon and we had a slight predicament. 5 minutes before the start, Brandon decides he would want to use the AT8 tyres. OK....... with this particular compound in very short supply, as the cars sat there with 2x AT8 and 2x AT6 crossed, he asks if we can get more 8s for tomorrow, then he says he will fit four of them for tonight's stages. We need to decide in like 4-minutes 😬 yeah ok, I will get them, swap the car to the 8s. I can’t help myself…. right, where will we find some of them! 😂 But really, as I’ve said before rallying is unique - if you need then, someone will help you and likewise. 😀 A little hard on themselves, the lads thought their pace could have been better on Friday night but 6th overall at the break isn’t so bad. Saturday and at the end of the stage before service, the boys had a small fuel cut, so we had some sensors, throttle motor etc ready just incase. HP fuel pump was diagnosed as the issue, but with time running tight and only a Polo (not Škoda) unit we were a little unsure if this would solve the issue. Some concerns over the sealing of the HP pipe fitting really was testing the lads, plenty hands and blue paper. Steve’s rough right arm nipped it up tight enough in the nick of time. Departing service and at the control with no time loss! 💪🏻👌🏼Excellent work, team. Great speed over the final stages saw the new pairing come away with a great result. Only 5secs behind 5th. Really commendable and great to have you in the team again. Thanks to Arturs and Michael for their help in the engineering front, and Arturs for the tyre shuffling. 😂😂
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So really a great busy weekend. Disappointed for Scott and Andrew (and Hugh and JC) but great effort from all our team on event and back home in the workshop- it’s a massive effort from everyone. 😀
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📷 AF Motorsport Media
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And this week's special mention to Hayley Harrod. Hayley joined us at the start of the year, and really has become a top member of the team. Thorough and precise. Good effort. Thank you. 🤩

So a week past, Ben and Al headed off on an adventure towards he Artic Circle. Our favourite Icelandic friends Dani and Pinky were to join the Ljómarallý based in the nothern part of this stunning island… their Rally2 Škoda RS which they used last month just needed a quick tickle up and it was ready to go! With a Wednesday flight and arrival, all was easy. The lads were keen to sample the local produce, so a fish dinner was the order of the day! 😋 Danni and Pinky would drop them to their accommodation on the way home.... apparently, it's an Icelandic tradition that if you build your bed on the first night it brings good health! The lads were right in about the ikea beds with gusto! 😆
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Thursday, it was small reprep and check over to make ready for the drive to the rally location. Some damage from the last event a few weeks ago was promptly sorted by our mystro himself; a deranged steering arm was straightened and reinforced as good as a crane boom!!
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My ignorance was so that I had no concept or idea of 🇮🇸. When Ben said they were heading off on a four hour road trip I thought “Really?!” Anyway! Little known fact…. it takes 17hours and 1300+km to drive round the island!
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Friday scrutiny and we were all good to go on the next day's event of 115km and 6 stages. Unfortunately drama struck early with a puncture on ss1, and a jack malfunction really knocked the wind out our sails! Did it? I think not… we might have been 4m37 down but the attitude of my Icelandic friends really is to behold. It’s not about issues, it’s about fun and enjoyment. Resilience is a great thing and we all should accept it. A puncture and broken jack! 🤦🏻 "Ok I shouldn’t have hit the rock then I wouldn’t have needed the jack, so my mistake!" 😊
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However that don’t help things. A great event where we started to run shy on tyres! “In my wisdom I didn’t take enough to the rally! But the ones we had still have air, so let’s be pleased.” Why can’t there be so much honesty as this in the world!? It would be uplifting if we were all a bit more Daniel...! 😆
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With the rally running an in and back type single road, the crews would head away into the stage, wait for the field to arrive, turn around and run in reverse order (kinda Stobbs Camp style! - nobody under the age of 50 may get this comment! Doug R ?? 😆) The downside of this meant Al & Ben were stood on the top of a mountain in FOG. Anyway! Long and the short it this was a great week and the lads loved it! Five fastest stage times on the remaining stages clawed things back from last to th podium, just 1m35 down. A great 3rd overall 🥉 but Danni and Pinky, you're always our winners! 😍
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Meanwhile back at base, things were really 🔨 🔨 🔨 with so much to do to repair our hire Skoda in time for the Grampian, and just not really enough time...
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🇮🇪 Last Saturday night and Sam Moffett sends me a txt to ask if we would have a Skoda RS available for his home event, the Monaghan Stages the following Sunday. As with all cases, I say 'ok let me come back to you.' The car's sitting ready for the Grampian in gravel spec, but within around 5 minutes, I just can’t stop myself from saying..."yeah, no bother" and suddenly we need to flip to tar then back to gravel for the week after. The lads look at me on Monday as if to say “yeah, no **ing bother.” 🤦🏻
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Friday departure to Cairnryan lifting Willie P on route, leisurely with more than one coffee stop, we’re aiming for our Friday night 18.00 test slot. Decal application on route by ourselfs thanks to Mark McCulloch at Signright Graphics and we had the car looking 👌🏼 although my design head (or tape measure) was a bit astray and I had to call on another friend Barney Mitchell of M-tech Graphics to tussle me up a side sticker for Saturday. 🤩
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Friday night test all good. Happy and comfortable with the car. our first issue was on Sunday morning between Parc Ferme and tyre change, when it appeared that Sam's left foot had grown snd now wouldn't fit between the clutch snd the foot rest! Some creativity with a slitting disc and a grinder sorted that sharpish! 🤠
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Over the day Sam and James O'Reilly really got to grips with the car, on their first time in the Skoda. With little seat time they were more than happy to come away 2nd to Josh. 🥈 Good racing. Only one minor blip of the weekend, you can imagine our disappointment as our 20.00hrs ship sailed as we were still in Monaghan… anyway we would catch the next one and home by early Monday morning was a positive.
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📷 Gamli Feiti Bitri Gaurinn 🇮🇸
📷 KG Rally Pics 🇮🇪
📷 Mark McCullagh 🇮🇪
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Special mention this week to Joe Spelman, top man. Always there to lend a hand when we travel to Ireland. Appreciated. Finally, just another mention, great to have so many nice, genuine, people around every day, that are willing to get you out a hole and make your life easier: Mark, Barney, thanks for your help and support. And of course, thanks to everyone else on team RSC, the good news is we go again tomorrow...! 🤩

Early last week saw me having a leisurely few days AWOL! Unnfortunately for all at HQ, “just like a bad penny” 😛 I arrived back on Thursday morning (that’s a short week). As always, the boys had everything in hand. A quieter weekend for us would see just three cars contest the RSAC Scottish Rally. It just wasn’t possible to pull together enough people to make a Friday test viable, so no mad Friday panic, all easy, Friday morning departure to Dalbeattie, and there was little left to do.
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The Facilities and Service Park @ Jas P Wilson in Dalbeattie really are top class. It makes our whole operation so much easier and streamline. (Not sure if 'streamline' is a word to describe us 🤣🤣) when all is located in the one place, movements of truck, vans, trailers and cars are at a minimum. 😊
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Ernie and Patricia Lee would make it two in a row, leading on from last week's Nicky Grist Stages in Wales, the ever youthful couple would be set for the Scottish thriller. Friday afternoon arrival was slightly delayed (prob a 💇‍♀️ appointment 🙄😝). The Historic BMW M3 was set to go! Saturday's morning loop of stages was again dry and dusty. Super demanding conditions saw the pair arriving back at the midday Service with little issues to report except that perhaps the intercom wasn’t loud enough. The question could also be “did he want to hear” ? 😅 Anyway, new boots and away out for the afternoon loop. It really is a thoroughly enjoyably experience to have these friends along at rallies. The total enjoyment is fantastic. A delayed stage and longer start intervals to cater for the extremely dusty conditions, meant a later than anticipated finish for this pair. Dust in Patricia’s hair was not our problem this week, but Marchbank’s finest strawberry jam 🍓 was certainly clinging on there! 😝 A great day all round, no issues and class winners to boot. The happy couple departed north, Ernie in high spirits, with harvest on the horizon and a new combine to pilot! 😊
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Max McRae and Cammy Fair were flying it with our Škoda RS Rally2 rental car. Right from the off, the lads were performing above and beyond. Great pace and some small changes to set up, all was heading in the right direction. Unfortunately within sight of the finish on the last stage, the duo fell foul to a jump and a deep ditch and stuck fast it was game over! The highs and lows of rallying! It’s such a fickle sport. 🙁 Hard luck lads. Next time.
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Last but certainly not least, John Crawford and Josh Davison would be out with their RHD Rally2 Ford Fiesta. Arriving in first service, nothing amiss but John was hating the dusty conditions! Just feeling he couldn’t commit to anything and subsequently times were not there. During the second and third loop, the lads were awarded a two minute interval which totally transformed things. Pushing on rightly for the remainder of the day, they were over the moon with 7th place.
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Our catering manager had been doing a sterling job this weekend, finger sandwiches, wraps, cakes, strawberry tarts 🍓 ('these are for me & Patricia' 🙄) whilst also generally preventing things from descending into chaos. 😝 However John’s parting comment referring to his weekend clearly pointed that the finer things in life are not for us all! “Dust and nae Sausage Rolls!” 🤣🤣🤣 (So room to improved for the Grampian!! 😏)
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As always a huge thank you to all the lads at HQ and on the event - it’s your totally professional attitude that allows me to take it easy, safe in the knowledge that all is complete perfectly.
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📷 Robin Luke
📷 AF Motorsport Media
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Special mention this week to Lucie - back at base in the office, but totally keeping the wheels rolling and the ship steady. 😊 Glad to have you back.

Apologies here…. I actually totally forgot to write this week - things have been so leisurely. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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On Wednesday last week, we had a wee shakedown test in Kielder forest with John Crawford. Having not been on gravel since mid April, John was keen to get some miles in before the upcoming Scottish Rally. So a grand day out, getting back to grips with the car, the Kielder stage was in top condition and John was loving it. 🤠 (look out, Max. 👀)
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Friday morning's departure to Wales saw all the troops head off sharp. The 4th round of the BTRDA Gravel Championship, the Nicky Grist Stages, would be based in Mid Wales, and offered a totally classic tough, hot rally, which our crews were looking forward to.
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Ernie and Patricia Lee are great lovers of this tough, dusty Welsh rally (although the dust does play havoc with Patricia's hair! 😝) It was so hot and dusty, but the historic BMW was a step forward from the old 325, which only has small slider windows. This machine has the full electric-spec, allowing the window full opening (oh my hair 👸🏻!) Motoring round the morning stages, the pair had some small issues when the car wouldn’t start. The boys traced and replaced a lift pump feed in service and all was great. A quick refresh and we were off. A perfect afternoon motoring with more fresh tyres as the originals weren’t even fit for the silage pit!! (fermer talk) Good pushing on saw the pair round to the finish in a very respectable 68th of over 100 finishers. Monday morning hairdresser appointment required! 😊 There will be less dust in Dalbeattie...
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Daniel Sigurðarson and Asta Sigurðardóttir would again run with our Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 hire car. Never having competed on the Nicky Grist before, Danni & Pinky were a little apprehensive and not 100% sure what to expect. The Team Principal had guided the pair towards the Michelin hard tyre... (🤦🏻 unfortunately, we can't be right all the time! 😅) The morning loop of stages were completed, and the pair were thinking that the grip level was average! 🫤 For the afternoon, our bold couple continued with the same four tyres, finishing up the day in 5th overall and with the four tyres pretty much on the canvas! 🥵 Overall I think we enjoyed our first Nicky Grist! 🍦
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James Wilson Rallying and Paul Mulholland would continue their Welsh Championship quest with our sister Skoda Faia RS Rental car. The boys were keen to improve on their last Plains Rally outing, and were up for the fight. Sticking it in there on the first stage the boys were more than happy until a puncture mid way through ss2 meant considerable time loss. Unfortunately through stage three and four James became quite unwell, and had to retire. Hope to see you fit and healthy asap. ❤️‍🩹
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Early Friday morning departure for Kev to the far away west coast Campbeltown, for the Mach1 Stages. Mark McMinn and Dick Wardle would wheel out their Rally2 Fiesta and were keen to get good clean run. The Mach1 Stages really is a great event with proper mileage and almost guaranteed weather. ☀️ Saturday was all about getting back into it. The boys haven’t had the best run of late but Saturday was good. Sunday the lads kept hard at it and were happy to come away with a good result and all wheels still rolling. 👏🏻
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tom Williams Rallying has contested the Goodwood Festival of Speed numerous times over the years, and has always finished well up. It really is a special event, with huge crowds and razamataz, it’s the business... 🤩 The lads Ben and Andy headed off early Wednesday morning, with our newest recruit alongside. Not put off by any stories he'd heard about our long working hours or missing bags etc, Arthur Appleford had written to us earlier in the year with an interest to come along to RSC for his school work experience!!! And he was thrown in at the deep end. 🙈 Wednesday afternoon was all about the stickers. Our boys pulling out the stops and making the plain Polo look a million dollars. Tom had never driven our VW Polo R5 rental car before, and was keen to get to grips. Early running was very positive, and with just a few small tweaks, he was flying. 🚀 The competition on the rally stage was over the three days. It was hot and heavy. 🥵 Top driving (except for one little slip on Sunday morning) meaning Arthur had to jump in and give the lads a hand. 😀 Thankfully we still emerged as victors by just 0.5seconds at the end of the 3-days of action! 🏆
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📷 Black Mountains Media 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
📷 Douglas Photographs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
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Special mention to Arthur (chip off the old block) Appleford. Fantastic attitude and a great help over the week. 🌟 We'd be glad to have you back anytime. 😊
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And not a special, but a mention all the same, for Philo! Friday afternoon he managed to arrive in Builth Wells by 16.00, good time keeping. 😊 However, he kept the best till last!! On the homeward leg, a monumental delay on the M62 saw the poor lad sat still for 6 hours (I'm sure we managed a wee nap...) only to be turned around and driven off the motorway in the wrong direction, and not home until 07.00 on Sunday morning! 🤦🏻

🛞 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘: 𝟭𝟴” 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗰 𝗧𝘆𝗿𝗲𝘀 🛞
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▪️4x 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 𝗥𝗔𝟱𝗔 (new): £220 ea
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▪️𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶 𝗥𝗔𝟳𝗘 (very good condition): £190 ea
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We can deliver to Mach1 this weekend, please message Dommy:
📞 07778 653464
📧 [email protected]

This weekend was leisurely for most of us here at HQ. 😮 Meanwhile, on an island far far away, our super Icelandic friends were taking part in Rally Miðsumarsrall. 🇮🇸

Dani and Asta would make the international debut for the Skoda RS in Iceland. The car arriving in Iceland only a week ago, there was zero time for tests on the lead up to this event.

During a normal full-on busy work week, our big friend (that's Daniel...) was in such a rush, that he exited his crane with mind and body - however, such was the rush that although the said mind and body left, the leg was trailing behind! 💥 The resultant crash to the ground left our superhero in severe pain, and a practically impractical leg. It was not even clear if he would be able to start the event... 😳

Dani knew he could squeeze into the car! However, if it was possible to exit was the real question! 😬 If so, then they were set to go. With Dani somewhat laid up, Pinky had been running around in overdrive: like a blue a** fly getting everything set! (My hero. 🦸🏼‍♀️)

Saturday morning dawned with summer like weather near Ólafsvík. The first stages of the rally were treated with some caution, gently bedding themself (himself) in. Great stages over incredibly difficult terrain, making the need for precision driving a must. Slight contact with a rock resulted in a tyre change after the stage, but minimal time loss.

The remainder of the day was completed and a fine winning margin saw our superstar siblings home and dry, fastest on every stage and a 59s winning margin. 🏆 “A win for the fabulous Fabia.” Great to see our friends competing on their home soil, and happy with the result. Congratulations.

PS - Princess Asta 👸🏼 ... you can now relax. 😊 A gold star for you. 🌟
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📷 Gamli Feiti Bitri Gaurinn
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Special mention this week to our long-time Dutch friend, Annemieke Hulzebos - top effort in last week's Polo competition will see a RSC hoodie winging its way to you! x

Getting grounded back to earth after last weekend's participation on the Plains Rally was pretty sudden and abrupt! With both our Skoda RS hire cars needing a gravel to tar conversion, it was all go! Our schedule working towards a Wednesday test, it was tight going!
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Returning, long-time customer Garry Pearson, along with stand in co-driver Jack Morton, were stuck for a car to contest the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally. A quick call and the formalities were agreed. There would be no time for an intricate test, so some quick running on our local test road would be scheduled for Wednesday night. Between times, the lads were busy readying our other Skoda for Rory Young and Allan Cathers to hop into for their first tarmac event of the year. Unfortunately time constraints meant that Rory would only get a short blast up the road on the Friday afternoon after scrutiny.
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I know you're gonna go yeah yeah yeah, but seriously one thing that takes a huge amount of our time is seat / wheel / pedal box / driver and co-driver positioning (co-drivers generally more precious... 👸🏻👸🏼). However, the lengths we go to! If someone sits in our car one weekend, next time they step back in, be it a week or a year later, we should be able to have all their position correct! No messing around! Just get in and GO!!! 😃
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The initial deadline was to have Hugh Brunton's Toyota Yaris ready for a Wednesday afternoon shakedown. Pete @ Dampertec had been flat out leading up to a small Irish rally this weekend! But fair play, he turned our dampers round to the latest spec in record time. Al doing the DHL collection early Wednesday morning and we were set for the afternoon test. Garry's first time in the car took a few runs to get the feel and up to speed but Hugh was off like a 🚀. A good test saw everyone happy and with just spare pads and discs to bed we were actually on track!
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 So. Round 4 of the SRC. It’s always a juggle at Argyll! 🤯 Go a day early and secure your service space, or reserve and make the early Friday morning trip? Morning trip is always good, it’s not so far and it’s a nice drive! A 07.00 depart see us up there by 13.00 which leaves plenty time for hanging around.
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A pair of Polos were joining us for this event. (I'm not sure if there’s a collective name there? Let’s have a competition: winner of the best collective term for two Polos gets an RSC hoodie! Answers in the comments below!)
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Anyway. Scott MacBeth and Andrew Falconer were looking to put the disappointment of last months JC behind them. Scott (tarmac specialist - yeah, with a shovel 😃) was well up for it. And Bob Adamson and Harry Stubbs would bring along and pedal their yellow peril! Looking sweet as always.
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So Friday night, 18.50 KO all set, lights fitted. Hot out the box Hugh and Drew (sounds like a dodgy 70s Scottish singing duet!) were on 🔥 with great times over the opening Dunoon town stages saw them topping the leaderboard for a while. Rory and Allan were fast as usual, just 2 down on the boys and really hanging on well. Scott and Andrew were having some small pop-off issues which was definately costing them a bit. Garry and Jack were learning the car and settling in nicely over the first leg's stages, tipping round to end the day on the top spot!
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Late on SS6 the problems began: disaster struck for the Scottish Christmas Trees pairing! Blinded by the low sun, and even with singlasses, Rory misjudged the corner and just drove gently off the edge of the road! 😬 Stuck fast, with not a scratch! Their punishment was to stand and be eaten by midges 🐜 for the next two hours. 🤦🏻😬 Then double disaster! Just a mile further down the stage, Hugh picked up a front left puncture! Flat in 5th gear, the green machine decided to swap ends! Coming to rest with also very limited damage!
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Meanwhile back in Service the other cars were readied and set for Day 2. It’s always an Argyll marathon, and with the lads getting back to hotel @ 01.30 then back up @ 06.00 it really is tough going.
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Hugh & Drew decided to go home on Saturday morning, while Rory and Allan re-started the second day, however really their hearts weren't in it and they decided with so much time loss the day before to pull the pin and retire at mid-day service. 🙁 See you all again soon.
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Bob and Harry had felt the suspension was all a bit soft for the evening stages. Wet tyres, soft clicks and drying roads were compounding the issues. Suspension tweaks and a set of soft slicks were the order of the day. Feeling the engine maybe wasn’t as sharp as it could possibly have been, the boys persevered well. However, near the start of stage 13 it appears that the exhaust manifold gave up the ghost! 😕 Tough break!
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Scott and Andrew were hot at it straight away on Saturday morning. A small map update on Friday night had sorted the pop-off issue and the boys were fit to use the extra power! Great times really pushing on and always keeping Garry under pressure was a great performance! No Saturday issues except farmer for Macbeth 👨‍🌾 cutting the hedge with his front left wing! Close racing lads and a strong 2nd overall! 🥈
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Garry and Jack really put in a splendid measured performance first time out in the Skoda. Really pushing on and finding the limits of the new car, the boys piled round to a great victory! Not to be outdone by 👨‍🌾 Scott, the #1 Škoda arrived at the end of the ss10 with the ilke of a wounded seagull 🫢 with the front right wing nearly gone! 🤠 Great stuff lads, good to have you along and well done on the victory. 🥇 (Jack, good effort to use the complete rental car mileage quota. 😉)
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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 All done, a quick cup of tea and onto that M6 again!! Like a 🚀 to Newtown, Mid Wales! Max had headed off from HQ early on Saturday with the Crafter and Bambos Charalambous' Rally2 Ford Fiesta. Sunday's Grooms Garage Sweetlamb Time Trial would be his mission for the weekend. David Higgins would hop into the RH seat for this one! We get lots of co-drivers coming round with their fancy gear! This lad doesn't have a scrap of paper, he has a pencil but no watch with seconds displayed! 🤣 Some operator…! Talk about an early start for a single venue rally! Service open @ 05.45. 🫩🥱 Since acquiring his car early this year, Bambos has been gradually building speed, rally by rally, improving bit by bit. Sunday's conditions were perfect, bright sun but early morning midges! 🐜 (Lucky we had some Argyll spray left to tackle them! 💪🏻) From the off the boys were showing good pace. The format of one stage 3 times then reversed was good and lended itself to measure improvement. By lunchtime, the bold boys were into the top ten and with a good push on the last stage popped into 8th place 👏🏻 missing 7th by 2 seconds! Good going! Next time…
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So a mixed bag weekend, all great though and smiles all round. Arriving home it’s another one of these weekend when you realise the kit bag is still in the back of the car and hasn’t moved ! Only minus a couple pairs underwear. 😃 Oh well, that’s still packed for the next instalment then! New week already, and first job this morning to collect our Yaris from the Royal Highland Show where it's new jazzy livery had been helping draw in the crowds on the WRC Rally Scotland display stand all weekend.
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As always, thanks to the team for their efforts! On long days like Argyll Friday it’s so good to have you all there that can put up with my hair brain ideas for the duration of around 20 odd hours constant. 🤦🏻 Thank you - gold stars all round! 🌟
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📷 AF Motorsport Media (Argyll)
📷 Jack Griffiths (Bambos)
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Finally special mention this week to a recently passed good friend: Freddie Sharp from Greenlaw was around us for as long as I can remember! A proper good guy, who I and many of us had the chance to work along side. Always a laugh, always a whistle up the workshop, and often singing! 🤣 Sorely missed, thoughts with Janice, Graham, Marie, Camie and Elliot. "He was a boy. 🙃"