Watch the Jim Clark Rally and Scots aces in GT and BTCC action

SCOTS aces drove to podium glory in both the world of rallying and endurance racing last weekend.

The Jim Clark Rally and Reivers Rally provided three days of top-level action around Duns – with about 240 crews tackling the closed public roads in Berwickshire.

Hosting round two of the British Rally Championship among other contests, the biggest battles were predictably played out by the BRC contenders over the Friday evening/Saturday spectacle.

In the end, Irishman Keith Cronin and co-driver Mike Galvin enjoyed a commanding victory in their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5.

James Williams and Dai Roberts took second place after a gutsy drive in their Hyundai i20 R5, while Duns driver Garry Pearson secured his maiden BRC podium finish at his home event, with co-pilot Dale Furniss, in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Afterwards, a jubilant Pearson said: “There is no better place to take your first British Rally Championship podium than in front of a home crowd.”

The race to be the top non-BRC crew home centred around the National Asphalt Championship and it would be Steve Wood and Dale Bowen who took the spoils in their Fiesta WRC.

However, it was Duns ace Euan Thorburn who led for most of the day before a hydraulic pipe failure forced the Focus WRC driver out on the final stage of the rally.

Maintaining local interest, Cornhill’s Michael Binnie and Duns co-driver Claire Mole came sixth in their Mitsubishi Evo, while St Boswells resident Ross Hunter finished 11th with Martin Woodcock alongside.

On Sunday, attention turned to the Reivers Rally and the Scottish Rally Championship contenders looking for maximum points.

But it was Thorburn, with Paul Beaton on the notes, who took a superb win on his home event – redemption after the late