Rally champs race off with gold medal
A pair of racing hotshots came first in their class at a prestigious rally event.
Buddies Duncan Ferguson, from Dalmellington and Alex Murphy, of Patna, took to the Grampian Forest Rally in their 1979 Ford Escort MK 2, placing first in Class 5 Historic Category.
Copper miner Duncan, 60, has not been racing for over a year due to his work commitments abroad but he breezed into the winning spot, a full two minutes ahead of Class 5’ s runner- up.
Co- pilot Alex Murphy, 50, has only been racing for two years, making the win even more of a success.
Navigator Alex said: “I’ve followed rallying since I was a boy.
“The opportunity came out to navigate for Duncan this time last year, which was a thing I never thought would happen.
“We’ve been close friends for a long, long while and I’ve followed Duncan rallying for over 30 years. It was a bit of a surprise for me.
“Our goal was to finish the rally without any damage - that’s always first and foremost, but to be competitors and win was something else.”
Duncan added: “This was Alex’s second rally so he’s picked it up well.
“The navigator is a skilled role as well as you rely on them telling you where your next corner is, if there’s any hazards or dangers.
“This was our first time doing the Grampian Rally so everything was brand new. We’ve been down in Wales the last year and there’s more historical cars down there, where as up here it’s more modern.”
Sponsoring their unmodified historic Escort was The Dalmellington Inn where owners James Mair and wife Lorraine helped keep the car, and their friends, in check.
The rally pair placed a solid 43rd overall out of 91 competitors.