BOGIE: RESULTS DO LIE
Despite the lack of a podium finish, David Bogie’s pace has been impressive in 2016. By Jack Benyon
Seventh overall in the standings, 84 points off the championship lead with two rounds remaining. That doesn’t sound like a former British Rally champion making a breakthrough, does it?
But the results couldn’t be further from the real story of David Bogie’s 2016 BRC season as the Scot pushes the boundaries.
Last year the 28-year-old competed in the Scottish championship, finishing just over a minute ahead of Jock Armstrong on the RSAC Scottish Rally in a Ford Fiesta R5+. In a less powerful Skoda Fabia R5 this year, and despite multiple punctures, Bogie was 2m05s ahead of the nearest Scottish challenger on the penultimate stage when the BRC and Scottish Rally Championship ran together there last month.
Yes, Bogie had a recce whereas the Scottish contenders don’t. But you don’t gain a minute from a recce.
“In the Scottish championship, I drove as fast as I felt I needed to win,” explains Bogie. “Whether I was driving at 80 per cent, 90 per cent or 100 per cent, that’s the pace I was going to drive at. I was driving at a pace with no problems.
“Going into the BRC with Elfyn [Evans], who’s match fit, is different. After 2011 he went to world championship level and has continued there since. Seat time at that level is a big thing.
“I rate Fredrik [Ahlin] very highly as a driver as well. He’s my teammate, I want to beat him but he’s done 28 world championship events, he’s done gravel notes for Mads Ostberg in the WRC. His day-to-day job is driving Audis for Audi Sport. After an event I’m back to work in the office!”
Bogie’s pace is all the more impressive given what his contenders have been doing in the period after Bogie won the BRC title in 2011 (beating Elfyn Evans in the process). Evans went on to compete for two years in an M-sport World Rally Car, while Ahlin has done enough events in his Fiesta R5 to be deemed an exciting prospect. Tom Cave, another BRC contender, spent the last two years in the WRC in the Drive DMACK Trophy. All while Bogie has been competing at national level on safety notes.
Many expected Bogie to be a strong title contender and be on the pace. In the wider sense, he’s proven the latter. Bogie has beaten Evans and Ahlin, among others, on stages but has failed to put the whole event together. That’s partly down to his refusal to settle for second place as proven on the Pirelli Carlisle, the third round of the year.
“We were five or six seconds behind Fredrik going into Sunday, the final day,” explains Bogie. “But I didn’t want second. All I wanted was the win, it was a win or nothing. Unfortunately we fell into a ditch and got stuck. I said to Kevin [Rae, co-driver] ‘I really want the win, when have we ever said second is a good result?’ For me if we had won on the Pirelli or got second, our championship would be alive and kicking. But of course, mistakes have been made along the way and that’s not where I want to be. Ultimately the plan is to learn this year and come back and win the championship next year.”
The switch of focus to next year has been forced by the lack of results for Bogie in the BRC, but it’s also a result of his reinvigorated passion for rallying. The BRC needs to attract people like Bogie to stay sustainable in the same way the British Touring Car Championship attracts Gordon Shedden and Jason Plato year on year; professional drivers who are almost certain to return and compete. The BRC is doing its job in that department.
“I’ve got a reignited passion for rallying in general,” adds Bogie. “As soon as I can get away from work I’m gone and it’s rally, rally, rally. That hunger just wasn’t there before. The championship is growing and it really is an exciting time. I don’t think I’ve met anyone as excited about the sport as Fredrik so that’s certainly rubbed off too.”
The Scot is certain that, combined with seat time and reigning in his flamboyant style a touch more, the next step will come from improving his notes as he finds his rhythm.
“I’ve followed Elfyn on a few rounds this year and his style is very tidy,” elaborates Bogie. “I would say that for me a big factor is in 2012 I went back on to organiser’s notes, no recce, driving someone else’s notes. Since then Elfyn has been fine tuning his notes to a very good standard [while in the world championship] so I’m back at a stage of writing notes and it’s been a big challenge. Pacenotes is certainly where further pace will come.”
In hindsight, it would have been great to see Bogie rein in the bazooka-style attitude – especially in Carlisle – and focus on points and the championship. Retiring from the Scottish Rally while playing his double-points joker was a huge setback as Evans and Ahlin both won with theirs (25 points for a win doubled to 50). But it’s easy to have a poor season of results in rallying, and the reassurance of pace means Bogie will be a factor on future rallies, and for future championships. ■