M CC OM BI E SWITCHES TO FOCUS WORLD RALLY CAR
Mitsubishi front runner targets scottish success with new machine
Scottish Rally Championship frontrunner Bruce Mccombie has bought an ex-peter Taylor Ford Focus WRC02 and will run the car for the first time on the Grizedale Rally ahead of an SRC bid next year. Wales Rally GB National winner in 2016, Mccombie finished fourth in the SRC this year in his outgoing Mitsubishi Lancer E9, claiming one overall podium finish on the Argyll Rally.
“It’s nice to have a change and try something different,” Mccombie said.
“We did contemplate R5 but I think they’re more of a young man’s car. The WRC is maybe slightly easier to drive. My biggest bugbear with them is age and reliability, but you just have to maintain them. Andrew [Gallacher]’s was exceptional this year so we’ll just have to see.”
Despite his experience with fourwheel-drive machinery, Mccombie admitted the WRC will take a lot of getting used to.
“We are hoping to do Grizedale and see how the car is,” he said.
“I gave it three miles last week without [turbo] lag on, and it felt good. Everybody’s saying ‘expect to go backwards before you go forwards’, so it’ll be a learning curve as it’s a lot different to what we’re used to.
“We’ve been so used to keeping the Evo neat and tidy, but I think we can be more sideways with the Ford Focus as the car sorts it out for you.”
Mccombie is coy about what he can achieve in a WRC, but admits the 2019 Scottish title is an “unrealistic” aim.
“We’re up against quick guys, so the title in the first year with the car is tough,” he added. “If we can be as quick as were in the Evo, that’s realistic. We’re just going to go out, hopefully with a grin, and see what we can do.”