Scottish Rally champion Gallacher won’t defend title because of 2019 budget woes

Reigning Scottish Rally champion Andrew Gallacher will not defend his title in 2019 after failing to secure sufficient budget.

Gallacher, who also claimed a win on the Wales Rally GB National event in October, will instead look towards the Galloway Hills rally as his only outing this year.

“It’s looking like I’ll be doing nothing this year which is unfortunate,” Gallacher told

Motorsport News. “It’s funding issues again, which we kind of knew was the case before the season finished.

“I’ll definitely be targeting the Galloway Hills and a few other local events, maybe even the Scottish, but it’s not looking good for a full season.”

The 32-year-old, who beat Donnie Macdonald to the Scottish crown by four points last year, has recently sold his exArmin Schwarz Ford Focus WRC01, with a full-season drive now unlikely.

“The car’s been good to me over the years, but it’s always been very expensive to run. I’ve never had any dramas with it.”

Asked whether Gallacher would team up with title-winning co-driver Jane Nicol on selected events this year, the Scotsman admits that is still up for discussion.

“It would be great to have Jane back, but that would all depend on whether she sorts out a full-time drive with someone else.”

Entries are open for the first round of the SRC, the Snowman Rally, which has been renamed in honour of its long-term clerk of the course and organiser Iain ‘Coogie’ Urquhart, who passed away last year.