Subdued rally event shows respects to royalty
The rally organising team from Solway, Machars and South of Scotland car clubs were faced with a difficult decision when last Thursday’s tragic news was announced.
Rallying is a nomadic sport by nature and it was felt that the rally provided an opportunity to bring rally folk together for a communal commemoration, hence the decision to go ahead.
Prior to the rally start, the organisers held a twominute silence and rally driver Scott Sloan played the Lone Piper lament Sleep, Dearie, Sleep on the bagpipes.
All competing cars and official vehicles also displayed a special commemorative black windscreen sun-strip supplied by the organisers and approved by the championship sponsors.
The rally organisers faced and dealt with another difficulty. Only 59 crews took part, so the original threestages-run-twice format was changed to two stages run three times. Given the nature of the Galloway tests, the format worked well. No-one knows why entries were so few although increased fuel and travel costs are thought to have deterred the usual Irish invasion while a few other entries were lost from Grampian-based crews as a mark of respect.
There was no champagnespraying finish when final results were announced, just firm handshakes, and a few hugs, all round.