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Adam Purves helps get rally driver off to a great start

A MITSUBISHI dealership in Galashiels is sponsoring racing driver Garry Wilson in this year's Scottish Rally Championship.

Adam Purves Mitsubishi said it was proud to be backing the former champ, who is being joined by daughter Hollie as co-driver for the event.

Garry has been rallying for 30 years and won the Scottish Championship in 1986 in the 1600cc class with a Mk2 Escort. He had bought a Shogun from Adam Purves, whose dealer principal is Alister Scott, and said:

'When we bought the Shogun I just said to Alister: "Would you be interested in sponsoring a rally car?" and he said yes. Well, there's not many people say yes straightaway! So I went away and I thought about it and I thought "Oh, he's having us on", so Hollie and I came back up again one day and had a chat to him and he was really keen. He's keen on motorsport anyway.'

The Championship started on 22nd February with the Arnold Clark Thistle Snowman Rally in Inverness and will finish seven events later with the Colin McRae Forest Stages in Perth and Perth & Kinross on 4th October.

Speaking to Mitsubishi Matters before the first round, Garry, who had been seeded 57th out of 116 cars after being away from the Championship for a while, said he was hoping to finish in the top 25 - and he did just that, ending in 20th position in a time of 52:33 with no penalties, which bodes well for his aim to be in the top 20 by the end of the season.

Driving his own Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5, he and Hollie found themselves up against group A class big-hitters such as David Bogie and Euan Thorburn, who eventually won.

Agricultural contractor Garry said:

'The Evo is a great car for me and it's a pleasure to drive.'

He has spent £3,000 on the car for the Championship, including getting a new clutch, and told how tough it was financially being, in effect, a one-man band - the entry fee alone is £500 per event. He stated how grateful he was to Adam Purves Mitsubishi for its support, saying:

'This sponsorship is really important. This is the first time I've had a really good sponsor.'

He also praised his support team.

'I've got a good set of lads. They're really good. I've got everybody organised and I'm really going for it this year.'

The Wilson team were up to 28th overall after the first stage, despite very slippery conditions, and the only problems for the Evolution were a broken mirror and a slight bit of damage to the rear bumper.

Stages two and three were in Rogie Forest, where ice made driving conditions harder, and they caught the car in front, which threw up a stone and chipped the windscreen. As if this wasn't enough, they also landed in a ditch.

Garry managed to drive them out - only to put it straight back in on the other side of the road. But with the help of spectators the duo got back on the road and finished the stage, having dropped to 29th.

The next stage took the crew north to Tain, with Garry feeling he was getting to know the new car and Hollie enjoying her first forest rally. Stage four found them in 23rd position overall, and they said they enjoyed the last stage and were happy with the result.

The next round is the Brick & Steel Construction Border Counties Rally in Jedburgh on 22nd March, which both Garry and Hollie are looking forward to.

They wish to thank Adam Purves Mitsubishi, Kevin Cowe Forestry, Cheviot Trees, Frank Gibson, ATV Centre and Glendale Engineering for their sponsorship, as well as saying a big thank-you to the hard-working service crew.