Pirelli tyres provided drivers with a winning advantage at the snow-covered Arnold Clark Snowman Rally, the opening round of the MSA Scottish Rally Championship (SRC), over the weekend.
Reigning Scottish and British rally champions, David Bogie and co-driver Kevin Rae, charged to victory at the wheel of a Pirelli KM6-equipped Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, marking the duo’s second consecutive win at the Inverness-based event.
Despite being first on the road where Bogie was forced to contend with sleet, snow and treacherously slippery road conditions, the 24-year-old from Dumfries produced a polished performance.
By the end of the six-stage event in the forests based north and south of the Highland capital, Bogie - the first Scot since Alister McRae in 2005 to claim the coveted British Championship trophy - had carved out an impressive margin of 72 seconds.
"We're delighted. You can't kick off your season with anything better than a win,” said Bogie.
“The conditions were really difficult - some of the toughest I've ever had to drive in. Everyone who got round this rally deserves a medal because you could get caught out so quickly. We had a couple of moments that could have put us in a ditch and ended our rally.”
Elsewhere, Rory Young took the spoils in the Group N category, piloting his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5 to victory also on Pirelli KM6 tyres. John McClory and Dougal Brown finished second and third respectively, with Pirelli monopolising the Group N podium.
In the two-wheel drive category, Keith Robathan and David Wilson took the top two spots – both drivers using the new Pirelli GM6 tyres on their Ford Escort Mk2.
Pirelli Tyre UK’s motorsport manager, Carl Naylor, commended the efforts of the crews at the first round of the Scottish Championship.
“The conditions at the opening round of the Scottish Rally Championship were incredibly difficult,” explained Naylor.
“Just finishing the event was a massive achievement in itself, with the grip and road conditions constantly changing. Our Pirelli KM6 tyre has demonstrated that it can deal with the demands of such tricky conditions time and time again and this was reflected in a series of top results including victories across three categories.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew Wood Motorsport. They continue to do a fantastic job for us in and the Snowman Rally was no exception.”
