Round 3: Jim Clark International Rally 22/23 May 2009

Another cracking MSA British Rally Championship encounter ended on Saturday in Kelso, with Mark Higgins and Bryan Thomas hanging on to win the Jim Clark International Rally after seventeen nail-biting stages.

Higgins' record-breaking fifth BRC victory on Borders asphalt came after Championship leader Keith Cronin suffered a puncture on Friday night. But Cronin's comeback from a two minute deficit was very nearly successful, as Higgins struggled with a car that was intermittently on three cylinders and without an effective centre differential.

The gap was down to 2.6 seconds at the service before the final loop of four stages, where Pirelli TEG Sport's temporary repair to the differential's electronics worked and Cronin spun, enabling Higgins to rekindle his title hopes with an 11.4 second winning margin. Cronin still leads the BRC, but the gap is down to just two points with Higgins' home Rally Isle of Man next.

2008 Pirelli Star Driver and MSA Elite member Adam Gould took a fine first podium with Seb Marshall and the Bristol youngster is certain that even more improvement is possible in the Pirelli TEG Sport-run prize Impreza.

Results

1 Mark Higgins/Bryan Thomas - Subaru Impreza 2:10:59.6    

2 Keith Cronin/Greg Shinnors - Mitsubishi EVO 9 +0:00:11.4

3 Adam Gould/Sebastian Marshall - Subaru Impreza +0:02:51.7

4 Euan Thorburn/Claire Mole - Subaru Impreza +0:03:12.2

5 Alastair Fisher/Barry McNulty - Mitsubishi EVO +0:03:22.0

6 Jonathan Greer/Antony O'Conaill - Mitsubishi EVO 9 +0:03:53.2