King David of Speyside reigns again - David Bogie wins McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages rally for 11th time in just 16 attempts
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David Bogie proved he’s the King of the Speyside Stages by winning Saturday’s rally for an incredible 11th time.
The Dumfries driver maintained his stunning record at the McDonald and Munro-sponsored event by pipping last year’s winner Finlay Retson to victory over nine stages across Moray and Aberdeenshire.
There was disappointment for host club 63 Car Club (Elgin) and their main hope, Huntly driver John Wink whose Hyundai i20 R5 failed to finish for the first time in 14 rallies, halting his bid for another podium place.
Bogie (36) has now won the Speyside Stages 11 times out of the last 13 times he has entered.
He failed to finish as a teenage driver in 2005 and 2006, finished third the following year then won four-in-a-row between 2008 and 2011.
A rare slide to second place denied him a fifth straight victory but he proceeded to win the next three between 2013 and 2015, missed the 2016 running of the rally then returned to win the next two.
Suspension problems ended his interest in 2019 and after the return from Covid-19, he won in 2022 was wasn’t able to compete last year but took victory number 11 on Saturday alongside co-driver John Rowan from Portglenone.
Blairgowrie-based Retson had to settle for second in a Fiesta Rally 2 alongside Inverness navigator Paul Beaton, with Euan Thorburn (Duns) and Keir Beaton (Inverness) third in a Volkswagen Polo R5.
The highest-placed Moray entry was Aberlour co-driver Michael Hendry in eighth with Dumfries driver Mark McCulloch in a Proton Satria Evo - they also finished second in class.
Conditions were extremely tricky for all crews due to the week’s wet weather making part of the routes slippery, and several competitors’ interest ended up in the ditch.
Elgin navigator Daniel Forsyth was one who saw his rally finish in the Bin Forest near a spectator area, driver Scott Macbeth from Muir of Ord unable to stay on track but both none-the-worst for their mishap.
Big crowds attended at Elgin’s Cooper Park for the first two stages, including the Grant Lodge ‘hairpin’.
Elgin’s Brett McKenzie recovered from rolling his Evo 8 on the test day, with hard work in getting the car ready for the rally rewarded with 22nd position overall, overcoming an intercom malfunction with navigator Barry Young.
Moray crew Dougal Brown (Forres) and Lewis Rochford (Keith) were 26th, and second in their class in an Escort Mk II.
Keith pairing Scott Mutch and Greg McDonald in their first time out in a Mk II Escort finished 28th, while Elgin’s Robert Tonge drove his MG ZR to 52nd and second in class.
Brothers Neil and Ian Philip came in 63rd in an Impreza.
Elgin’s Sandy Arbuthnott had to find a replacement for his brother Ian, who was unavailable to carry out the co-driver requirements.
He drafted in Elgin’s Moray Mackay for her first-ever competitive outing, celebrating her birthday with a finish in 72nd.
Wink was well up the rankings after four stages when he nosed softly into a ditch on the Balloch 1 section. They recovered the reach the finish of the stage but a low water pressure warning light forced them to turn the engine off and with a stage still to go until maintenance, he couldn’t continue alongside Whitchurch-based Will Atkins.
