Huntly driver John Wink ‘on cloud nine’ after securing first Scottish Rally Championship win with glory at the Snowman Rally
Huntly driver John Wink was on “cloud nine” after picking up his maiden Scottish Rally Championship victory at the Snowman Rally.
First to the finish line was Duns driver Garry Pearson, who was only competing as an unregistered SRC competitor in preparation for the next round of the British rally championships.
That left it up to the rest of the field to battle it out for the top Scottish points and it was Wink, partnered by co-driver and fellow 63 Car Club member Neil Shanks in his Hyundai R20 i5 to storm through for his first-ever place at the top of the national podium.
”It’s what we have all been working towards for a few years now,” said Wink.
“We’ve really been pushing to get the win so it’s fine that it’s eventually came and everything fell into place at the weekend.
“We were on cloud nine.”
He explained why Pearson was ineligible to win the rally. “He is a British Championship competitor who was just up doing the rally for a shakedown for the next round of the British Championships next weekend.
“That’s why he was first overall in the results because his stage times were obviously the best out of everybody, but thereafter it a Scottish championship crews and we were first.
“Of course it would have been better to get the overall win but the first Scottish championship crew is what we are there to do - so job done.”
And was there a big celebration for the Huntly driver and his navigator after their greatest day yet on the Scottish rally scene?
“I would like to say we hit the town but I was so tired that I just came home to see my wife and kids and went to bed.
“We met up with the team the following day and had a celebration.”
Wink still has an opportunity to finish as runner-up in the overall Scottish rankings, with just the Carlisle stages to come next month.
“The season has been up and down really. We have had good pace but a bit of bad luck.
“Mathematically we can still finish second in the Scottish championship.
“Second, third and fourth place is still very much open even although Euan Thorburn won it through points accumulation the last time out, second is still very much up for grabs and that is now the push on the last round of the championship.
“I can go into that with the confidence of having my first win so I just need to try and screw my nut and get the job done.”
Pearson was 37 seconds ahead of Wink, while the 63 Car Club was well represented in the top positions with Elgin co-driver Daniel Forsyth, navigating for Muir of Ord’s Scott Macbeth third in their Skoda Fabia 5.