Jack and Robin seize second place in J1000 Ecosse at Kames
Caithness teenager Jack Ryan and his navigator Robin Nicolson achieved their best result of the season so far in the Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge as they took second place at Kames Motorsport Complex.
They were among a dozen J1000 Ecosse crews who descended on the Ayrshire venue for the Grab Life by the Hall's Stages, round five of the 2022 series in Scotland's rally championship for those aged 14-17.
It resulted in a fourth win in a row for Sam Pattison, who started steadily in damp conditions before assuming the lead in stage three alongside Paul Whittaker in the red Citigo.
Behind the leaders, a three-way fight was in progress for second place.
Rian Walker and Stuart McBride led the rally after two stages. As conditions dried up, they started to slip back and were involved in a battle with Jack and Robin.
Jack (16), from Castletown, had started steadily in the Volkswagen Up. He and Robin were speeding up as the day progressed, flirting with the tyre walls on a couple of occasions in the morning and planning a few tweaks at the halfway halt.
Kalum Graffin was the third protagonist along with co-driver Richard Crozier. The grey Citigo was fastest on stage two but lost ground in the third stage, dropping 20 seconds to both Walker and Ryan.
Jack and Robin would change brake pads and tyres at the midway halt and go on a run of four fastest times, shadowed all the way by Graffin and Walker. They then took the spare wheel out for the last few stages and changed the balance of the car for the worse.
That allowed Graffin and Crozier to strike, pulling time back to cross the flying finish of the final stage in a dead heat with Ryan and Nicolson.
Then came the twist, Kalum locking a front wheel over the flying finish and parking the Citigo in the gravel – just metres from the finish of the event. Unable to get the car out, they were given a stage maximum, dropping them to sixth overall.
That left Ryan and Nicolson to take second. Slightly deflated with the way the rally had finished, they nonetheless thanked everyone who helped run the event and made a point of acknowledging Jack's older brother Ryan Reid for stepping in as mechanic with dad Michael Ryan working offshore.
Walker and McBride were also slightly bemused at the finish. Third was a good result, maintaining Rian's championship lead.
Amid all the drama, Oliver Phillips and Emma Morrison took a solid fourth.
The challenge moves on to the open space of Arbroath on September 24.