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Jack still in contention for third overall in Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge





Jack Ryan and navigator Robin Nicolson, on the right, took third place at Crail ahead of the final round of the J1000. Picture: Becksport
Jack Ryan and navigator Robin Nicolson, on the right, took third place at Crail ahead of the final round of the J1000. Picture: Becksport

Caithness driver Jack Ryan is still in contention for third place overall in the Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge going into this weekend's concluding event of the season in Wales.

However, the teenager from Castletown needs a new gearbox for the Volkswagen Up so all will be dependent on that.

Jack and his navigator Robin Nicolson produced another excellent charge from behind to finish third in the Kingdom Junior Stages rally at Crail in Fife, round seven of the eight-round rally championship for those aged 14-17.

Sam Pattison was looking to wrap up the championship, the Citigo pilot needing just a fifth-place finish to take the title. In the event, Sam and co-driver Paul Whittaker were fastest on every stage – winning the rally by 51 seconds and guaranteeing Sam the championship after a run of six wins out of six starts in 2022.

Kalum Graffin and Richard Crozier spent the whole event shadowing the red Skoda and making sure that Sam and Paul couldn’t fully relax.

The battle for third was one of the highlights of the day.

Rian Walker and Stuart McBride are known for being quick in the wet, particularly at Crail, Rian’s home event. Third early on, they were battling with the VW of Jack and Robin.

Jack Ryan's Volkswagen Up at the Kingdom Junior Stages rally. Picture: Becksport
Jack Ryan's Volkswagen Up at the Kingdom Junior Stages rally. Picture: Becksport

From being 17 seconds behind Rian after stage one, Jack managed to claw back the time to finish third – a clear 18 seconds in front of Rian in fourth. That added up to a remarkable 35-second turnaround over the course of four stages.

Robin reckoned that no driver could have got more out of the car than Jack did during the second half of the day.

Although the top spot in the championship has been decided, the battles for the other two podium positions and the novice award are still up for grabs. The last event is the Glyn Memorial Junior Rally in Anglesey on November 19/20.


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