This weekend, the England team captain John Horton has gone for a blend of youth and experience, choosing Richard Gower, Stephen Petch, Ryan Champion and Shaun Woffinden with Rob Gill on the reserve list. Scottish team captain Andrew Wood has opted for an all-youth line-up headed by Barry Clark, Lorna Smith, Tom Metcalfe and Colin Greer.
Current leader, Ireland's captain Nicky Moffitt has also mixed experience with youth selecting Austin MacHale, Rory Galligan, Gary Jennings and Brian O'Mahoney with Austin's son Aaron MacHale in the reserve role. In the Welsh team, Mick Jones too has blended youthful vigour with old-hand experience choosing David Higgins, Seb Ling, Stuart Jones and Nik Elsmore, with Iwan Rees in reserve.
So whilst the fight rages at the front for outright honour in this year's BRC, there will be many more interesting battles going on behind. It all adds up to the makings of a fight not seen since the Border Reivers robbed and raided their way across the border 500 years ago. Only this time the sword and the horse has given way to a rather different form of power and transport!
Timetable.
The
Jim Clark International Rally starts from Kelso Town Square on Friday afternoon, the July 8 at 16.00 hours and finishes, some 160 stage miles later, at 17.45 hours on Saturday evening July 9, with the finish formalities (and victory champagne shower!) again taking place in Kelso Town Square.
