Andy Horne made up for lost time by powering his custom-built DAM 4100 GTI to second overall on Saturday's 'star studded' Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally, the final round of the County Saab MSA Scottish Rally Championship.

The Inverness-based driver had to sit-out the middle part of the season after crashing out of the Border Counties in April - resulting in a complete rebuild of the Metro 6R4-based car.

However, Horne, with long-time co-driver Jim Howie, was in impressive form in front of the huge crowds in Perthshire, maintaining his runners-up spot behind world-rally star Matthew Wilson in an 05' Ford Focus WRC throughout the four completed stages.

Organisers were forced to cancel the final stage - Craigvinean - after a big 'off' involving five-times British champion Jimmy McRae and co-driver Andy Richardson.

Their Porsche 911 crashed down a steep banking into a ravine, and although McRae and Richardson managed to get out signal that they were OK, it was not before one spectator had phoned "999" on a mobile. This resulted in several fire appliances making their way onto the stage - one of which got stuck trying to negotiate a bend.

On a day dominated by 2-wheel drive cars - and in particular the iconic Escort Mk2 - Sauchen's Callum Mackenzie and navigator Alan Clark got one over the 'super-stars' with a superb drive for the final podium place.

While finishing with an identical time to Alister McRae, they had the advantage of a quicker run through SS1.

Last year's 'McRae' winner, Dumfries driver David Bogie, endured a difficult day at the wheel of his first left-hand drive car - an 05-plate Ford Focus WRC - to finish fifth overall.

Although adapting quickly to the change in driving position, the 21-year-old, with Kevin Rae on the notes, was far from happy with the set up of the car.

The pair finished fifteen seconds ahead of Gretna's Mike Faulkner and co-driver Peter Foy from Bingley, who consolidated second place in the championship, having already secured the Group A title on the previous Merrick Forest Stages round in their Mitsubishi Evo 6.