Race Reports

02-NOV-24 Instagram from a slippery start.
06/07-JUL-24 Instagram ups and downs.
08-JUN-24 Instagram car prep coming right.
23-MAR-24 Disappointment at the Autosave Components Kinloss Spring Stages with navigator Ian McRae. Issues affecting the fuel rail and engine mount meant having to pull over on stage 1 and again on stage 2 before retiring. Instagram.

18-FEB-24 A promising P3 after stage 6 in MG3 Rally Challenge at the Grant Construction Knockhill Stages with Barry Young in the navigator seat - second time ever in the car - but ended in retirement following gear and cylinder problems. Instagram. Video review: MG3 Instagram RL Instagram
Been busy pre-season taking an MG3 for a spin in January and testing the C2 at Crail in early February (Instagram) with Ian McRae.

2023 JUNIOR 1000 ECOSSE CHALLENGE

Ian checking pace notes before heading out for the Trac Mon night stages.

Nervous wait after stage 11 Anglesey

Lining up at Crail. (Iain Gibson (@ig_rallyphotos))

Through the wet at Crail (Iain Gibson (@ig_rallyphotos))

Readying for the off at Kinloss with Ian McRae

Last minute checks with Chris at Kames

Heading to the start at Mach1

Going back out again

Ian McRae and Ruan talking stage notes

Machrihanish airbase

Back in from a Mach1 stage

In the zone at Crail

Passing the spectators

Stage end on a hot day at Crail!

Cooling the engines at Crail in the AM Motorsport Services paddock area

Heading out at Crail

Stage debrief at Kames

Only cosmetic! Following an argument with a tyre!

Heading to the start at Kames

4th place at Leconfield - onwards and upwards!

Team talk on tyres and brakes

To Hull and Back - a reflective Ian McRae

A pre-stage pace note edit with Ian McRae

Something different at Silverstone (Instagram)

End of a good day in Arbroath

In for tyre pressure check from the AM Motorsport Services team

Pleased with that stage

Waiting on the post-event scrutineering

Marc McCubbin overseeing final tweaks ahead of the training run

Ruan heading out in a Subaru Impreza
Dec 2022 Bill Gwynne Rally School

Getting seat time in a MK II Ford Escort - Dec 22 Bill Gwynne Rally School

Nissan Micra - feels familiar - Dec 22 Bill Gwynne Rally School

Ruan's 2023 J1000 Ecosse Challenge campaign has come to end. Despite slight disappointment with how this season finished (see Instagram and Race reports), it has been a fantastic two years' racing and growing. Tied on points with 5th, but this translated to 6th place under the scoring system: testament to a tight and highly competitive season. eWRC-results.com - 2023 rally database

Round 9: 25/26 November - Piped out for the season finale (Instagram), Ruan was hoping for a good finish at the Glynn Memorial stages at Trac Mon, Anglesey. Enjoyed the night stages (Instagram), and was running at P8 in the combined Scots/English/Welsh rankings at Stage 11 when disaster struck - rather a tyre was struck and a steering arm bent. Fantastic help from the AM Motorsport Service team AND from neighbouring pit teams. (Instagram)They were heroes to ensure Ruan did not miss a stage, but it was not enough to prevent a plummet down to finish at P20 in the combined event and P11 in the Scottish championship. Round 9 – the Pentraeth Glyn Memorial Junior Stages Rally, Anglesey Report – Scottish Association of Motor Sports Clubs

Videos

Instagram montage

Round 8: 4 November - a "nearly day" on a wet, wet day at Crail. Downpours seemed to occur between stages, and there was a lot of surface water to contend with. A tight overtake through a chicane was not enough, so it was down to P5 by 2 seconds on the final stage - Crail Report | Facebook

Videos

Coverage from Crail | Facebook

Round 7: 23 September - Arrived optimistically for the Autosave Components Autumn Stages Rally in Kinloss, but an early flat right mishap and some unscheduled lawnmowing heralded a disappointing day. Ended P6 after not quite regaining the pace. (Instagram1 Instagram2)

Round 6: 20 August Kames Summer Stages was a character building event plagued by intercom issues. (Instagram Reel) Managed to get some 4th placed individual stage results. However, whilst lying 6th at Stage 7, Ruan didn't hear a split instruction and did an extra lap. Dropped down to 13th, but clawed back to 11th at the finish. (Afton Glen Meats Galston Kames Report Junior Rally Scotland | Facebook)

Videos

Rounds 4 & 5: Quite an eventful two days' racing at the 8/9 July Mach1 Stages. All the drivers were pushing their limits: between the 16 crews there were at least five offs into fields and ditches, three bales struck hard, two gearboxes broken, one car on its side and well into double figures of wing mirrors lost. Ruan, himself, came close to tipping his car over on the final stage as he struck a tyre that had been nudged onto the track. The combined scoring for the Mach1 event itself gave Ruan a P4 (eWRC results). However, for the Scottish Juniors this was two rounds of championship racing that translated into a P5 on the Saturday and P6 on the Sunday. This still leaves Ruan running third in the championship, but it will be best 7 results from 9 starts that will count. (see MotorsportScot report) (Instagram Day1 Instagram Day2)

Videos

Review: Rounds 4 & 5 Mach 1 Stages| By Junior Rally Scotland | Facebook

Round 3: Losing another wing mirror reflected some tight runs through the chicanes at the Crail Summer Stages on 10 June. (Instagram video) With some steady racing, Ruan managed to finish P4, and this leaves him 3rd in the championship after three events. (Instagram video and video) Navigator Ian MacRae worked the horn pedal hard in car 105. It was a good day as driver, navigator and Marc McCubbin's paddock crew produced a solid team effort. See MotorsportScot report and Instagram reel.

Videos

Review of Round 3 - Crail Summer Stages | By Junior Rally Scotland | Facebook
Crail Summer Stages S4 Ecosse J1000 Challenge | Junior Rally Scotland | Facebook
Crail Summer Stages S3 Ecosse J1000 Challenge | Junior Rally Scotland | Facebook
Gearing up for 10 June in Crail - Press release: 2023 J1000 Ecosse Challenge Round 3 Preview (mailchi.mp)

Round 2: Ruan was feeling really competitive at the 14 May Albar Kames Rally and managed to hold another 4th place at the end of a tiring day. See MotorsportScot report

Videos

A fantastic 4th place was achieved in the Rainworth Skoda Junior Rally at DST Leconfield competing against English and Welsh crews on 30th April (ewrc-results.com). For the Scottish contingent, (Instagram) this was a non-championship event. Ruan becoming increasingly comfortable with the Skoda Citigo and this all helped prepare for round 2 (MotorsportScot).

Round 1: Finished 5th - from a 6th seeded start - at the season opener in Arbroath on 25 March (MotorsportScot). New car, same team and a little trepidation before the start (Instagram), but confidence and familiarity grew as stage times improved.

Attended the 12 March training session at Knockhill - day one out of a sling! Pre-season training had been on hold following a motorcycle mishap in February: broken collarbone and 7 hours at A&E (Instagram).

It was good catching up with everyone at the Junior Rally Scotland Awards Ceremony in Glasgow in January 2023 (Instagram).

Managed to squeeze in more seat time experience trying out a Subaru Impreza, MK II Ford Escort and a familiar Nissan Micra at the Bill Gwynne Rally School in December 2022 (Instagram videos). See other training videos on Instagram.

Press

2022 Season

Airborne in Anglesey for the season finale. Photo: Gez Wyn

Back to base with transmission failure as Marc McCubbin mobilises the paddock team

Pit magic and a gearbox change. Thanks guys!

Heading out for the stormy night stages

With the ever-excellent navigator and mentor Ian McRae - end of the season for the dream team

Getting in the zone

Feeling positive in Arbroath

Fuel pump anxieties - but all's well!

Setting out with optimism at Kames

First outing with the Yaris. Photo: John Fife

Unhappy gearbox - unhappy driver

Happier pit time at Machrihanish, and farewell to the Micra

Past the crowds at Knockhill

Taking a break at the McRae Challenge

Facing the media

On stage with navigator Ian McRae
- something about Scotland Juniors beating England!

The spotty Micra at Kames

Prepping at Ingliston for the season opener

Training day in the Micra at Kames

Launch Season 2022

Season over with a pleasing 8th place in the J1000 Ecosse Challenge. The 19-20 November Anglesey finale included airtime highs and more transmission lows. (Instagram video review) However, sterling work by the pit team meant only two stages were lost to changing out the gearbox, and so the exhilarating night driving in the torrential rain (Instagram video) was not missed. A resultant skid did little to slow down the pace (Instagram video). (Instagram videos) The penultimate meet at Crail had also provided testing conditions with a lot of surface water, but position there was maintained despite a couple of spins.

Earlier in the season, after four rallies, Ruan had been leading in the Pearson’s of Duns Trophy for Micra drivers before moving to a Yaris for the Kames Autumn Stages (Instagram video). Gearbox issues there brought that event to an early and unsatisfactory end. (Instagram photo) Yet familiarity and confidence in the Yaris had begun to grow through the day at the September race in Arbroath (Instagram photo).

2022 News Links and Results