Border Ecosse at The Border Union Show

Border Ecosse at The Border Union Show

BORDER ECOSSE CAR CLUB was founded in the early 70s by a few car enthusiasts who had one thing in common – a passion for motor sport.

This was hardly surprising considering Formula 1 Champion Jim Clark and Britain’s most successful long distance rally driver Andrew Cowan were both from the Duns area.

Since then Louise Aitken-Walker from Duns became the ladies World Rally Champion in 1990 and Mike Horne/Monty Pearson also from Duns teamed up under the Border Ecosse Car Club banner to win the Scottish Rally Championship in 1994. Since then we have had husband and wife crew of Andrew and Ann Wood winning the same Championship at the wheel of an Audi A90, then Euan Thorburn winning the Group N Section of the Scottish Championship in 2008 with a Subaru N12. David Bogie taking the overall crown in 2009 at the hands of A Mitsubishi Evo 9 and a Toyota Corolla WRC.

It is no wonder that the Border Ecosse Car Club has stage rallying at the forefront of its activities. The Borders Rally Championship has continued to go from strength to strength since its inauguration in 1996. The Championship now runs with 3 Sections, those being Tarmac, Forest, and Junior.

Undoubtedly the late great Colin McRae helped swell the number of rally fans and competitors in Scotland. Border Ecosse Car Club have benefited from this growth with member numbers continually increasing. Junior membership is also very strong and this bodes well for the future of the club. We now have at least one junior representative attending committee meetings to pass over the say of the younger generation coming through.

Border Ecosse Car Club’s Autocross Championship is very popular in the Borders and Northumberland and this form of motor sport can be fairly inexpensive. We boast a number of overall winners to the ANECCC autocross championship.

Navigational Rallies, Auto tests and the occasional Production Car Trial also form part of Border Ecosse Car Clubs annual Championships. Monty Pearson and Ewan Leeming were the 2003 Scottish Navigational Rally Champions and also competed the following year in Ireland at the Inter Association Navigational Event.

Border Ecosse Car Club also co-promotes the Jim Clark Rally which is the only closed public run rally in mainland Great Britain and is a counter in the British Rally Championship and our very own Borders Rally Championship.

Presently the Borders are rich with Stage Rallying talent and the Border Ecosse Car Club is proud to have most of them as members.