Thorburn is the new Scottish rally champion on Pirelli tyres

Euan Thorburn and co-driver Paul Beaton have won the prestigious Scottish Rally Championship for the first time after claiming victory on the Colin McRae Forest Stages last weekend in their Pirelli-shod Ford Focus WRC.

Thorburn beat defending five-time champion David Bogie following a rally-long battle, which ended when Bogie went off the road on the final test in his Ford Fiesta R5+.

Said Thorburn: “I can’t believe it’s happened after all these years of trying to win the championship. It’s a shame the way David went off, but we’ve both been on the limit, and thankfully we got through and took the win. When you look at the names on the Scottish championship trophy it’s great to get yours on there – absolutely brilliant.”

Pirelli is an official partner of the Scottish Rally Championship. The 2014 season concludes on the Galloway Hills Rally in Castle Douglas on October 26.