THE DUST has settled on another exhilarating Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally, and for the local competitors, it was a weekend of thrills, setbacks, and unforgettable moments both on and off the tarmac.
Among those flying the flag for Cowal were Matthew Youden and co-driver Ross, whose campaign in the eye-catching Citron Saxo came to a premature but spectacular end on Saturdays SS9
Matthew said: Firstly, a massive thank you to everyone who helped us get to the start line it was a real team effort.
We were excited to get going but took it steady through the town. Seeing my partner Sarah and our girls Cara and Darcey cheering us on was a real highlight.
After a confident start, the pair quickly made up ground from their initial seeding of Car 99, climbing more than 20 positions after the Friday night stages, and running as high as fourth in class by the close of day one.
But their strong run ended abruptly after hitting a bump and rolling out of the event on Saturday.
Matthew admitted: We were gutted.
Wed had such a good run Ross was awesome on the notes.
Luckily, we walked away without a scratch.
The Saxos taken a beating, but were not giving up, we hope to be back next year, bouncing off the rev limiter again.
First-time entrant, Dale Orr, competing with his uncle Allan in a Ford Fiesta ST he built himself, also saw his rally cut short crashing out during Friday nights Otter Ferry stage.
Dale said: We had a really fun time while it lasted.
The town stage was phenomenal, and we had a great run over the Bealach, but things took a turn when we ended up off the road and into the trees.
Despite the early exit, Dale was recognised for his effort and preparation winning Best Presented Car at Scrutineering: That helped lift spirits a bit.
The cars pretty destroyed, but Ive already been looking for replacements.
Hopefully we make it to the Saturday stages next time.
Also representing the area was rally regular David Robertson, competing alongside his wife.
The pairs rally got off to a shaky start with a heavy bump during the very first town centre run.
David Said: We took the first corner at over 40mph, felt great, but a split-second decision not to lift off the throttle meant we hit the inside kerb.
It threw us onto the kerb, destroyed the wheel, bent the wishbone, and popped the driveshaft.
He added: We only made it as far as the top of Albert Crescent.
It was gutting, especially when so many people came out to see the locals.
Despite the carnage, they had the car repaired in three hours and were back home before midnight, ready to re-enter on Saturday.
But for David, the real rally spirit was found off the stages, thanks to an envelope that arrived from Strachur Primary School after the rally: One of the classes had written us letters and drawn pictures, thanking us for letting them sit in the car, beep the horn, and learn how it all worked.
It brought a tear to our eyes.
That heartwarming moment was topped off with the Robertsons once again receiving the Spirit of the Rally award their second in three years.
As the rally cars head back into storage and repairs begin, local crews may not have had the results theyd hoped for, but they certainly made an impression.
