Driveshaft dismay for Kevin Ross

Driveshaft problems forced an early retirement of Motherwell driver Kevin Ross and his Aberdeen-based navigator Drew Sturrock on the recent Square Page Stages rally.

The duo had a scare before the event when Sturrock was scheduled to compete in a rally in South Africa at the weekend. Flights were all delayed due to the little local difficulty stemming from volcanic Iceland so Sturrock decided to carry on and race the event with Ross.

The team – lying second overall after the first stage – was up for a storming drive on the drying circuit in Stage 2. Even a broken driveshaft saw the duo maintain their second-place position.

The third stage, however, was just too much for the driveshaft, especially with the punishment meted out by the added grip, courtesy of the Hankook tyres, on the drying tarmac. A brace of driveshafts broke during Stage 3, curtailing the day’s racing.

Said Ross, “The car set up at the moment is great, it is fast enough to win stages and if we can sort the reliability problems, then we are sure overall wins will come.

“We have been gradually developing the car this year and have just uprated all the suspension and brakes,” he continued, adding, “the new uprated driveshafts will be fitted for the Jim Clark Reivers Rally on 30th May, which we have had great results in the past.”

The team will then travel to Ireland to compete in the Citroën Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Photograph by AML Photography