Creighton comes up trumps with Voly Grampian Forest Rally victory

The 2025 Voly Grampian Forest Rally [8/9 August] will go down as one of the most memorable editions in the event’s history, as glorious weather, a bumper turnout, and a fiercely competitive field combined to produce a spectacular weekend of rally action in the forests of Kincardineshire.

Organised by the Stonehaven and District Motor Club and sponsored by leading yachting software company Voly Group, this year’s rally built on its growing reputation as one of the UK’s finest gravel events.

The expansion of the EMCO Spectator Stage near Kintore proved a major draw, with fans packing the specially designed viewing areas to get as close to the action as possible. 

The ever-popular Newtork DNA King George V Rally Zone in Banchory buzzed with activity across the weekend, hosting scrutineering, driver meet-and-greets, and the ceremonial start and finish. 

Out on the stages, iconic tests such as Durris and Fetteresso delivered the fast, flowing challenges the rally is famed for – all bathed in warm August sunshine.

The rally itself was dominated by William Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

The 2023 FIA Junior WRC champions were in imperious form, winning five of the ten stages and controlling the pace from start to finish to secure their second Probite British Rally Championship (BRC) victory of the season. It was a performance that not only earned them a 30.5-second winning margin but also propelled them into the outright BRC championship lead.

Creighton laid down an early marker on Friday evening, winning both opening stages to build a 16-second gap over Toyota teammate Meirion Evans. Returning on Saturday, the Northern Irishman continued to attack, adding two more fastest times in the morning to stretch his advantage to 25 seconds by midday. From there, a measured and faultless drive brought the rally home.

“We put a lot of preparation into this rally beforehand, working on the videos, with the car, and with my driving to get the most out of the weekend,” Creighton said at the finish. 

“To get the result makes it all worthwhile, so I’m delighted. This year went a lot better than last year – I guess we learned from those mistakes and righted the wrongs. It’s fantastic to get good points for the championship.”

Behind him, Max McRae and Cammy Fair delivered one of the weekend’s most popular results, claiming a breakthrough BRC podium on home soil. 

Driving their Citroën C3 Rally2, McRae ended Friday in third but launched a spirited charge on Saturday morning to overhaul Evans for second place. Despite relentless pressure from the Toyota driver over the afternoon stages, McRae held firm to secure an emotional maiden BRC podium in front of home support.

Evans, partnered by Dale Furniss in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, admitted he could not quite match Creighton’s speed or repel McRae’s charge. Nevertheless, third place ensured the Toyota teammates remain locked in a tense title BRC battle heading into the final two rounds.

Garry Pearson and Hannah McKillop were also in podium contention after a strong Friday run left them just 3.5 seconds shy of the top three. However, a Saturday morning puncture on their Fiesta Rally2 dropped them down the order. Showing determination, Pearson fought back to fourth overall.

The same cruel fate struck M-Sport’s Estonian duo Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja. After battling a misfire on Friday, they suffered a puncture on Saturday morning which left them languishing in 15th. 

Undeterred, they mounted a spectacular recovery, winning four of the afternoon’s five stages to climb back to fifth. Callum Black and Jack Morton, on their Grampian debut, matched Jürgenson’s final time exactly, although an overshoot cost precious seconds.

Jonny Greer and Niall Burns guided their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to seventh on its gravel debut, while Welsh champions Matthew Hirst and Declan Dear impressed on their first visit to the Grampian with eighth in their Skoda Fabia Rally2.

In the Asset Alliance Group Scottish Rally Championship battle, six-time champion David Bogie and co-driver Kirsty Riddick added another SRC win to their tally, finishing ninth overall in their Skoda Fabia Rally2. Without the benefit of a full recce, Bogie relied on his experience and speed to overhaul early SRC leaders and local heroes Scott Beattie and Peredur Davies on Saturday. 

Beattie, who lives just miles from the Fetteresso forest complex, had delighted the home fans by leading overnight, but ultimately could not keep Bogie at bay on the ultra-fast Saturday stages.

Banchory’s own Bruce McCombie and Keir Beaton were the top local crew in the overall classification, bringing their Ford Fiesta home inside the top fifteen despite limited competitive outings this season.

Reflecting on the success of the weekend, Clerk of the Course Graham Provest said:

“We are delighted to have produced another fantastic edition of the Voly Grampian Forest Rally. The feedback we’ve had from fans, drivers, and teams has been outstanding. The entire team worked tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver a top-class event for drivers from across Europe, and our partners and supporters, most of them local businesses, really pulled out all the stops. This year’s rally was one of the best yet, and we’re already looking forward to 2026.”

With Creighton’s dominant drive, McRae’s home-soil heroics, and another showcase of Scotland’s gravel rallying at its very best, the 2025 Voly Grampian Forest Rally has once again cemented its place as a jewel in the UK motorsport calendar, and left fans counting the days until next year’s edition.