Jock Armstrong paid the penalty in the opening round of the KNC Groundworks Ltd Scottish Rally Championship.

The Castle Douglas driver and navigator Cameron Fair were hit with a two minute penalty for checking into a time control early on the Border Counties Rally.

The pair had been involved in the battle for overall honours but that mistake saw them end up in fifth.

Thornhill co-driver Harry Marchbank was seventh of the Scottish runners in the Mitsubishi Evo of Thomas Gray.

They missed out on victory in the Albyn Garage Ltd SRC Challengers category by just six seconds to Scott MacBeth and Daniel Forsyth in a similar Evo 9.

It was a day to forget for Dumfries’ Mark McCulloch, who went off the road in stage three in his Ford Fiesta R5.

The Subaru Impreza of Canonbie’s John McIlwraith stopped in stage two.

The Scottish Two-Wheel Drive Championship saw an exciting battle involving the Ford Escort Mk 2 of Dalbeattie’s Iain Wilson and Chris Williams.

They narrowly lost out to another escort, driven by Paddy Munro and Keir Beaton, although they did win class
eight.

The junior class was won by defending champ Niall Cowan Jr of Dumfries, who took victory with Thomas Bruce in his MG ZR.

They saw off the MG of Scott Peacock of Castle Douglas and Robin Neil of Haugh of Urr.

Victory in class two went to the Peugeot 205 GTi of Castle Douglas’ Donald Peacock and Haugh of Urr’s Keith Riddick.

The next round of the championship is the McDonald and Munro Speyside Stages on April 20.

Haugh of Urr co-driver Kirsty Riddick was on the notes in Jonny Greer’s Ford Fiesta R5 as the pair finished fifth of the British runners on the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally.