SHILDON rally driver Barry Johnson clinched the New Pig Scottish Rally Championship after a thrilling last round head-to-head battle with Scotsman Gary Adam at the Park System Stages Rally last weekend.

Johnson and Adam lined up at the start of the Newton Stewart-based event knowing that one of them would be crowned champion at the end of the day. Third-placed driver Steve Bannister, from Malton, could not improve his position regardless of where he finished the event.

Adam charged into an early lead, sharing a fastest stage time on the opening test with fellow Scot Jon Burn in the Metro 6R4. He was some 18 seconds faster than Johnson and co-driver John Bennie in their Barrier Surveillance-backed Subaru Impreza WRC.

But the Dollar driver's hopes of winning disappeared when he suffered a puncture and was forced to stop to change the wheel, losing three minutes to Johnson with just two stages left.

Johnson and Glaswegian Bennie cruised through the last two stages to finish the event in second place overall behind former champion Barry Groundwater. It was enough to land the former trials rider his first major rallying title.

Johnson, who finished five points ahead of Adam in the series standings after eight rounds, said: "I think it's going to take some time for this to sink in. Things just seemed to work in my favour today and here I am, Scottish champion."

In the Kumho Tyres national championship event which ran alongside, Ingleton driver Tony Thompson and co-driver Richard Myers brought their Mitsubishi Lancer home in 12th overall and sixth in class, while Scorton's Steve Petch and Northallerton co-driver John Richardson retired their Hyundai Accent WRC on SS4