Rally driver Gavin Spencer, of Boldon, Tyne and Wear had only to cross the starting line in his 1300cc Vauxhall Nova to win his class in this year's Scottish Borders Forest Challenge which took place last weekend.

There was much more at stake though, for if Gavin finished the event he would also net the Overall Drivers Championship and win the Anderson (Builders) 2003 Scottish Borders Rally Championship. The championship is organised on a class basis that levels the playing field and allows crews with lower powered car to compete directly with high-powered cars. Different rounds of the Championship are run on the various surfaces including tarmac events, forest gravel events and mixed surface rallies to determine the driver with the best ability on all surface types.

The pressure was on as an overall win in the Championship was unprecedented in the driver's second year of competition.

At the finish ramp, Gavin, originally from Coldstream in the Scottish Borders, was full of celebration. "It's an incredible feeling to have won the overall 2003 Scottish Borders Rally Championship, particularly as we drive the car with the smallest powered engine," he said. "The whole team has worked so hard this year and my thanks and congratulations also go to them."

Gavin and Steve are hoping to take a step up the rally ladder next year from Regional to National rallying, as they plan to compete in the 1400 BTRDA championship.