YOUNG Helensburgh rally star Fraser Anderson chalked up his first Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge podium finish on Sunday.

Anderson, in his first time at the wheel of his new car, finished four seconds ahead of Oliver Hunter to take third place in the Solway Coast Junior Rally near Kirkcudbright.

The rookie 15-year-old, who has switched to a Citroen C1 after starting his campaign in a Nissan Micra, was locked in an event-long battle with Hunter and co-driver Tom Hynd on the military roads of the MoD’s Dundrennan weapons testing range, in their Peugeot 107.

Hunter opened up a five-second gap going into the final group of three stages, covering a total of around 15 miles, but a mishap on the third-from-last stage dropped Hunter to fourth – and Anderson and his new co-driver, Fort William’s Steven Brown, matched Hunter’s times on the last two stages and secure overall third place in 44 minutes and 57 seconds.

The event, organised by the Solway Car Club, featured drivers from all three Junior 1000 rally championships – the F1000 Junior 1000, the Junior 1000 Rally Challenge Ireland, and the Ecosse Challenge.

Competitors from the F1000 championship dominated the overall podium, with Harrogate’s Elliot Payne, who is registered for both the F1000 and the Ecosse Challenge competitions, taking first place in both alongside co-driver Simon Rogers at the wheel of his Citroen C1 in a total time of 42 minutes and 58 seconds.

Johnnie Mackay, from Newburgh, near Aberdeen, took second place among the Ecosse Challenge contingent, and fifth place overall, with a time of 44:36 in his Suzuki Alto alongside co-driver Gordon Reid, extending his lead at the top of the championship table as a result.

The next event in the Junior 1000 Ecosse Challenge is the Memorial Garden Stages in Arbroath on Saturday, September 15.

Fraser’s dad George said: “It was another really good event for Fraser – it went extremely well and it was great to see him get his first overall podium.

“We would like to thank Baxter & Gillespie Ltd, HBR Accident Repair and Kenneth Brown Motor Engineers for their support and would welcome any future sponsors or assistance.”

If you’re interested in supporting Fraser, please contact George Anderson on 07891 813062.