Flying Scotsman 2025 Leg Three News Report

After four great days of competition over a challenging 680-mile route from Harrogate to Gleneagles in Scotland, William Medcalf scored an incredible fourth Flying Scotsman win, equalling the record set by Gareth Burnett, but William scored each win in a Bentley SuperSports, whereas Burnett was in different car each time. The champion was crowned at Gleneagles with his fourth different winning navigator alongside, Ryan Pickering, the pair were peerless.

Of major importance, was the fact that the younger generation (under 30) represented 25 % of the field for the first time on a major HERO-ERA event, the Flying Scotsman. With an average age of 24, the youth team of 2025 scored three class wins, two top ten finishes, a 'Spirit of the Rally' award and a third fastest overall on the tests.

27-year-old Maximilian Matt (DE) navigated Gerd Bühler (DE) to sixth overall and a class win in their 1938 BMW 327/28 despite running on five cylinders for the last two days of the rally. Gerd said; "I couldn't have asked for more, Maximilian was exceptional, he made up for the loss of speed on the tests by being so accurate in timing on the regularities." Georgia de Jong Cleyndert guided her father Bill to a resounding class win and eighth overall in their 1928 Bentley 3 4.5 litre, after recovering from brake problems to add to their Sahara Challenge win two years ago.

Alexandra Murray-Tacon was the directional power behind the class win with her father in their 1940 Aston Martin Speed Model, whilst young Spanish brothers Alex and Borja Sánchez-Silva persisted in the face of adversity to receive 'The Spirit of the Rally' award in their 1925 Hispano Suiza H6 to rousing applause at prize giving on Sunday night at Gleneagles. Harry Wassell and Thomas Clutterbuck were 21st overall in the wonderful 1938 Frazer Nash BMW 328, but quick too as they took the third fastest times over all the tests.

More finishing success after delays due to axle and 'beaching' issues respectively, came for Kit Moore navigating his father Peter in their 1936 Riley Special and Alfonso Pueche (ES) in the hot seat for his father Jaime in their glorious 1937 Jaguar SS100. 

HERO-ERA Chairman Tomas de Vargas Machuca commented: "This is an overwhelming endorsement of our youth policy in that on Europe's foremost vintage car rally, the younger generation have not just moved in, but achieved major results. From our Bob Rutherford Scholarship for Young Navigators, where Miles Fieldhouse has already proved a winner, to the Rally for the Ages which is for the young for free, we also offer a 30% discount for all under 35-year-old drivers who enter future events. This policy is all under our umbrella of our 'Environmentally Responsible Driving' programme which is very encouraging for the future of the historic motoring industry.”

Also on Sunday night during the awards ceremony, there was huge applause for the event organisers HERO-ERA, but in particular for Clerk of the Course Guy Woodcock's two deputies, James Phillips and Andy Pullan for putting together such a fantastic, remote, yet challenging route. The 14 different international crews in particular, were lavish in their praise of the course and the competition. Teams came from all across Europe, including Ireland and the UK, and from as far as Hong Kong, the USA, Bermuda and Morocco, commended the event organisation and the route.

The Medcalf Pickering Bentley started the final day with a 2 minute and 45 second cushion to John Lomas and Pete Johnson in second place, but John and Pete were held up in their Riley Sprite to the extent that they thought they had dropped out of the podium position altogether. They were relieved to find that they had only dropped to third by the finish.

Behind the Bentley, the times were a little tighter, with only seven seconds between second and third and everyone else inside the top ten within touching distance of each other as well, all vying for class honours. on the final day. There were also nine different marques inside the top ten, different cars, years and engine sizes all fighting with each other, all hoping the days competition would play to their particular strengths.

After the midday break there were just three competitive sections left, one regularity and a pair of tests.

Gerd Bühler and Maximilian Matt, (DE) fourth at lunch and closest to snatching a podium, went the wrong way on the final test, costing them a minute or so, meaning the best they could manage was first in class. Bill and Georgia Cleyndert had also lost time in the regularity, though they would still finish first in class and well inside the top ten. In the end the Riley Sprite was still good enough for a fantastic third place, finishing 18 seconds ahead of Kurt Vanderspinnen and Iain Tullie in fourth, who had topped Class 1 in the Lea Francis Hyper. Behind them in fifth, were Belgians Patrick Debusseré and Remco Luksemburg, winning Class 5.

Mike Farrall and Zach Burns, who had been pushing Lomas and Johnson hard, profited from the Riley’s misfortune and after a consistent final afternoon, finished the rally in a tremendous second in the Jaguar SS90, their best-ever result in historic rallying after all their efforts. In particular, it was a triumph for Mike Farrall who gritted his teeth through the pain in his recovery from a huge motorcycle racing accident last year at Goodwood.

At the front though, after another exceptional afternoon, to perfectly finish off a brilliant rally, was the dominant Bentley 3 Litre SuperSports Continuation, carrying William Medcalf and Ryan Pickering to a win by exactly four minutes. It was an all-conquering performance, and a fourth triumph for driver William and a first win for navigator Ryan.

William Medcalf – 1st Place Driver: “Very privileged, it was an amazing event. I’ve lost more than I’ve won but you’ve got to keep plugging away. Ryan is an amazing guy, and we’ve had great fun. It’s been faultless from the HERO team, there has been amazing camaraderie, the suns out and the skies blue!”

Ryan Pickering – 1st Place Navigator: “It’s such a fabulous achievement, that’s been ten years in the making. It is a fantastic car and crew together. It’s a lifetime achievement to sit in a Bentley on a rally like this, driven by the master.”

Mike Farrall – 2nd Place Driver: “Unbelievable. I’ve been feeling sick all afternoon, I expect Zach has too! Zack did a mega job. I just want to say as well, stunning job from all the marshals, the event was a knockout.”

Zach Burns – 2nd Place Navigator: “We were hoping to achieve a top ten, then from the start everything has gone just right. We’ve had our share of good fortune, but we’ve built a package from doing all of the different events and I’ve been kept on my toes all the way through the competition.”

John Lomas – 3rd Place Driver: “It’s very good, I was very grumpy crossing the line. We were blocked, but that’s rallying, it’s an amazing sport. We’ve had a great day rallying and it’s great to have friends on the podium.”