DONNIE MacDonald didn’t get where he is today without having an eye for an opportunity. So don’t be surprised if the car dealer from Culloden mixes his day job with pleasure on the Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally, the second round of the 2017 ARR Craib Scottish Championship.

Donnie made the hike south yesterday to Jedburgh in a rather high-spec Transit van, one modified by M-Sport, who also have a habit of doing similar things with rally cars. “I’ve brought it down for a bit of fun – and, who knows, I might sell it while I’m here. If that happens, it might be ‘taxi for MacDonald’ to get back up the road,” joked the loyal Scottish series runner.

MacDonald won’t be in a position to offer hire purchase terms during the day, however, when he's back behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta R5, new to him on the Snowman Rally a few weeks ago. And Donnie says getting used to his new wheels is taking a bit of time.

“On the Snowman, I was first car away, a great honour but not really something I’m used to.

"I prefer at this stage in my career – I almost said age – to see where others have gone before I come along. But the organisers for the Border Counties haven’t done me any favours and just about managed to get me a top-10 start – what have I ever done to them?

“That said, I’ll probably get a better idea of what the Fiesta is capable of compared to the Evo I’d been running, The suspension and brakes are just brilliant on the Ford, and it seems to skip over the rough stuff where the Mitsubishi hit everything – although that could have been me.

“I really wanted it dry, just to get a good, clean run. But it looks like rain is forecast all day, although that is a ready-made excuse if things don’t go well.”

MacDonald managed a 10th-placed finish first time out, with David Bogie, Shaun Sinclair and Euan Thorburn taking the 1-2-3. Bogie, however, has decided to contest the British Rally Championship round that runs alongside the Border Counties, probably leaving Duns driver Thorburn, the 2014 Scottish champion, as favourite today. Although, like MacDonald, he is still coming to terms with his new Fiesta R5.

Spectators are best advised to watch the Elibank stage, near Walkerburn, which will be run twice, with the first car due at 11.49am and again at 2.57pm.