Only five-times Scottish rally champion David Bogie finished ahead of Banchory’s Quintin Milne in the 2013 event.
Now the 33-year-old Milne aims to beat all the odds to go one better this season.
Milne has spent £24,000 to get his Mitsubishi EVO ready for competition – yet operates on a 10th of Bogie’s budget.
Overcoming the money barrier is the equivalent of a part-time football club competing at the top end of the Scottish Premiership, but Milne is undaunted at the magnitude of the task which awaits him this season.
Last year, Milne won the Borders Rally and was third in the Scottish, Speyside Stages and Merrick rallies, as well as finishing fourth in the Granite City Rally. It all starts again with the Snowman Rally in Inverness tomorrow, with Milne and Aberdeen co-driver Martin Forrest seeded fourth in the national championship opener.
Milne said: “I finished second overall to the British champion last year and he was a in a world rally car and I was in a production car.
“Even though it will be an uphill battle this year, against a very talented driver in David Bogie, I have to fancy my chances. It is a very competitive field and anything can happen, especially among the top 10 in the championship.
“Money seems to be no object for the top drivers, but for mere mortals like myself I have to generate money to race.
“Motorsport in general is unfair due to costs for making the car reliable, for practice and for maintenance and upkeep.
“Thanks to Rig Deluge and Caledonian Logistics, two Aberdeen-based companies, I have been able to rebuild my car. We have made it a bit lighter, with a new body shell, engine, transmission and also suspension.
“It takes such a beating over the course of the season, especially with jumps on gravel. That wears down the suspension and you have to go through it all with a fine-tooth comb.”
Milne does not lack ambition and admits placing well in the Snowman Rally is crucial to his season’s hopes.
He added: “I had a bit of luck last year in terms of the reliability of the car and we were in the mix for the top three regularly.
“If you want to be among the top drivers you have to make the car reliable.
“I drive it on the edge and try to get to the end of every rally.
“Unlike circuit racing, there is a lot of luck involved, not to make a mistake or the driver in front pulling out a rock on a corner.
“Martin is very experienced and will prove invaluable again and making a good start in the Snowman Rally is important for the season ahead.”