09 April 2025
The Overall Winner for Flying Scotsman 2025
1925 Bentley SuperSports, driven by our Founder, William Medcalf and navigated by Ryan Pickering have won the 2025 Flying Scotsman!
An incredibly special event for Vintage Bentley over the years having secured:
4 x Overall Wins
4 x Different SuperSports
4 x Different Navigators
4 x Minute Lead
After four exciting days of competition on the demanding 680-mile route from Harrogate to Gleneagles in Scotland, William Medcalf achieved an incredible fourth Flying Scotsman victory, matching the record set by Gareth Burnett.
Route and Highlights:
Day 1 (April 3): 64 vintage cars made their Harrogate start from the 1805 Rudding Park Estate Park estate. Once out of the narrow lanes, the crews headed for another test at Hilderbrand Barracks and then back to rally HQ at the Rudding Park Estate for a Welcome Dinner.
Day 2 (April 4): A journey from Harrogate to Newcastle, with off-road regularities and tests through Catterick Barracks, culminating at Slaley Hall for the overnight halt. After six tests and seven regularities over a 175-mile route of stunning scenery and brilliant roads in surprisingly beautiful weather, Medcalf and Pickering are still holding onto their lead in the Bentley 3 Litre SuperSports Continuation.
Day 3 (April 5): Traveling from Newcastle to Edinburgh, the route passes through Northumberland National Park, crosses into Scotland, and finishes at the Dalmahoy Hotel. Through this competitive day of five tests and regularities over 179 miles, William Medcalf and Ryan Pickering in their Bentley 3 litre SuperSports Continuation pressed home their advantage extending their lead, but at the same time, experiencing a slight flutter at the end of the day at Dalmahoy.
Day 4 (April 6): The final leg from Edinburgh to Gleneagles Hotel includes regularities and tests near Perth before reaching the event's finish line.
The dominant Bentley 3 Litre SuperSports Continuation, carrying William
Medcalf and Ryan Pickering, started the final day with a 2-minute and 45-second lead over John Lomas and Pete Johnson in second place, but crossed the finish line first place by exactly four minutes. It was an astonishing performance, and a fourth win for our founder, William Medcalf, and a first win for navigator Ryan.
William’s first words after securing his fourth Flying Scotsman win were: 'I feel very privileged—it’s been an amazing event. I’ve lost more than I’ve won, but you just have to keep pushing. Ryan is an incredible guy, and we’ve had a great time. The HERO team has been flawless, the camaraderie has been fantastic, and the sun’s out with blue skies!'
After his first Flying Scotsman victory, Ryan Pickering shared: 'It’s an incredible achievement, one that’s been a decade in the making. The car and crew are just fantastic. It’s a lifetime achievement to be in a Bentley on a rally like this, driven by a master.'
This is a fantastic achievement for the team here at Vintage Bentley, having prepared this winning SuperSports for one of the UK's toughest rallies.
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the rally, and most importantly, thank you to HERO-ERA for organising another epic rally.
We look forward to our next adventure. Follow the journey here!
