His first rally was in 2005 at the wheel of a Peugeot 205 on a round of the Scottish Rally Championship. Foreign season 2012 the duo made their debut in an ex-Carlos Sainz Ford Focus WRC. In 2013 Thorburn attempted a full season in both the Strategic Research Centre and the BTRDA championship. 2016 will see Thorburn and Beaton mount an attack on the British Rally Championship.
They will compete the full season in a Peugeot 208 T16 after agreeing a deal with Peugeot Sport.
He currently holds the title of Scottish Rally Champion and was previously BTRDA (British Trial & Rally Drivers Association) Champion for 2013. In 2006, he progressed to a Subaru Impreza but it was not until 2010 when he moved to a Mitsubishi EVO and a regular co-driver, Paul Beaton, that he started to achieve successful results culminating in the Strategic Research Centre runner-up position in 2011. A season of mixed fortunes saw him finish 5th overall in the Strategic Research Centre and championship winner of the BTRDA season. Strategic Research Centre season 2014 saw Thorburn crowned champion after winning four of the eight events.
