MULLMURMURSMULLMURMURSMULLMURMURS – Chapter 9
– published on the island, during the event by Jaggy Bunnet
Provisional Leaderboard after 17 (out of 19) Stages:
| Posn | Driver/Co-Driver | Car | Hrs.Mins:Secs |
| 1 | Neil MacKinnon/Mike Stayte | Subaru Legacy | 2.11:49 |
| 2 | Chris Griffiths/Stephen Griffiths | Subaru Legacy | 2.12:05 |
| 3 | John Price/Mike Bowen | MG Metro 6R4 | 2.15:11 |
| 4 | Eddie O'Donnell/Eddie O'Donnell | Ford Escort | 2.17:58 |
| 5 | Paul Kirtley/Jon Geldart | Ford Sierra Cosworth | 2.18:21 |
| 6 | James MacGillivray/Brian Kennedy | Opel Corsa | 2.21:56 |
| 7 | Billy Bird/Plug Pulleyn | Vauxhall Astra RWD | 2.22:54 |
| 8 | Steve Davies/Simon Proud | Ford Escort | 2.23:33 |
| 9 | Gordon Boyd/Stella Boyles | Ford Escort Cosworth | 2.25:17 |
| 10 | Gareth Jones/Lee Ellis | Ford Escort | 2.25:31 |
Old times, eh? The "Ol' Man" back in control. Neil MacKinnon is now feeling at home in the Subaru and it shows, Mike Stayte says he's really enjoying the car now and he's just beginning to enjoy himself now that he has full confidence in the car. Neil can't tell us himself since he's suffering from a sceptic throat and it's very difficult for him to speak.
So with MacKinnon and Stayte now leading the field of this 27th Philips Tour of Mull Rally, Chris and Stephen Griffiths are in second place but only 16 seconds behind but we've lost Richard Thompson in the Nissan who was up to 5th before the night started.
So this rally is far from over … Next on the menu is 22.5 miles over Loch Tuath and Calgary, and anything can happen in these conditions with this sort of competition. Just ask James MacGillivray, he was lying third until to-night started and now he's 6th. James was quite frank about it, "We were trying at the time" he understated, but the car flew over a crest and just failed to keep all four wheels on the tar when it landed. With two wheels on the grass it slid sideways into a peat bog and had to be rescued by spectators, but the damage was done, he had lost over 7 minutes … That means John Price is now up to third and Eddie O'Donnell is fourth but both are showing signs of concern, Price has a misfire and O'Donnell has a leaking oil seal … MacGillivray's error means that Paul Kirtley is now in the top six for the first time while Daniel Harper in the wee Mini is still knocking on the door of the top ten with 11th place at present … Mark Jasper has slipped back a bit with the Sapphire which isn't handling too well at present, probably due to that earlier encounter with a bridge parapet and which he now reckons he hit harder than he originally thought … Derek Carless was spotted servicing at Craignure, the racing ovies stashed away for another year as we found out the reason for his retirement, he rolled above Dervaig … So who is going to win the 27th Philips Tour of Mull? We'll know pretty soon, eh?
That's yer lot for now, Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, (Craignure, Saturday, midnight)
