1996 – Murmur Chapter 9

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)

Published October 12, 2006

2006 – Murmur Chapter 8

Provisional Top Ten after SS14 (of 19)

1 Neil MacKinnon/Mike Stayte (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1 Hr 31 Mins 37 Secs
2 Calum Duffy/Iain Duffy (Ford Escort Mk2) 1h 33m 09s
3 John Cope/Tony Cope (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h 35m 36s
4 Paul Kirtley/David Jones (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h 36m 05s
5 Denis Biggerstaff/Graham Thomson (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1h 36m 36s
6 John Price/Caroline Price (MG Metro 6R4) 1h 37m 44s
7 Tony Bardy/Reg Smith (Hyundai Accent WRC) 1h 38m 09s
8 John Swinscoe/Bill Robertson (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) 1h 39m 11s
9 Cameron Maclean/Alastair Fraser (Ford Escort Mk2) 1hr 40m 04s
10 Mark Durham/Andy Mort (Mitsubishi Lancer) 1h 40m 10s

(Please Note: These times are provisional pending confirmation by Rally HQ)

As most of you will know after trudging out of empty stages late on in the afternoon, rallying was curtailed due to a number of separate incidents. Thankfully none too serious, but the cumulative effect meant that the organisers were running out of Road Closure Time to get everyone through. One competitor has been airlifted out of a stage, but this is purely a precautionary measure as the competitor in question was able to make phone calls whilst the Medics were attending!

So rallying will resume on this 37th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally at 9.00 pm to-night outside the Salen Hotel in Salen, that is provided the event leader makes it to the start time. It would appear that Neil MacKinnon will re-start the third and final Leg tonight on his third gearbox! But at least he is still in the rally, his son Paul isn’t. “I just felt it miss a little last night,” said Paul, “but we thought it was fuel starvation but then on the first stage this afternoon it wasn’t revving too well, and when the oil light came on, I switched off!”

Calum Duffy is still holding off John Cope in second place, Paul Kirtley’s doing the business in fourth but Denis Biggerstaff is closing in and with John Price running in sixth place we have all four home nations represented in the top six of the Tunnock’s Tour.

And just to round off this rather official style bulletin, here is a true tale to warm the hearts of a hospitable nation. Apparently a French family arrived on the island to drive to their hotel earlier this afternoon completely unaware of the fact that this is ‘Motorsport Month on Mull’. Confusion reigned when they were denied access to the road which led past their hotel till Safety Officer Ron Cowan threw his cape across the puddle and bridged the cultural gap. He personally escorted them by orange flashing beacon to a safe spectating point, provided a variety of Tunnock’s confections, apparently they had never seen a teacake before let alone eaten one, and some bottles of Irn Bru, another foreign taste to their culture upbringing. Delighted? Ils sont tres hereuse (that’s French you uneducated lot!). Aye, it just proves the ‘Auld Alliance’ is alive and well on Mull.

And remember, the Mediterrania Restaurant at Salen does the best pizzas on the island. Genuine Italian food cooked to genuine Italian recipes, and both sit-in or takeway. Why not drop in when down that way tonight.

That’s yer lot for now,
Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Aros Hall, Tobermory, 6.30 pm, Saturday

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