1996 – Murmur Chapter 2

MULLMURMURSMULLMURMURSMULLMURMURS – Chapter 2

– published on the island, during the event by Jaggy Bunnet

This here modest little epistle is designed to entertain and inform all who are here to celebrate the 27th Philips Tour of Mull Rally so let's start with a serious bit. In the Spectator Guide which is issued free of charge to all spectators (available at the Aros Hall in Tobermory) there are a few errors, only two of which are deliberate and we will not name Pete as the guilty party since to save his blushes he will remain anonymous.

But apologies to Dave Paveley and Andy Bull in the Enterprise Racing Mini 1300 (number 50) and Kevin Haselden and Bill Cook in their Peugeot 1300 (number 101). As you will see from the Spectator Guide the page break caused a bit of a kerfuffle and Pete missed them out.

By the way have a good look at Paveley's Mini. This wee beastie is reputed to have 145 BHP and a 6 spd sequential gearbox and the whole device is reckoned to weight 8 cwt (I haven't gone metric yet!)

There will be a few other changes to the entry list as the reserve entries get a run and are slotted into the spaces left by those who didn't turn up. So don't panic if you see car number 5 running in the 80s, its only Chris MacKenzie/Duncan Kennedy in their Peugeot. Car 7 is Willie Paterson/Euan O'Neill in an Escort, car 77 is Paul Marshall/Steve Hughes in a TR7V8, 75 is Gordon McCombie/Russell Blood in a Saab and 48 is Andy Wilson/John MacArthur in a Mini.

However, let's not forget this event is also the final round of the EARS Motorsport/Motoring News Rally Championship. Pete Doughty has already clinched the title and ain't here – chicken – but 2nd place is still up for grabs. But with John Brodie also opting out (another chicken) it's down to a three way fight between Graham Dale (26), Keith Robathan (17) and Michael Russell (45). So one of these guys is going to be runner-up. Dale and Russell will also have to decide who gets the Group N award in the series.

Another award still to be decided in this national series is the Formula 2 prizewinner. Monty Pearson (62) in the Nova and Graham Darcy (49) are the hot favourites, Darcy has a score to drop but Monty adds anything he gets. On the other hand, Tim Stell (52) in the Astra could snatch the title at the last gasp if the other two strike trouble.

In the Under 25 age group section, Gavin Rogers (87) could still beat category leader Gary Fincher (who ain't here to defend his lead) so he'll be going for a steady points scoring finish.

Roger Binyon and Cath Phillipson took the Montego for a run last night and found it a tight fit on the island roads. The ex-David Gillanders machine likes straight bits but isn't so sure about the corners. more /…..

And here's a nice story. Ian Donaldson and Graeme Taylor were out checking their Notes at 1:00 o'clock this morning when the electrics failed on their road car. They were stranded until Fiona from Dervaig turned up and gave them a lift back. Now isn't that nice, a young lady out on her own late at night stopping to give two strange men a lift – and they don't come much stranger than those two! Maybe she knew that they were at a low ebb as the car has only just been repaired following a dry stane dyke destroying roll on the McRae Stages just a few weeks back.

Did you see the windscreen strip on car 133? I asked Pat Inkle what it stood for and he said "Pat Inkle Sports Services", but all the sticker has is the initials followed by Engineering – think about it! Speaking of nicknames, look out for car 121, it's driven by Smudge and co-driven by Piemuncher – but don't poke fun at him, he's a big lad!

Meantime, 2300 Car Club still have some souvenir rally goodies left for sale at the Aros Hall – and remember to buy a Philips torch, the profits go to the Mull Swimming Pool fund.

That's yer lot meantime, we'll be back later at Craignure during the night. Look out for the while Albion Automotive minibus.

Hopefully we'll get a few more decent stories for the next issue, it's all been remarkably quiet so far. Usually MacKay's Garage is going like a fair with sparks flying from welding torches and curses emanating from underneath bent bodywork and broken engines. Even Chief Scroot Roger is noticing a higher standard of car preparation this year. The calm before the storm?!?!

Oh, and by the way, young Duffy has swopped his 2.1 Pinto for a 16 valve Astra 2 litre engine – crikey he was too blooming quick last year.

Did you hear about the rally driver who went out to try the car and got four punctures. The guy who fitted the tyres put tubes in them, so not only had to take the tubes out of those four but the other 40 wheels and tyres in the van! Nice one, eh?

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, (Friday afternoon).

P.S. We've got another Philips guest here. The regulars will remember John Whybrow who flagged off the cars two years ago. Well, the President of Philips Lighting International is back for more. Mull has that effect on everyone doesn't it?

Published October 10, 2009

2009 – Murmur Chapter 6

MullMurmurs – Chapter 6

Provisional Leaderboard after SS12 (of 17)
1 Hall/Hall                1 Hr 24 Mins 11 Secs
2 Duffy/Duffy                1h 24m 49s
3 Cope/Fagg                1h 25m 02s
4 Harper/Campbell            1h 25m 10s
5 MacGillivray/Fraser            1h 25m 20s
6 Bardy/Smith                1h 25m 33s
7 Sisson/Stone                1h 26m 02s
8 Pye/Falconer                1h 27m 01s
9 Sinclair/Hamill            1h 27m 37s
10 Sherrington/Bould            1h 28m 29s

It's all change at the top of the leaderboard after the five daylight stages on this 40th anniversary Tunnock's Tour of Mull Rally. Dougi and Sam Hall now lead the rally after 12 of this year's 17 stages but they are coming under severe pressure from the Dervaig Dervishes, Callum and Iain Duffy.

Hall has had his troubles today though: “We did a driveshaft on Tuath. It's banging and clattering away, and it feels worse on lefthanders than righthanders. We nursed it through the first two stages, pushed a bit on Calgary, and then said **** it, and went for it over the last two. But we'll need to see what exactly is wrong before tonight. It feels like three wheel drive at times and I'm not sure at others.”

Duffy was in trouble too but not of his own making. After changing the crown wheel and pinion in the axle last night, the MkII is flying today. “I got hit by Paul MacKinnon,” he said, “Paul had gone off and was reversing out helped by Marshals. They were telling him when it was safe but whatever happened he started coming out just as we were going past. We were lucky, he hit the tail of the car but missed the wheel,. Otherwise we might have got mechanical damage as well.”

A close call, but it means MacKinnon is out as he didn't make it to the final Control this afternoon. That puts John Cope back into contention. He was on fire over the second Hill Road setting fastest time and has moved up to third place, but he was lucky too: “We were on slicks when that downpour hit us on Calgary!”. Daniel Harper had a fright too when the hub came loose from the strut: “The pinch bolt worked loose and the hub was clattering against the strut, but we fixed it at the end of the stage.” James MacGillivray was beaming at the end of the Lochs: “I was cursing. I thought I had picked too soft a tyre, but it rained in Calgary and my choice was perfect. I also got held up a few seconds at Paul's off.”

Tony Bardy is now happy with his steering: “It feels like an ERF but it's not darting left or right as the other one did.” Wayne Sisson is picking up pace now too, and had a spin on the Hill Road, but Tristan Pye dropped back with a front puncture half way through the final stage of the afternoon. Outside the top ten last night, Shaun Sinclair is on a mission today. He's up to 9th now despite spinning on somebody's oil on the Hill Road: “It was a full 360 and then some, but I lost 30 seconds getting it turned round and on its way again,” he said. Tugs Sherrington rounds off the top ten despite the wipers getting themselves knotted during the downpour in Calgary and he couldn't see.

Denis Biggerstaff came out of the Lochs with a huge grin, “I just love that stage”, he said. Steve Cressey's new Subaru has a crumpled front corner courtesy of a huge deer in Gribun last night: “We were flat in sixth and there was this big deer right in the middle of the road!” Doug Weir spun on the Hill Road: “It was my own fault – I missed a gear.” Iain Mackenzie has the wee Peugeot well wound up but is losing time to the bigger cars now that conditions are drying later in the afternoon. Dave Pattison is toiling. A string of good times has been ruined by three punctures this afternoon alone. Curly Haigh is heading straight to service, his gearbox is grumbling and due a change before tonight. Jonathan Mounsey is enjoying himself: “It's slicks all the way, the wetter the better!” Bluidy masochist! Stevie Brown forgot to Note the shiny tar during the recce – he found it today, but you just can't faze these youngsters these days. John Rintoul's lack of pace last night was explained in daylight, a turbo pipe was leaking. Grum Willcok is going better, he's got his confidence back, the brakes are working well. Tim Stell was having a good run till it “dowsed it down on Calgary” but he's still inside the top twenty. Ian Chadwick is 2nd in class but doesn't think he can get 1st because of the notional times, so he's just out for the 'craic' now. Cameron MacLean has cured his brakes troubles from last night with new front calipers and the noisy back axle was only a rattling leaf spring! John Morrison got caught in the heavy rain on the Hill Road but at least it was washing the mud off it a bit. Stuart McQueen didn't need a fag at the end of the Lochs – he must be getting cocky now, and Paul Kirtley is struggling with an intermittent turbo problem. One minute no boost and the next plenty, and usually when he doesn't want it. And the grin is back, Andy Knight was smiling so hard it was stretching his helmet. “We got the brakes sorted out last night,” said Andy, “that was good in there,” he said referring to the Lochs. But he needs a good skelp and a severe talking-to. A wee 1400 shouldn't be cuffing turbo motors.

That’s yer lot for now,
Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Friday, 3.00 pm, At Island Bakery, Oban

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