Photos from the Janet Lancaster Memorial Run

MullMurmurs – Chapter 6

Provisional Leaderboard after SS8 (of 19)

1 Neil MacKinnon/Daniel Barritt (Subaru Impreza WRC) 54 Minutes 35 Seconds
2 Dougi Hall/Andy Richardson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 55m 29s
3 John Cope/Robert Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC) 55m 58s
4 Paul Kirtley/Jim Kitson (Subaru Impreza) 56m 34s
5 Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (BMW MINI Cooper S) 56m 51s
6 James MacGillivray/Ian Fraser (Ford Escort Mk2) 57m 03s
7 John Swinscoe/Paula Swinscoe (Mitsubishi Lancer) 57m 32s
8 Denis Biggerstaff/Graeme Thomson (Subaru Impreza) 57m 57s
9 Tristan Pye/Kirsty Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 58m 09s
10 Tony Bardy/Reg Smith (Hyundai Accent WRC) 58m 41s

As dawn clambered over the rocky outline of Mull on the morning of Saturday 13th October there were many bruised egos and battered cars littering the landscape. Last night provided a typical ‘crash, bang, wallop’ start to this 38th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally, but out front was 11 times winner Neil MacKinnon, with Daniel Barritt, going for win number 12.

Speaking of winners, we’ve already had one winner this weekend. After his cycling exploits on the 22 miler on Wednesday, Dougi Hall entered the Tunnock’s Teacake eating contest at Craignure on Thursday night, and he won! 20 teacakes and a bottle of Irn Bru in 4 minutes. What an athlete this boy is.

Looking further down the results listing after the first Leg of 8 stages Lewis Gallagher is leading the 2 litre class in his Peugeot 205 by just 3 seconds from Curly Haigh in the MkI and holding 16th and 17th places overall respectively. In 20th place is 1600 leader Mike Storrar in the Anglia with nearly a minute in hand over young Kris Hall (son of Dougi) in a Peugeot 205. In the wee class, Matthew Tarbutt’s Nova has 2 minutes over the Nova of Ewen MacGillivray.

There is one change to the overnight interim positions. In the previous Bulletin we didn’t have times for Denis Biggerstaff, but following a gearbox change at Craignure, Northern Ireland’s finest is still running, albeit quite far down the running order, and he’s currently lying 8th at the overnight halt.

But if there was a prize for sheer stubborn stupidity, Jim McDowall would be in the running. His ex-works Sunbeam seized its engine 3 miles into the first stage last night, so he called home to Newton Stewart (in the deep south west) and told the boys to bring the engine out of his Avenger up overnight. They are busy fitting it at the moment ready to (hopefully) re-start the Trophy Rally this afternoon.

And if there was an award for gardening, that would be down to Brian MacLeod (82). He went so far off in SS2 last night, the local farmer thought someone had started the ploughing early. That was nothing compared to the service crew who spent the next couple of hours prizing and poking packed earth out from driveshafts, gearbox linkages and stuffed sumpguards creating enough mess to start a new series of the Beechgrove Garden.

Now it’s daylight and the survivors have Leg 2 to look forward to, so doubtless there will be more motoring mayhem on Mull to come. But spare a thought for McDowall’s team, the only thing that’s keeping these boys fuelled is a constant supply of Tunnock’s caramel wafers. However did they manage without them before?

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Tobermory, 11.00 am Saturday

MullMurmurs – Chapter 8

Provisional Leaderboard after SS17 (of 17)

1 Duffy/Duffy                2 Hr 09 Mins 25 Secs
2 MacGillivray/Fraser            2h 10m 30s
3 Harper/Campbell            2h 11m 05s
4 Cope/Fagg                2h 11m 18s
5 Bardy/Smith                2h 11m 38s
6 Pye/Falconer                2h 12m 50s
7 Sinclair/Hamill            2h 14m 31s
8 Hall/Hall                2h 14m 58s
9 Sisson/Stone                2h 15m 39s
10 Sherrington/Bould            2h 15m 49s

There was just no stopping Calum and Iain Duffy tonight. They were not to be denied their 5th win on this 40th Tunnock's Tour of Mull Rally. Over the final two stages Duffy led from the front consolidating and extending his winning margin to just over a minute from James MacGillivray and Ian Fraser.

John Cope was holding third place going into those final rain dampened stretches of tarmac, which weren't exactly wet, more greasy was the feel. In other words, it was uncertain underfoot, or more precisely, treacherous undertyre. Cope picked his pace and made his choice: “I had 3 on Harper going into that last one, I wasn't going to try any harder.” Daniel was in two minds. Finish, or go for it. He did both.

Tony Bardy scored a remarkable 5th in the Nissan while Tristan Pye earned the Group N win with 6th place as Wayne Sisson dropped back into the clutches of Shaun Sinclair, the number 50 seed who finished in 7th place ahead of the hard charging Dougi Hall, demoting Sisson to 9th.

At the finish, Dougi looked quite resigned to his fate. “Yes, I've led the rally a couple of times in the past but I've been lying second more often, before trouble struck. That's rallying, eh?” If it hadn't been for those two punctures, who knows? Duffy was closing, but Hall is a fighter, as he showed battling back to finish 8th.

Rounding off the top ten was Tugs Sherrington after two nights and one afternoon of high drama and even higher excitement.

But they were  the lucky ones. Paul MacKinnon went off while leading. Neil MacKinnon crashed while in contention, Willie Bonniwell retired with gearbox failure and Dave Pattison called it a day after fuel pump troubles and finally a worsening gearbox.

And just outside the top ten there were a few more surprises. Iain MacKenzie won the 1600 class with 14th place and Andy Knight took the 1400 class with 16th place and Stevie Brown was on course for a result till fate intervened and the Fiesta went for walk on the beach at Scridain.

As ever, the Tunnock's Tour served up a feast of surprises and shocks, heroes and heroines, and a healthy dose of drama and disaster, but that's what makes this the 'Best rally in the World.”

Note: A full report will be served up in the final issue of the 2009 MullMurmurs sometime on Sunday – now I'm off for a Tunnock's pie and my bed.

That’s yer lot for now,
Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet
Sunday, 3.00 am, The Sea Life Visitor Centre, Tobermory