Sad News: 2020 Andy Mort Tour Will Not Run

MULLMURMURSMULLMURMURSMULLMURMURS – Chapter 8

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

Provisional Leaderboard after 14 (out of 19) Stages:

Provisional Top Ten after SS16 (of 19)

1 Neil MacKinnon/Mike Stayte (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1 Hr 58 Mins 30 Secs
2 Calum Duffy/Iain Duffy (Ford Escort Mk2) 2h 00m 31s
3 John Cope/Tony Cope (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 03m 02s
4 Paul Kirtley/David Jones (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 03m 57s
5 Denis Biggerstaff/Graham Thomson (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 05m 13s
6 John Price/Caroline Price (MG Metro 6R4) 2h 06m 18s
7 Tony Bardy/Reg Smith (Hyundai Accent WRC) 2h 06m 46s
8 John Swinscoe/Bill Robertson (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) 2h 08m 22s
9 Cameron Maclean/Alastair Fraser (Ford Escort Mk2) 2hr 09m 20s
10 Tristan Pye/Andrew Roughead (Subaru Impreza) 2h 10m 11s
(Please Note: These times are provisional pending confirmation by Rally HQ)

This was the big one, the 23 miler Loch Tuath/Calgary Bay adrenaline charge. And like something out the ‘Charge of the Dark Brigade’ Neil MacKinnon sped down the valley and round the bay stopping the clocks on 20 mins 26 seconds – you couldn’t do it quicker even if strapped to an Exocet, but there is still cause for concern in the McKinstry camp. The gearbox Neil is using will have to spared, no full rev changes, there’s a long way to go. Calum Duffy is having to be careful too, 2nd gear is beginning to ‘crunch’. Paul Kirtley struck something and knocked the tracking out so the Subaru is a handful and according to Tony Cope brother John thought he was a tractor driver for 400 yards in Calgary – but they got away with it.

Up to an excellent 9th overall is yet another Muileach, Cameron MacLean (41), but he admitted to backing off a bit this afternoon when he saw Doug Weir’s accident … Tim Stell (40) was troubled with a sticking throttle which made his anti-lag interesting … Tristan Pye (36) had a puncture and the car’s not handling too well since … Pat Johnson (23) is troubled with his brakes, they keep snatching the left front and he thinks something is broken … Chris Chadwick (34) struggled through Calgary and the Lochs, the co-driver was changing gear while Ian was steering with one hand, and operating the throttle by the other hand out of the window using a boot lace. Oh, and by the way, some of our ‘foreign’ readers wonder what a ‘midge on a squib’ is, a phrase I used to describe Chadwick’s progress in an earlier bulletin. A ‘midge’ is a small biting gnat and a ‘squib’ is a firework. OK? … Alan Gardiner’s intercom has gone … Tugs Sherrington (35) is having steering problems and Curly Haigh (44) reckons he was setting some fantastic times – for this rally 10 years ago … class leading Mike Storrar (38) is having to hold the door shut with a bungee as the lock has failed and he’s annoyed – the 1600cc Anglia is ‘only just’ out of warranty by some 30 odd years … the politically incorrect Stuart McQueen (28) was spotted having a fly fag at the end of Calgary, just to calm his nerves …  ex Land Rover pilot John Cockburn started the rally gently by not using the anti-lag first time out in a Subaru, but used it throughout the second Leg, so I wonder what he’ll do tonight – use the throttle maybe? … Brian MacLeod (71) has a leaking core plug … and Steve Davies (51) got a fright when both throttle cables broke simultaneously, and then the sumpguard fell off … and Chris Woodcock (54) is under serious pressure, he’s driving Harry Hockly’s Proton and he’s been told to bring it back in one piece – and he’s leading the 1400 class, so no pressure then …and Alistair Willis (110) has returned to Scotland to rally his old Nova run by Andrew Wood. He returned from Bucharest in Rumania where he runs a sandwich factory! … and here is a true tale, would I tell a fib? – Fooey the Fireman (118) went on fire! He was driving Alan Gardner’s old MkI on the basis that if he fixed it he could use it on Mull so the part-time fireman and full time mechanic at MacKay’s Garage was going well till the boot went on fire. It was spotted by other folk and Robert Mathieson (57) pulled over to help him with the merry blaze. But it was only the electrics and the paint which suffered, but I bet his mates will give him a ribbing next time he goes to work.

That’s yer lot for now,
Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Riverside, Tobermory, 10.30 pm, Saturday

It’s late afternoon here in Tobermory as Scrutineering draws to a close ahead of to-night’s start to the 37th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally. Big Roger and his team of Scroots are shoogling wheels and tugging fire extinguishers big time at Tobermory Distillery but most folk have got through.

One of the highlights so far has been the appearance James MacGillivray’s Ralloy built MkII. The black and white beast with its Scholar engine is a thing of beauty and a tremendous credit to Kevin who has spent some 500 hours and more building it. And then he goes and entrusts it to a farmer who is going to fire it over the tarmac of Mull at ungodly speeds.

Despite having retired, Stuart McQueen (28) is back after 4 years: “If you do nothing else, you’ve got to do Mull,” but he did cause the Scroots some head scratching when he revealed his spare wheel tie-drown strap – it was a dog lead … Paul Kirtley (16) is back with a brand new late 99 spec WRC Subaru and the gorgeous blue paint job just glows in the Tobermory sunshine …Tristan Pye (36) has blown the dust off his old N10 because it is tarmac spec as opposed to his forest spec N11 Subaru and Dad is fussing about like a mother hen as usual … Mark Durham (22) only did 7 stages on Mull last year and has done nothing since, too busy looking after young David Bogie at weekends on BTRDA events … John Paterson (33) is limping, after twisting his right knee two weeks ago trying to get the car ready. Now he’s got to get ready. He’s got a doctor’s appointment at 4.30 this afternoon to drain fluid from his knee. I don’t know about that but I do know how to cure water on the brain – a tap on the head … Steven Clark (32) has a Peugeot that’s not quite a S1600 after last minute problems, but at least he made it this year … Mike Storrar’s Anglia (38) still has the Corolla 1600 engine but he’s got a new diff – and a new coat of  paint (roller-coated Dulux?) so no expense spared there then … John Marshall’s ‘new’, last of the WRC98 spec, Impreza looked glorious in its red paintwork and this will only be his second event in the car … as for his son Ross Marshall (98), for both him and co-driver Vicky Grant this will be there first ever Mull, what an adventure lies ahead – Oh I wish I was young again … Cameron MacLean (41) was looking pensive, he had to buy more tyres: “I only used one set on the Jim Clark, but the roads up here are so abrasive I need to buy more!” It’s Cameron’s 5th Mull but so far his main claim to fame is that when he slid off the road on the Galloway Hills Rally last year he did so in front of helicopter pilots and spectators, Colin McRae and Murray Grierson. And yes, they did push him out … Paul Daniel’s MkII (49) was built by Ralloy 4 years ago and still looks minted and has a brand new Jondel engine after its blow up on the Jim Clark …
Duggie Ingram’s real Mini (70) looks the business with its Jack Knight 16 valve head and throttle bodies on top of the 1380cc block, but he has a theory. With all that power going through the Quaife LSD and driveshafts, he runs road tyres on the basis that it will spin wheels before it will snap shafts – methinks he’s two teeth short of a full diff himself! … John Rintoul’s (73) secret is out, he’s got new glasses so now he’ll see what he’s been missing all these past years … and here’s a tale to warm the hearts of us all out there. Three years after building a rather rapid Corsa, Mark Constantine (68) was always disappointed by its lack of pace and yet on the rolling road no fault was ever found with the 1400cc engine on throttle bodies. Then three months ago quite by chance he found that the fuel pump was only getting 7.5 volts. New pump, new lease of life, so watch him go tonight … another sight for sore eyes was Ian (Fooey the Fireman) Noble from MacKay’s garage who did a deal with Alan Gardner. Alan said he could use the car if he prepped it, and then he saw the car! Two sills later and some floor welding accomplished, along with some TLC to the greasy bits, Fooey will be out in the MkI (118) tonight. He’ll be worth watching too if his skills driving the Fire Engine on Mull’s roads are any indication – but he won’t have the benefit of a blue flashing light! … Ian Curwen (92) is looking forward to his second run out in the Angus Mathieson built Corsa, he got 2nd in class on the Pendragon … Martin MacLean is on his third Toyota 1600 engine in the Sunbeam after two blow-ups. This latest engine was sourced from a scrappie in Manchester for 250 quid with a month’s guarantee – only thing was he didn’t tell them what he was going to do with it … Donald Brown (89) needs a few more miles on his engine before the start tonight. It was only put in the Sunbeam on Wednesday night … Allan MaKay (116) is lying 2nd in class in the Northern Ireland Championship in his 1600 Anglia: “I’ve had the car 30 years and only been married to the wife for 23, so guess who comes first in our household?” (I hope she’s not reading this on the Internet tonight) … it’s Derek Carless’ (91) 26th Mull and he’s borrowed his son’s Peugeot (again): “I turned 60 last year and still can’t give it up!” … and it will be interesting to see how John Cockburn (62) gets on tonight in a ‘proper’ rally car, a Subaru Impreza, he’s the idiot that did it in a 450 bhp TomCat three years ago and a stripped down, cut out Range Rover last year.

And if you need a cheery story, the Bear Cubs turned up in the Nova (149), Heather MacCrone is on her fourth rally and co-driver Sarah Jayne Daly is on her second. The car was built by 8 youngsters from age 12 to 18 and supervised by Steve Davies. With enthusiasm like this the sport is safe – as long as we can keep the MSA away from it.

And happy birthday to John Easson Scholarship winner Ryan Borthwick, he’s 24 today and easy to spot, the wee Peugeot has got gold coloured numerals (100) on the Tunnock’s door plate … By the way, did you see the helicopter flying low over Tobermory Bay and landing at the Golf Course? That was Linda Brown (148) arriving in style, like something out of a Women’s Lib Milk Tray advert. She had been sitting an exam at Aberdeen University today and it was the only way she could get here on time.

And there’s always one, or in this case two, Elvis and Superman turned up at Scrutineering disguised as Tugs Sherrington and Sam Bould (35). I think it was a ploy to distract the Scrutineers from taking too close a look at the MkII!

And finally, with one stage to go today in Turkey, Gronholm was leading but McRae was fifth. Gaun yersel Colin.

And if you are going out spectating tonight please make sure you know what the Road Closure times are (in the programme) and get there early. Park sensibly, well clear of the road, and bring your litter back for proper disposal. And if you hear a siren and see flashing lights just ahead of the rally to-night that could be Bulletin Bill with the MullMurmurs, so look out and be ready!

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Tobermory, 4.30 pm, Friday