Andy Mort Tour 2017 – Photos from Ron Cowan

MullMurmurs – Chapter 7

Provisional Leaderboard after SS 12 (of 19)

1 Neil MacKinnon/Daniel Barritt (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1hr 22m 28s
2 Dougi Hall/Andy Richardson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 1.24.38
3 John Cope/Robert Fagg (Subaru Impreza WRC) 1.24.53
4 Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (BMW MINI Cooper S) 1.26.18
5 James MacGillivray/Ian Fraser (Ford Escort Mk2) 1.26.40
6 Paul Kirtley/Jim Kitson (Subaru Impreza) 1.27.06

We’re now well into the daylight section of this 38th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally, and there’s more change at the top. MacKinnon still leads but James MacGillivray has caught and passed Paul Kirtley

But Denis Biggerstaff’s overall position is currently in doubt. After changing his gearbox last night he continued on his way and looked to have 8th place secured by the close of Leg 1, but there may be a problem. It looks as though he incurred a stage maximum late last night with his gearbox woes which has dropped him out of contention again.

But MacKinnon is on a charge, “Steady away today, but I just tried it in there.” Without a bead of sweat on his forehead, MacKinnon shattered last year’s record of 6m 22s for the Lochs with a new record today, 6m 13s! Even previous record holder John Cope could do nothing about it, 2 seconds slower than ‘the man’.

Dougi Hall hung on to 2nd despite a big spin in Calgary when he encountered a wet patch on a hairpin and Paul Kirtley had yet another huge off again in Calgary, but in a different place from last night and James MacGillivray did a personal best over the Lochs with 6m 36s, so these boys are flying today. And what about Daniel Harper, he was grinning fit t burst his crash hat after that one.

I wonder if the 1 litre Nissan Micra WRC (White Rally Car) is the lowest powered in the rally. Haydn Williams (118) stopped in the penultimate stage last night along with three cars behind him to extricate a car blocking the road. Even after they got back into their own car they caught up with the guy in front and they finished the Leg last night 99th out of 115 …. Mark Booth (143) got stuck in SS5 last night when the throttle cable snapped … Robert Davies had to stop in SS2 last night to change a punctured tyre – in the dark …. Graham Brown (84) lost all his brakes last night near Ulva Ferry when a stone slackened a brake line union and all the fluid pumped out, so he finished the stage on the handbrake …. and young Ross Hunter (152) had to change a kn*ck*r*d bottom balljoint this morning and now has a wee ‘clunk’ from the rear axle.

As for Chris MacKenzie (68), words fail me. The dumpling has only gone and lost his car keys. The team now have two options, break a window or find a spotty 17 year old to hot wire it!

And just to bring the results of the Tunnock’s Teacake eating contest at Craignure on Thursday night up to date, there was a Team Prize too. This was won by the Rally Recovery crew, Team Vulture, comprising Ben and Claire McCosh and Graeme Barrie. So if you go off tonight you know who to look out for. This team is now so full of caramelicious goodness, they glow in the dark!

And remember to look out for Bulletin Bill in the Flying Ford Focus with Cuddles Craig handing out these ‘MullMurmur’ scandal sheets. They are running ahead of the rally. So if they stop, grab your Bulletin and hightail it to spectator safety before the rally cars come.

Stop Press: Looks like young Stevie Brown is out, off the stage, but OK.

Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Riverside, 2.30 pm Saturday