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( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 14 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 1h 54m 09s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 54m 49s
3 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 2h 00m 17s
4 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 2h 00m 50s

As the 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally enters the closing stages all eyes are on the battle at the front. Both Paul MacKinnon and Calum Duffy broke the record on the first stage of the night, the 22 mile Tuath/Calgary blast up the west coast. Paul was 20 secs under his ol’man’s record and Calum was 12 under. By the finish Psaul had no brakes and Calum was struggling for grip even in the near freezing temperatures and his hot rubber.

But it looks as though John Cope’s challenge has come to grief at Torloisk. The Subaru slid off on loose gravel across the road. So how slippy is it? James MacGillivray reckons “Mishnish was about the slippiest stage he had ever driven.” Willie Bonniwell had a fright at the Salen start when the car wouldn’t start and he had 3 minutes to change the plugs. Worse was Daniel Harper, the gear linkage broke on the start of the long one and he lost 2 mins stage fixing it. Tristan Pye smashed his bottoms lights when the Subaru landed nose first after a vicious jump and Kris Hall lost 45 seconds with a front puncture.

Denis Biggerstaff was climbing back up the leaderboard after his double puncture on the first stage, but Ireland’s finest is struggling again. The Subaru is fast running out of brake pads due to a problem with the calipers binding on. Eddie O’Donnell has been slipping back this afternoon. He lost power at one stage when the starter motor battery strap snapped and then later started losing gears in his gearbox. As ever, the enterprising Eddie was off home to borrow bits from a relative’s gearbox to repair his own to make sure he re-starts tonight. Young John MacCrone nearly threw away his 2nd in 1600 class this afternoon when he slid off on Mishnish, but he survived. Paul Miller was in trouble too, he had lost third gear and just as important, he had lost reverse gear! The box was getting noisier by the mile, but he is determined to carry on as far as it will take him. And ‘Fuey the Fireman’ is still going despite having to replace the gearbox and the throttle linkage in the Escort he borrowed from Iain Gardiner. Fuey is better known as Ian Noble, the Automotive Technician (you can’t call him a mechanic these days) who works in that beacon of industrial activity, MacKay’s Garage in Tobermory.

Jaggy met Freddy. No it’s not the name of a new horror flick. Freddy Ferodo is the team mascot of Chris Shield running at car 140. It’s a wee dug wearing clothes and has three ‘minders’, Emma, Ann-Marie and Jess who take this wee dug everywhere and wave it at the rally cars and take photos of it in different situations. Mad? Yes, but good fun, and Jaggy asked Freddy for his ‘pawtograph’ – think about it. Oh, please yourself!

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Saturday, 11.00 pm, Tobermory

( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 12 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 1h 27m 24s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 27m 49s
3 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 1h 32m 01s
4 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 32m 10s
5 J Cope/R Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 1h 32m 19s
6 D Harper/C Campbell (BMW MINI) 1h 32m 41s
7 K Hall/R Millener (Ford Fiesta) 1h 33m 22s
8 T Pye/K Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 1h 33m 32s
9 T Bardy/R Smith (Nissan Sunny GTI-R) 1h 34m 03s
10 D Miller/A Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 1h 34m 59s

As ever, the 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally will be decided on the final Leg tonight. Those who lost out in the dark last night made up for it in the daylight this afternoon, but there time will come later if they don’t rise to the challenge.

And looking as though he did this all the time, ‘MacKinnon The Younger’ is doing the business at the head of the field. But there can be no rest for the rally leader, there is a clear and present danger in his rear view mirror. If Calum’s Escort can stop cooking its rear tyres, then we’ll be in for a fight tonight. For his part, James MacGillivray was looking as cool as ever earlier this afternoon although Willie Bonniwell took time out of him over the final two tests, but James was still holding off a determined John Cope. These three are waging a private battle of their own, but that damned MINI hasn’t given up on a podium placing yet either. Daniel Harper lost out to them earlier but he has all his sparks back now!

Doug Weir is out, the Escort broke its propshaft in Calgary, but not before he took a second out of his son Stevie Brown in the previous stage. Stevie says “He won’t let me forget that now and can always say he was quicker before he went out!” Grum Willcock says “I always seem to go backwards in daylight, when the big boys start getting quicker, but I’ll get them all back tonight.” John Morrison stalled it on the start line of Calgary “Oh, b*gg*r” he said, or words to that effect. John Marshall is going better, no punctures this afternoon and Cameron McLean left his exhaust in Calgary, and left rubber on a Dervaig hairpin when he overshot. After running a Nova for years, Angus Mathieson is finding the switch to an Impreza a bit of a culture shock but revelling inn the grip and the power. Jim McKenna says he’s taking it easy, he’s had two re-shell jobs recently and he’s running out of Starlet shells in Ireland. A bolt came out of Paul Daniel’s steering rack on Mishnish. “Good job I didn’t know at the time or I would have crawled through there” he said. Grant Fleming is looking quite pleased with himself after his Scrutineering day embarrassment “I haven’t been as high as this since ’75” said the 23rd o/a runner. But then Fleming is under serious pressure. His eventual overall position will determine just how generous his sponsor is to him for the rest of the year, and since that sponsor is Tunnock’s Bakery, he could starve before the year is out if he doesn’t do well! Points make prizes as they say, or in this case, points make teacakes. Allan Mackay is getting serious, he’s changed the Inters for slicks – and he’s just heard it’s raining down the south end of the island. John Woodward had cause to be thankful for spectators – when they pushed him out of the shrubbery after a straight-on in Mishnish and Matthew Tarbutt is struggling a bit, the 1400 class front runner is having problems with his carburettors.

And so to the final five tests. Man and machine versus time and distance, but there’s a little more to it than that. The magical extra ingredient – Mull itself. The island roads always have a twist in their tale and this year is no exception. 13 miles up the Hill Road and down Glen Bellart. There’ll be demons in dark places tonight – remember last year?

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Saturday, 5.30 pm, Tobermory

( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 9 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 1h 11m 33s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 11m 57s
3 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 1h 15m 28s
4 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 1h 15m 40s
5 J Cope/R Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 1h 15m 49s
6 D Harper/C Campbell (BMW MINI) 1h 15m 50s
7 K Hall/R Millener (Ford Fiesta) 1h 16m 16s
8 T Pye/K Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 1h 17m 02s
9 D Miller/A Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 1h 17m 55s

Who’d have thought it? Sunshine at Dervaig. It’s as pretty as a picture here on the 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally with the sun sparkling on the shimmering surface of the River Bellart as it flows under the dainty Dervaig bridge. It wasn’t so pretty last night when Darren Meadows rolled his Escort into it! Fortunately, he and Jonny Bould were OK, but going no further.

Paul MacKinnon started the afternoon Leg the way he finished off Friday night, in record breaking form, taking 2 seconds out of the Calgary West record on his first run through. The 2nd run was aborted and has caused a delay due to another competitor going off and the car having to be removed by the Rescue crews. Paul looked remarkably calm and composed. “I’m just taking it steady, and happy just to take a couple of seconds out of Calum when I can.”

As for Calum, he’s slipping back. “I can’t keep tyres on this thing. I’m running the hardest I can get and it’s still all over the place. You can’t slide it or drift it, it just wants to keep going.” But if you think he’s given up, think again. “I’ll get that back tonight - when it’s cooler!”  James MacGillivray says “We’re holding our own” but he was promising a big push tonight. Daniel Harper finished the last stage with a bad misfire “It crawled out on one cylinder. I switched it off and started it up and it was fine - it must be Cressey’s wiring!” Kris Hall is going as hard as the little Group N Fiesta will let him but is losing out to the big boys in daylight this afternoon “I’m happy with my times, but I can’t go any harder.” John Cope was looking slightly happier “I’ve softened it up more than I have before but it’s still a bit too skippity. It’s better, but not right. I’ve caught Hall, now I’m after Bonniwell.” As for Willie Bonniwell “The tyres are working better today, it’s all about confidence now. It’s either that or Kevin – he’s got a bigger stick today!”

For all you spectators out there, it sounds as though November the 5th is coming early to Mull this year.

And what about Pye and Riddick? This time it was a pheasant!

Paul Kirtley has retired. The exhaust manifold has blown in Calgary and the excessive underbonnet heat would damage the engine, so he’s called it quits, gone back to service and hopes to get it fixed to go for a run out tonight. It also looks as though Ian Colman has retired, the Nissan is off in Calgary and caused a delay in the stage.

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Saturday, 2.30 pm, Dervaig

P.S. Any of you service crews lost a battery impact gun? It’s been found. Call Gary on 07796 861440 to reclaim it.

( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 6 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 49m 48s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 50m 09s
3 D Harper/C Campbell (BMW MINI) 52m 36s
4 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 52m 58s
5 K Hall/R Millener (Ford Fiesta) 53m 01s
6 J Cope/R Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 53m 04s
7 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 53m 14s
8 T Pye/K Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 54m 00s
9 D Miller/A Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 54m 30s
10 P Kirtley/D jones (Subaru Impreza) 54m 32s
11 E O’Donnell/S Proud (Ford Escort MkII) 54m 38s
12 T Sherrington/S Bould (Mitsubishi Lancer) 54m 56s

The young guns are taking charge. At the end of the first Leg of the 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull Rally, the boys are taking over the old school. Star pupil is 21 year old Paul MacKinnon out there in front, but only 15 seconds clear of Callum Duffy. The other star in the making is Kris Hall lying fifth in a Fiesta. When co-driver Richard Millener was asked what it was like sitting beside the 19 year old, he said: “I’m just hanging on!”

As for their Dads, they are both out. Neil MacKinnon saw engine oil temperatures soaring and each time he pulled over to let it cool, it started boiling again when underway. No choice. Stop. As for Dougi Hall. His Lancer is parked in a ditch. We don’t know why, either puncture or shiny tar. And that’s the big story on this weeknd’s Tunnock’s Tour, grip, or lack of it. It was wet in the run up to the event and although there was little rain overnight, what there was left the roads in treacherous conditions. This is a place fit only for the brave and the foolhardy.

Paul hasn’t been without his problems though. Overnight the power steering pump was being replaced while Calum went back to base to check out a misfire. Daniel Harper is mighty pleased with third in the MINI but there is still some fine tuning to be done although team mate John Cressey is out with a broken gearbox. Young Kris Hall is an amazing fifth ahead of a disconsolate John Cope. After 6 stages he still doesn’t know whether it’s him or the car that is off the pace. Willie Bonniwell is as happy as a schoolkid in a sweet shop and Tristan Pyre would probably go quicker if he would stop wildlife watching (see previous Murmurs). Dave Miller is content to be in the top ten while Paul Kirtley is jus working his confidence back up after a massive slide on Gribun where there was no room for a small slide, let alone a massive one!

John MacCrone is leading the 1600 class in his Peugeot from Iain ‘Ogg’ MacKenzie in the 106 and Irishman Jim McKenna in the Toyota. Matthew Tarbutt tops the 1400 class in his Nova from Mark Constantine in the Corsa and Donald Brown in the Suzuki engined Nova. As for the girls, it looks as though Donna Ingram is leading from Nicola Harper, but as for Louise Thomas, she seems to have disappeared in the dark!

And now for daylight. Whereas carrots are supposed to be good for night vision, here’s my tip for daylight – a Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer. Well, it keeps me going. As for the boys, they’d better watch out. The old men will be able to see better in daylight!

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Saturday, 10.30 am, Tobermory.

( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 6 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 49m 48s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 50m 09s
3 D Harper/C Campbell (BMW MINI) 52m 36s
4 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 52m 58s
5 J Cope/R Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 53m 04s
6 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 53m 14s
7 T Pye/K Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 54m 00s
8 D Miller/A Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 54m 30s
9 P Kirtley/D jones (Subaru Impreza) 54m 32s
10 E O’Donnell/S Proud (Ford Escort MkII) 24m 44s

Some crews will go to bed happy and some disconsolate at the end of this first Leg of the 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull, but they’ll all go to bed well and truly kn*ck*r*d – and there’s still two Legs to go.

One man (or should that be ‘boy’?) who’ll go to bed happy is Paul MacKinnon. He leads Callum Duiffy by 21 seconds after the opening night tests. It hasn’t been plain sailing for either of them. Paul lost the power steering over the last two and he had to wrestle the Subaru round the bends while Callum found the drier conditions suited his tyres better but he’s got a trace of a misfire appearing at higher revs now.

And then it rained. A quick shower transformed the roads yet again.  Paul Kirtley found the Subaru a real handful on slicks and Daniel Harper had a hard landing in Calgary which damaged a front corner suspension. James MacGillivray overshot the big hairpin at Dervaig and later clipped a rock but he thinks he got away with it and is ready for a “big push tomorrow”. Tony Bardy replaced the broken front driveshaft so the Nissan is now driving through 4 wheels again. Tristan Pye and Kirsty Riddick are continuing their ‘Nature Watch’ on this Tour, this time they saw a deer. It was stood right in middle of t’road transfixed, so they had to slow up till it bounded off. Dave Miller rounded off his first night’s work with “I’m still here, that’s good enough for me.” Doug Weir got a puncture in Calgary but it was near the finish so he didn’t need to stop and Denis Biggerstaff heaved a big sigh of relief at the finish. He had a big 6th gear tank slapper with full lock both ways a few times before he got it sorted. His earlier time loss on the 1st stage was due to two punctures. Denis doesn’t do things by half, eh? Billy Bird just looked relieved. The Astra’s not handling any better “I’m just a glutton for punishment,” he said. John Marshall had to stop and change a puncture in Gribun so that cost him over 3 minutes. Tommy Graham was quite expressive “I’ve never seen owt like it out there, I can’t get to grips at all.” Ian Chadwick had a puncture in the wee Peugeot, and it’s a new car but it’s getting better now. Neil Morgan went swimming at Dervaig when he went off, he’s got brake problems, but still going. And Paul Daniel was full of praise for young Kris Hall “he caught me in there like I was standing still, full credit to the lad, you’ve got to take your hat off to him.”

It looks as though Dougi Hall is out. He was spotted parked up facing the wrong way.

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Saturday, 2.00 am, Salen Hotel.

P.S. When Gerry Ralston, ‘mine host’ at the Salen Hotel brought in a tray of sandwiches for the already weary officials, he warmed the heart and the stomach of an Old Jaggy too. Never did a tomato and gammon sannie taste so good!