Pacenotes the key to success for Rob this weekend

JEA award winner Rob Cotton takes on the biggest challenge of his rallying career this weekend.

The talented young Garstang driver is contesting round five of the Probite British Rally Championship, the all-tarmac Rali Ceredigion.

The event is also a round of the European Championship, and comprises 115 competitive miles spread across 12 stages in three days.

“The rally is twice the length of the average BRC round and over three days instead of two, and that is a very big challenge,” explained Rob, who will be driving his Subaru Impreza.

“The margin for error is tiny, so we will have to be inch perfect on the stages. Stamina will also play its part too, there is just one super special on Friday night, then the bulk of the mileage is on Saturday, before finishing on Sunday.

“The roads in mid-Wales are extremely technical, so accurate pacenotes will be the key to a good result for us.”

And Rob has secured the services of the vastly-experienced Richard Crozier to sit alongside him this weekend.

“Having Richard with me is going to be real plus. He’s co-driven for many drivers and has an intimate knowledge of making and reading pacenotes,” said Rob.

“We have already been out for run together to get used to pacenote delivery, and it all went very well. Its a two-day recce on Thursday and Friday and I’m sure Richard’s vast knowledge is going to pay dividends.

“We cannot afford any mistakes as our rival for the BRC National Cup is Chris Richmond-Hall, who starts one place ahead of us. He lives ten minutes from the stages, so he knows the roads like the back of his hand.

“But I’m always optimistic before a rally, The car is right where we want it to be, I’m happy with my pace and I have the right man on the maps.”

Rob Cotton would like to thank

2300 Club John Easson Award
Cotton Competition
North Coat Ltd
Questmead Ltd
Motordrive Seats
PD Extinguishers
Proflex UK
British Rally Championship
Project Podium Rally Foundation
Rally Stages
MRF Motorsport Tyres UK
Service & Sport

2300 Club have opened the entries for the 2025 John Easson Award on the 1st of September and will Close October the 31st.
Junior drivers and co-drivers get your entries in!
It could be you promoting the JEA next season.

Published October 10, 2008

2008 – Murmur Chapter 3

MullMurmurs – Chapter 3

( Provisional ) Leaderboard after 3 (of 17 Stages)

1 P MacKinnon/D Barritt (Subaru Impreza) 22m 35s
2 C Duffy/I Duffy (Ford Escort MkII) 23m 02s
3 D Harper/C Campbell (BMW MINI) 24m 01s
4 J MacGillivray/I Frazer (Ford Escort MkII) 24m 02s
5 J Cope/R Fagg (Subaru Impreza) 24m 16s
6 W Bonniwell/K Rae (Subaru Impreza) 24. 26s
7 T Pye/K Riddick (Subaru Impreza) 24m 37s
8 E O’Donnell/S Proud (Ford Escort MkII) 24m 44s
9 D Miller/A Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 24m 55s
10 Tugs Sherrington/S Bould (Mitsubishi Lancer) 25m 00s

The 39th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull is underway – with a vengeance. Top seed Neil MacKinnonn is out. The Subaru’s oil temperature soared on the first stage of the night and Neil pulled over till it cooled and then tried to carry on but was eventually forced to stop in the third stage and parked up. So it looks as though he’s out.

However, there is another MacKinnon setting the pace. Young Paul looks as though he’s had two fastest times out of 3 stages so far. But as for the rest, it’s business as usual. Callum Duffy had a big moment in Gribun, but he’s having trouble keeping tyres on the Exocet, it just wants to keep lighting them up! John Cope has had a “dreadful start to the rally – I don’t know whether it’s me or the car!” Paul Kirtley had a massive slide on the third stage to steady him up. He took it cautious on the first stage of the night – especially at the bit where he went off last year!
James MacGillivray is finding the rear end of the Escort too soft but hardened it up for the third test and that was better. Daniel Harper needs some fine tuning, the MINI rear wheels are grounding out on the arches.
Tony Bardy has been in 2WD mode since the first stage, it’s either a driveshaft or the centre diff but the Nissan is not a 4WD car at the moment. Wesley Patterson is finding the Scottish tarmac a bit of a handful: “that’s unreal out there!” Tristan Pye was off on the new tar in the first stage, but lost only about 15 seconds although co-driver Kirsty Riddick was more excited about seeing an otter crossing the road in front of them. She was really chuffed about that, that’s her first wild otter
sighting. Eddie O’Donnell is OK although John Swinscoe lost a turbo hose and lost power but is still going and Willie Bonniwell is behaving himself, although he still managed to have “a bit of a moment” on the new tar on the Hill Road.
Denis Biggerstaff and Dougi Hall both have slow times through the first stage but are still going.

So what’s it like out there? It’s dry, that’s the main thing, but the new tar laid down over recent weeks is proving to be very slippy. However, there is still standing water in places and its damp under the trees.

Please Note: In this and subsequent Bulletins, the times and positions shown are provisional pending confirmation from the organisers. These are field results gathered on the move.

Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Friday, 10.30 pm, Loch Scridain.

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