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.