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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
We’ve made a few final tweaks to the entry list; a last minute drop out of car 12 (due to illness) has […]
This is the Top Ten on Each Stage for the 1998 Tour of Mull
MullMurmurs – Chapter 2
Well, that’s Scrutineering over for another year. The Scroots have shoogled, tyre-kicked, checked and measured everything mechanical, but who’s checking the crews. There are some bleary eyed blokes amongst them after a few all-nighters to get ready for today.
Shortly the main street will be cleared for the 40th Tunnock’s Tour of Mull to blast off into tyre melting, gut wrenching action, so a final word of warning to all you spectators. Take care out there and if you don’t use your own common sense, used somebody else’s. Park sensibly, drive carefully and spectate responsibly.
Back at Scrutineering I had to laugh at Grum Willcock’s idea of ‘international’ rallying. He broke a brake disc on the Opel Manta at the Lindisfarne last month and needed to replace them. So he fitted a pair of German Merc S class discs to the front for the princely sum of 66 quid. And they go well with his Jaguar front callipers, Volvo rear callipers, Vauxhall engine, Ford gearbox, Opel Manta body and a back axle sourced in the USA from a Jeep ‘thingy’ (he couldn’t remember what) when the £ was weak against the $. That’s what I call resourceful rallying on a budget.
Former Scottish Tarmac Champ, Ricky Wheeler was last over here 13 years ago and is hoping for better luck. He was off for 12 minutes in the first stage and set a top 20 time on the last, so even then, progress was in the right direction. Ian Chadwick is back for more. The 106 was new for last year and he’s done 3 events since then. He was actually on course for a 10th place o/a on the Munster Stages earlier this year till he started catching cars, so let’s hope he’s not catching more tonight.
Reay MacKay was looking a bit apprehensive. He’s not really done a proper tarmac event before and he’s never driven the Metro on anything but gravel tyres, so the Snowman Rally winner will be tackling the unknown tonight. He’s very professional though, I saw him taking his racing ovies out of an Asda carrier bag! John Morrison is hoping to improve on his highest placed newcomer award on the ’05 Mull. He was running car 41 then and is running 41 again this year. Is that a good omen?
A welcome sight at Scrutinising was Steve Davies. He’s got a new engine: “Half of the old one is still lying scattered over Ensay Steps from last year,” he quipped. It’s hard to believe ‘Sid the Parrot’ Fleming contested his 1st Mull in a Mini in ’75, but here he is back in a Fiesta ST: “We’re calling it the Corgi Car – it’s so quiet and small inside compared with the MkIIs I’ve been running”. And sitting alongside is Fergus Loudon – from Tunnock’s – so doff your cap, tug your forelock and call him sir. I will.
Curly Haigh has fitted new seats to his MkI, you know the kind, the fancy ones with the big wings round the crash helmet position, but they’re so wide he nearly can’t get the Escort doors shut. Still it’s better than his recce car. It had to get towed on to the ferry! Matthew Tarbutt’s Nova appeared at Scrooting with a large lip-smacker shape on both driver and co-driver doors, saying Holly with three ‘xxx’s. Apparently this has come from co-driver’s Joff Haigh’s best friend’s wife who reckons this is a good luck ritual – funny folk, wimmen, eh? Duggie Ingram got a 4th in class on last month’s Pendragon with the Mini, and that was despite a ‘dink’ in the rear end when he slid wide on a corner and hit a roadside rock. The car was new for last year and suffered teething problems so it should be fit for tonight.
Alan McLaughlin’s Ford Puma looks rather different to the way it finished the 2007 Mull when he parked it upside down on the beach! He got the class win last year, so progress is in the right direction. Callum Bendall’s Ford Ka may look like Ford’s smallest machine, but it’s got a 1400 Puma engine on throttle bodies under the bonnet. Sort of like a real Ka, but after a night on the vodka and red bull. After breaking a driveshaft at Kames, three months back, David Johnston has splashed out on two brand new ones for the Golf – after checking and finding that his spares were twisted!
Euan MacKay has been busy this week. The wee Peugeot finished last week’s Colin McRae Stages with bent rear panels, arches, tank guard and a burst exhaust, so a lot of midnight oil was burnt, but when he took the big hammer to the tank guard at 2.00 am in the morning he got a severial verbal roasting from his Mum who was violently awakened from her peaceful slumbers by this hammer wielding nutter. Still he got the job done, and he’s here. Donald Brown has forsaken the Sunbeam for a Saxo: “I’ve driven a FWD car before only once – badly!” he said. Let’s see what tonight brings.
Dave Thomas is back in a ‘brand new’ 40 year old Mini Clubman. Mind you I was surprised to see him. He is half way round a world tour in a Mini van. He’d done all the provinces of Canada and after this ‘holiday’ on Mull he’s going to tackle Russia – I wonder if he’s told the Russians yet?
Shaun Sinclair is back, after crashing out last year when a brake pipe burst. But he finished 5th o/a in the Scottish Rally Championship this year, so the car should be right for this. It’s good to see young Alex Brown out in John MacCrone’s 205 Championship winning car, this was to thank him for all his help this past year. Pierre Newton’s 205 looks tidy and tasty. Built in 2005 he finished Mull that year and finished again in ’06 but when he couldn’t get an entry in 07 and 08 he did two airfield events and crashed in both. The moral of this story is, don’t do airfields unless you fly a plane!
I had to laugh, Eddie O’Donnell Jnt appeared at Scrooting with a smart jacket emblazoned ‘with the word AutoFashion’ Well, I’m sorry but the words ‘O’Donnel’ and ‘Fashion’ sit as comfortably together as a hedgehog at a balloon party, or a fish supper at an anorexics’ night out. But the car has a new sequential shift 5 spd box and it was ready before Scrooting closed so that’s a positive. Third generation Steven O’Donnell had his Mk1 there after 4 years of getting it ready. He bought the car in 2005 and it was just about finished when he got to the Distillery – typical O’Donnell time keeping!
John Easson Scholarship winner Mark McCulloch was another burning the midnight oil this past week. He managed to shorten the Corsa by two inches on one side on last weekend’s McRae but with only one portapower tool he was struggling. So he wedged the car in the garage on one side with fence posts and attacked the other side of the bodyshell with the tool. Result? Perfection.
It was nice to see Paul Darlington back with the V4 Saab. Like the rally it is 40 years old. He did the rally in 2004 and then got married in 2005 – so he missed the rally that year. I wonder why. Kevin Charles has watched Mull a few times, but this is his first behind the wheel. He did the Jim Clark National earlier in the year in the Fiesta but snapped a driveshaft on the last stage, although he finished. That’s what’s needed for Mull too. Never give up. And didn’t David Holland’s MkII look grand. The Palletforce MkII has done three Mulls, and one event in Anglesey, which is somewhere near Englandshire apparently.
Speaking of professional preparation, I had to laugh when Matthew Fox came through in the wee Peugeot. He had his fag packet velcro’d to the door panel. It was beautifully done, stuck to the door. Apparently at the end of the longer stages, his co-driver can’t pass him a fag quick enough to help soothe his tattered nerves. What some folk will put themselves through for their sport!
And doesn’t it just make you feel old. Young Alasdair MacCrone and Robbie Duncan appeared at Scrooting with the Bear Cubs Nova. They both look as though they are just out of school. Young? I think they shave with Johnsons cotton wool buds! Just jealous, that’s me.
By the way, look out for Bulletin Bill in the MullMurmurs distribution Subaru Impreza tonight. He will be appearing at various locations around the route – hopefully.
Now, if you are going out drinking and driving tonight, just make sure it’s nothing stronger than Irn Bru, and if you fancy a snack there’s only one name on everyone’s lips – a Tunnock’s caramel wafer a day, helps you pace, race and rally away. OK, so what did you expect? Poetry?
That’s yer lot for now,
Yer Auld Pal, Jaggy Bunnet – Friday, 5.00 pm, Tobermory.
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