Mull

15th/16th October - Rallying
Tunnocks Tour of Mull

Following a sussessful final meeting at Knockhill with the Legends I set off to Mull whilst the team got three of the Legends Cars ready for the Winter round.

While I leave to go support John Marshall with his new FIA mk 2 Escort historic rally car for the Tunnocks Tour of Mull rally which John has a few times before - he enjoyed it so much that he fancied another go so I was in Mull from the Thursday before the event doing some recce with his navigator Paul Hughes.

The car had been put together by Gordon Boyd from Edinburgh and what lovely job. It was John who had a shake down the week before at Knockhill to find out that the gearbox was not working properly but the guy that built the gear box was up right away with a one so that was fitted and seemed to be working great. I arrived at Mull on Thursday night and the first thing I had to do was get car unloaded, a little clean and wait 'til dark to go out and set up the lights. Then John had a little drive to make sure the lights were set up properly and then just fine tuned them - being an historic car you have to run old style lamps that you just have to make the best of. Then it was off to bed and early start Friday Moring to go sort out all our tyres and pick up the fuel for the 3 days or 3 nights rally. John was just getting to the point that it was happening again and sure he was more nervous than he let on. It was starting late on Friday night so it was sort out tyres fuel then of to Tobermoray for scrutineering then back to the house and make the plans for looking after the car. It was Gordon, his son and dad going to service and it was me and Ross Marshall going out to chase while Ross's new girlfriend was looking after all the guys with food. So it was out on the first stage which worked pretty good - John just got on with it, not pushing it too hard but hard enough. He finished just over 7 minutes in the first stage but after the first it just went a bit to pot. He could not put his finger on it but just got on with the rally - he was possibly more nervous than he thought, thinking the car might let him down or maybe he was just not so sure how hard to push. He just want to finished this hard and demanding rally so it was a few stages and back to service in Craignure. When he got in to service he was not so happy with himself but as I said, new car, hard rally through the night and first time back in rally car. I said it was great result as the car was still there doing the rally and there was lots of cars over the weekend retiring from the event and many of the top drivers were not getting it sorted. So it was finished early Saturday with John 55th and he was still trying to get to grips with the new car. Dave Dalglish was 86th - he did the first 2 stages with no lights!

On Saturday afternoon the stages started after 1pm and went on until 4ish so we could go eat and get ready for the night stages again starting at 9 and going on to 2-ish in the morning. It was sort the car out on Saturday morning after a few hours' sleep for the team, looking after the car. John just was not able to sleep because of the adrenalin flowing - that's what's kind of expected from such a hard drive and there is no room for error in this rally - it's got so much flat out you have to be on the ball with yourself and your navigator. We were sitting 53rd in the rally and Dave 86th out of 119 rally cars. With a puncture on Saturday the driver and navigator had to go out and sort it out witch they did losing a little time but getting the car home and sorted after a 22mile stage that was taking a lot out the driver and navigator so it was back home and moved a few places so John was finding his way again and getting to grips with his car. Back to our house to re fit all the lights and change tyres as it was getting wetter, then go eat and get ready for start at 9. At the 2nd stage of the rally John was 41st so getting to grips with car. Dave was 64th they both getting it together.

So back to the car - driver making tyre choice and sorting out his spare tyres off he went to start the late night stage, the lights caused a problem, after refitting we did not spend the right amount of time setting them up so after the first 2 stages on Saturday night a quick stop in emergency service - Ross and myself sorted the lights out with John so he could get the best out his car and off he went to another 22 mile stage. Back to service at Craignure where we just made little fine tune on the lights again and changed over tyres as it was getting bit drier - so driver choice on tyres - good call. Out he went to drive until the early hours where he got the car home in 32nd place and that would be a great result though not as John sees it but it was great first time out with a 'new' car - such a hard rally and the car is back as it went out with so many cars not finishing.

Also my friend and John's friend David Dalglish was out in a car he'd just got too and Gordon was looking after Dave's car he had a slight problem on Friday night as his light switch packed in he had to do a lot of work on Friday night with very little light but managed to get his car in and back to service where the guys sorted out some wiring and got the lights on to make sure Dave could keep going. Dave finished the rally way down the list but so happy to get his new car to the end of the event - that was great result for him and such a happy driver and navigator.