… News and Gossip, 4 July 2014 …
As part of the Government’s ‘Safety Review’ following the recent Jim Clark Rally, the leader of the Review Group was in Dumfries at the weekend taking a keen interest in proceedings. She met with many officials before and during the event taking note of current regulations, rally organisation, safety procedures and in particular was interested in what new practices were being adopted ahead of any recommendations which will be coming from the Review Group once they have completed their review.
The organisers of this year’s RSAC Scottish Rally had introduced and publicised a new ‘Rally Safety Line’ telephone number. This was a direct line to Rally HQ which any spectator could call if they had witnessed any unsafe practices by other spectators or had any fears about their own safety.
Ross Hunter and Iain Robson won the NGK Spark Plugs Challenge last weekend to open up the title chase with Neil Matthews and Claire Williams finishing second after Richard Sykes rolled out of contention. Graeme Sherry lost out on fourth place here too, when he pulled up with car trouble in the Renault Clio, leaving just Hunter and the Nova of former Challenge Champion, Neil Matthews to settle the outcome. Ross was lucky though: “We had a front puncture on the final stage,” said the Peugeot pilot, “we hit a banking on a downhill right hander and I could feel it going down, but we made it to the end. Funny though, it was the two oldest cars in the Challenge which finished!”
Jim McRae was on course for fourth place in the Historic Rally when the Firenza Can Am punctured on the final stage: “It was a good day till that point,” said McRae, “we understeered on a lefthander and just clipped a log. That punctured a tyre and broke the suspension so we had to stop and change the wheel just to get out.” He finished 8th.
Quintin Milne was very lucky to make the rally start on Saturday morning in his new Ford Focus. It developed a gearbox fault after scrutineering on Friday evening requiring an overnight ‘box change. And although the car was ready for Saturday morning, the required gearbox oil didn’t arrive until 5 minutes before the start, and was quickly poured in.
Bob Morland was 77 last week, and he doesn’t look a day over 76, eh? His first rally was in 1964, so he’s celebrating his 50th anniversary in the sport this year. How does he keep so fit and young looking? Surely not chasing after Mike Faulkner and Peter Foy (although that would knacker any normal person) but he’s taken up Scottish country dancing. He can hooch and birl with the best of them.
Young Coulthard was spotted mooching around the Service Area at the Scottish seeing if anyone needed a hand, but he’s been busy himself ahead of this week’s Machrihanish. After Crail he had 16 bent valves to replace and all the flywheel bolts had sheared. It makes you wonder if he ever sees his bed – work, garage, feed, work, garage, feed. It must seem never ending.
There are some nice folk in this game. Angus Lawrie was telling me that Neil Matthews was ever so helpful at the pre-rally test day. Although he’s foreign (he comes from Englandshire) Neil was giving Angus some tips on set-up on set up. Neil runs a pretty rapid Nova in the BRC Challenge plus he’s been around a bit longer than Angus so he was able to offer some good advice. Nice on Neil.
Keith Riddick was looking a bit sheepish after the Scottish. Not only was his big sister sitting beside him in the MG, she’s one of the country’s top co-drivers. He got a puncture 5 miles into SS3, just at a bend where Kirsty had called “Don’t cut!” But what did our hero do? Yup, you’ve guessed he didn’t listen and paid the price. Moral – to all red blooded men. Women know best!
Believe this or believe it not, but Robert Harkness swears its true and Mike Curry backs him up, but that’s not necessarily a reliable source either. Anyway, according to them, they ran over a TV in the middle of the road in one of the Ae tests. Not a modern flat screen TV device, but one of the old jobs with a plastic case and a tube. Either it was too much energy drink, the wrong route or a mirage in the heat, whatever, they hit it hard and it shattered into smithereens. Still, when asked what was on TV on Saturday, he was able to answer truthfully – a BMW 316i.
Now this is not funny, but I had to laugh. One of the fish and chip paper eating gulls wheeling over the Whitesands spotted a likely target down below and let fly. Plop! A right big mess on a Scrutineer’s jacket – right on the MSA badge. Was that an omen or just an opinion?
We normally think of David Bogie as a calm, sensible, well behaved, very polite young man. Yes, he is. Most of the time. After spraying the champagne at the rally finish on Saturday he jumped into the Fiesta to take it home. The car just trickled out of the finish area, waited for a gap in the traffic – and then he lit it up at all four corners. Spinning wheels, smoke and over-run bangs all the way up to the lights at the top of Whitesands. Ya wee rascal, but it was magic. He’s probably the only guy who could have got away with that in Dumfries at the weekend if the Polis had seen him – but they were all apparently looking the other way at the time.
And finally …
I’m seriously thinking of giving up this writing lark, there’s a new kid on the block. Literally. If any of you ever sit down and wonder why do we do this, think back. And to help you do it, please read the tale on the MINI Sport Blog posted up there by 14 year old Emily Page. I spoke to her at the last Crail event when she was co-driving for her dad Martin in the MINI for the first time. Afterwards she wrote about her grand day out. She’s also much more polite than me, when you get to the word ‘legendary’ substitute it for the words ‘grumpy auld git’ for a much more accurate description!
http://blog.minisport.com/2014/07/crail-rally-a-baptism-of-fire-for-a-new-mini-sport-co-driver/
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