… Beatson’s Mull Rally, 11-13 October 2019 …
The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Mull Rally. Much has changed during that half century, not just to the sport but to the island. Roads have been widened and improved (at least some of them) new houses have been built and homes made as more folk have emigrated to this natural rock jewel set in a sea of green, blue and sometimes (all too often perhaps?) slate grey. The island can be bright and spectacular when the sun shines or dark and mysterious when it doesn’t. That adds to the appeal, you never know what you’ll get till you set foot on the pier.
Thankfully, one constant is returning this year after something of a hiatus, the Beatson’s Mull Rally, whereupon the town of Tobermory will assume the mantle of ‘Britain’s rallying capital’ for one weekend once again. One might be forgiven for thinking that Chester, Harrogate or Llandudno could command such terminology. Nae chance. Mull is quite unique in world rallying, no other event comes close. This is a land of magic and mystery.
How do I know this? It all started in 1971 when a young man in a tweed cap was dispatched from his post at Shell & BP’s Head Office in Glasgow to the Isle of Mull to investigate the phenomenon known as ‘the Tour of Mull’. On his return he made a positive report to his Boss, one Bill Houston Esq, the Sales & Promotions Supervisor of the oil giant. As sponsors of the Shell Scottish Rally Championship at that time, Bill had it in mind to include the Mull event as part of the Scottish Championship, which it was for a couple of years. Even when it was excluded from the Scottish national series, Shell continued their association with the event.
That young man has rarely missed an event on the sainted isle since. Since then his maturity has been peppered with life learning experiences, unbelievable adventures and memory searing images. Standing with Chris Coburn on Tobermory Pier with a stash of White Horse Whisky miniatures (that’s another story!) because the MacDonald Arms was bursting at the seams with rally folk. The only thing that could get near the bar was a spider walking across the ceiling. There were 12 miniatures to a box, but do you know something, the memory fails to recall how many boxes were consumed that evening. Funny that!
Another lesson learned was to ensure that a cigarette lighter’s flame was turned down before setting lighting up a fag. Failure to do so might result in the smoker leaning forward, cupping his hand around the flame to light his cigarette, and failing to spot the tall flame shoot up and ignite the skip on his baseball hat. He was last seen wandering off into the night oblivious to his hat ablaze but no doubt impervious to the discomfort by the amount of drink swilling about his warm internals. Moral – baseball hats are dangerous, bunnets are far safer.
That young man was there too when a callow youth first sauntered on to the scene (1993?) in a Mk2 Escort which had only escaped the scrappie by being pushed past the gates at dead of night. Converted to a rally car, this self-prepared machine looked to have all the durability of a McDonald’s Happy Meal free toy, and yet Calum Duffy finished an incredible 10th overall. The rest is history.
Another memory is of Wild Willie Bonniwell’s debut, and one would like to think that he pre-empted the Red Bull slogan – ‘gives you wings’. At the turn of the century, he appeared in an Escort that looked pretty standard at rest, but once in full flight with doors and wings billowing and flapping in the slipstream, looked like Batman’s cape. The perfect example of ten thousand individual parts flying in formation, well nearly. This was a car which taxed the minds and flummoxed the brains of automotive engineers across the world, how could anyone make spot-welds so flexible and elastic?
And there is so much more MacKinnon did the dozen, a record that will never be beaten? Then there are the names, McKnight and MacGillivray, Duffy and MacCrone, Cope and Harper, Beecoft and Biggerstaff, Hill and Coburn, Gemmell and Griffiths – the list is endless.
One memory burns bright above all others. Standing there under a cloudless, star-lit sky, the first silvery frost nip of winter burnishing the grass and tree tops and the cold seeping up through the feet on a banking overlooking Glen Aros. In the distance, multiple pairs of search lights pierced the darkness as they swept round corners and sky-lines in search of tarmac, accompanied by a distant piercing growl which grew ever louder. A tonne of metal burst into sight on the left, white hot exhaust glowing on the tarmac underneath, red hot brake discs showing through the blur of spinning wheels and shot past like an Exocet looking for trouble, trailing a twinkling cloud of cindered brake dust and sumpguard sparks, the ears assaulted by the mechanical cacophany of the devil’s bellowing orchestra. Once seen, heard and smelled and never forgotten.
Guess where that once young man will be in two weeks’ time.
- Timetable
- Leg 1 – Friday, 11th Oct.
- 19.01 Hrs, Rally Start, Tobermory
- 19.09 Hrs, SS1, Mishnish Lochs 1 – 6.77 mls
- 19.26 Hrs, SS2, Hill Road/Loch Tuath – 14.51 mls
- 20.41 Hrs, Service, Craignure
- 22.07 Hrs, SS3, Loch Kinloch 1 – 4.63 mls
- 22.31 Hrs, SS4, Knock 1 – 4.79 mls
- 23.00 Hrs, SS5, Glen Aros/Calgary Bay – 19.92 mls
- Leg 2 – Saturday 12th Oct.
- 11.01 Hrs, Rally Re-Start, Garmony
- 11.47 Hrs, SS6, Loch Kinloch 2 – 4.63 mls
- 12.10 Hrs, SS7, Knock 2 – 4.79 mls
- 12.49 Hrs, Service, Tobermory
- 13.12 Hrs, SS8, Mishnish Lochs 2 – 6.77 mls
- 13.29 Hrs, SS9, Penmore 1 – 6.42 mls
- 13.43 Hrs, SS10, Ensay/Hill Road 1 – 7.86 mls
- 14.46 Hrs, Service, Tobermory
- 15.09 Hrs, SS11, Mishnish Lochs 3 – 6.77 mls
- 15.26 Hrs, SS12, Penmore 2 – 6.42 mls
- 15.40 Hrs, SS13, Ensay/Hill Road 2 – 7.86 mls
- Leg 3 – 21.01 Hrs, Rally Re-Start, Salen
- 21.39 Hrs, SS14, Calgary Bay/Loch Tuath – 21.89 mls
- 22.15 Hrs, SS15, Ben More – 4.59 mls
- 22.39 Hrs, SS16, Scridain – 4.31 mls
- 23.43 Hrs, Service, Craignure
- 00.53 Hrs, SS17, Glen Aros/Achnadrish – 15.30 mls
- (from) 01.12 Hrs, Rally Finish, Tobermory
Keep up to date with the results from and progress of the rally on: www.flyingfinish.co.uk
- Entry List
- 1, John MacCrone/Stuart Loudon (Dervaig/Bothwell) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 2, Paul MacKinnon/Paul Beaton (Tobermory/Inverness) Ford Fiesta R5, E
- 3, Calum Duffy/Iain Duffy (Dervaig/Dervaig) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 4, Daniel Harper/Chris Campbell (Barley/Barrowford) MINI JCW WRC, E
- 5, David Bogie/John Rowan (Dumfries/Portglenone) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 6, Tristan Pye/Andrew Falconer (Bishop Auckland/Inverness) Subaru Impreza, E
- 7, Lewis Gallagher/Richard Crozier (Tobermory/Stonehaven) Mitsubishi Evo9, E
- 8, James MacGillivray/Kerrie MacGillivray (Salen/Salen) Ford Fiesta R2T, C
- 9, Jonathan Mounsey/Richard Wardle (Settle/Pickering) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo6, E
- 10, Tony Bardy/Tony Walker (Scotch Corner/Barnard Castle) Ford Focus WRC, E
- 11, Shaun Sinclair/Patrick Walsh (Connel/Aberystwyth) TBA, E
- 12, Donnie MacDonald/Jamie Edwards (Inverness/Wrexham) Ford Fiesta R5, E
- 14, Eddie O’Donnell/Steven Brown (Salen/Onich (Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 15, Stephen Thompson/Larry Higton (Kirkcudbright/Glasgow) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 16, Billy Bird/Plug Pulleyn (York/York) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 17, Doug Weir/Phil Sandham (Ellon/Carnforth) FordEscort Mk2, C
- 18, Curly Haigh/Sally Peacock (York/York) Ford Escort Mk1, C
- 19, Gordon Morrison/Calum MacPherson (Kilbarchan/Taynuilt) Ford Fiesta R5, E
- 20, John Rintoul/Ross Hynd (Lower Largo/Inverbervie) Ford Fiesta R5, E
- 21, Stewart Morrison/Jason MacPhail (Oban/Oban) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 22, Alan Gardiner/Dave Robson (Biggar/Jedburgh) Ford Escort Mk1, D
- 24, John Morrison/Peter Carstairs (Conon Bridge /St Andrews) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 , E
- 25, Andy Davies/Michael Gilbey (Lampeter/Betws Bledrws) Subaru Impreza, E
- 26, Colin Gemmell/Derek Keir (Stair/Ayr) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 27, Grum Willcock/Donna Harper (Raskelf/York) Opel Manta GTE, C
- 28, Matt Tarbutt/Mike Yates (Huddersfield/Mirfield) Vauxhall Astra, C
- 29, Ian Chadwick/Kevin Horgan (Donoughmore/Donoughmore) Subaru Impreza , E
- 30, John Marshall/Scott Crawford (Stirling/Howwood) Ford Fiesta R5, E
- 31, Brian Watson/Sean Donnelly (Kinneff/Elgin) Subaru Impreza WRC, E
- 32, Jim McDowall/Charlotte McDowall (Creetown/Newton Stewart) Subaru Impreza, E
- 33, Bruce Edwards/Jim Smith (Scone/Galston) Darrian T9 GTR, D
- 34, Lee Hastings/Cole Hastings (Dumfries/Dumfries) Subaru Impreza, E
- 35, Ross Hunter/Josh Davison (St Boswells/Longframlington) Peugeot 205, C
- 36, John Cressey/Martin Cressey (Long Preston/Long Preston) Mini Cooper S, D
- 37, Dylan Davies/Llion ‘Tractor’ Williams (Lampeter/Caernarfon) Ford Escort, D
- 38, Dave Hopwood/Paul Grattidge (Stoke on Trent/Stoke on Trent) Ford Escort, C
- 39, Norman MacPhail/Robert Sherry (Salen/Newton Stewart) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 40, Craig Rutherford/TBA (Fionnphort/TBA) Subaru Impreza, E
- 41, Cameron MacLean/Alan ‘Winky’ MacDougall (Salen/Gigha) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 42, Alasdair Currie/Grant MacNiven (Tobermory/Oban) Ford Fiesta R2, B
- 43, John Paterson/Paul MacFadyen (Salen/Salen) Ford Fiesta R2, B
- 45, Tommi Graham/Mike Bailey (Bedale/Bedale) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 46, John Woodward/Kevin Ikin (Wettenhall/Whitchurch) Ford Escort, C
- 47, Paul Daniel/TBA (Malton/TBA) Ford Escort RS Mk2, C
- 48, Neil Morgan/Shaun Hughes (Congleton/Macclesfield) Ford Escort, C
- 49, Dave Thwaites/Tony Edwards (Kendal/Bardney) Ford Escort, D
- 50, Mark Borthwick/Phil Boyle (Oxenholme/Chorley) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 51, Mark Constantine/Andrew Constantine (Richmond/Richmond) Vauxhall Corsa, A
- 52, Des Campbell/Craig Forsyth (Coldstream/Kelso) Peugeot 206, B
- 53, Kev Dunn/James Braithwaite (St Boswells/Tweedbank) Honda Civic, C
- 54, Fraser MacNicol/Ricky Finlayson (Ullapool/Inverness) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 55, Robert Mathieson/Billy Dalgleish (Salen/Salen) Subaru Impreza, E
- 56, Drew Gallagher/David Crosbie (Inverkip/Penpoint) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 57, Thomas Gray/Harry Marchbank (Tore/Thornhill) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9, E
- 58, Allan McDowall/Gavin Heseltine (Tarbolton/Gilberdyke) Opel Kadett, D
- 59, Darren Thompson/Kyle Livingstone (Tobermory/Tobermory) Honda Civic, C
- 60, Paul Beckett/Jonathan Turnbull (Keighley/Otley) Subaru Impreza, E
- 61, Jim Brindle/Chris Sanderson (Leyland/Bury) Honda Civic Type R, C
- 62, Stefan Taylor/Brian Cammack (East Harling/Alesbury) Mitsubishi Evo6, C
- 63, Scott MacBeth/Neil Shanks (Culloden/Elgin) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9, E
- 64, Dave Holland/Neil Gater (Congleton/Congleton) Ford Escort RS, C
- 65, Steven Paterson/Scott Paterson (Salen/Aros) TBA, B
- 66, Geoffrey Gallagher/Lee Gallagher (Tobermory/Tobermory) Mitsubishi Evo8, E
- 67, Keir Beaton/Nikki Addison (Inverness/Inverness) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 68, Tom Hynd/Sue Hynd (Inverbervie/Inverbervie) BMW Mini Cooper S, D
- 69, Pat Johnson/Sam Spencer (Easingwold/Malton) Opel Kadett GT/E, C
- 70, Allan Cameron/Angus Williams (Salen/Tobermory) Subaru Impreza, E
- 71, Michael Harbour/Ian MacDougall (Dalmellington/Tobermory) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 72, Steve Benton/Oliver Benton (Tanworth in Arden/Tanworth in Arden) Ford Escort Mk2 , C
- 73, Ian Woodward/Rich Pover (Wettenhall/Crewe) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 74, Mike Storrar/Kristopher Pirie (Warrington/Warrington) Toyota Starlet, B
- 75, Chris Woodcock/Heidi Woodcock (Skipton/Blackburn) Proton Compact, A
- 76, David Ginn/Harry Stubbs (Herts/Chester) Nissan Micra, A
- 77, Chris Melling/Andrew Peak (Knott End on Sea/Accrington) BMW E30, D
- 78, Ray Cunnningham/Jared Gill (Galway/Mayo) Mini Cooper, A
- 79, Clive King/Anton Bird (Dudley/Sutton Coldfield) Austin Cooper S, H1
- 80, John MacNiven/Graeme Kermode (Oban/Oban) Subaru Impreza, E
- 81, Donnie McEwan/Ellis Flemming (Prestonpans/Preston) Subaru Impreza, E
- 82, Robert Marshall/Lewis MacDougall (Alloa/Renfrew) Subaru Impreza, E
- 83, David Hobson/Matt Hobson (Bradford/Bradford) Subaru Impreza, E
- 84, Alister Macarthur/Claire Tilley (Lochgilphead/Craignure) Talbot Sunbeam, C
- 85, Andrew Wilde/Caroline Lodge (Carnforth/Brampton) Honda Civic, B
- 86, Frank Pinder/John Clark (Melrose/Stoke on Trent) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo3, E
- 87, Gordon Chalmers/Steven Chalmers (Inverness/Inverness) Subaru Impreza, E
- 88, David Calvert/Grant Williams (Clitheroe/Tobermory) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 89, Keith Hall/Peter Johnson (Reagill/Hethersgill) Ford Fiesta , C
- 90, Gaz Carless/Will Atkins (Crewe/Whitchurch) Ford Focus, A
- 91, Dan Simcock/Lewis Brown (Stoke on Trent/Tobermory) Mitsubishi Evo6, E
- 92, Hamish Grant/Stewart Hurst (Muir of Ord/Muir of Ord) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 93, Martin Page/Michael Anderson (Finzean/Clitheroe) Mini Cooper S, D
- 94, Ian Curwen/Brian Hodgson (Grange over Sands/Penrith) Ford Escort Mk2, D
- 95, Tim Baker/Michael Baker (Ludlow/Ludlow) Talbot Sunbeam, C
- 96, Andrew Moverley/Brian Stubbs (York/Chester) Ford Escort, C
- 97, Andrew Woodward/Tom Bowen (Nantwich/Nantwich) Renault Clio R3, C
- 98, Fergus Gray/Kenny More (Aberuthven/Crieff) BMW 130i, D
- 99, James McDiarmid/Max Haines-Messenger (Aberfeldy/Twinning) Ford Escort Mk2, C
- 100, Geoff Dean/Tom Spencer (Huby/Malton) BMW 325i, D
- 101, Kevin MacIver/Robin Nicolson (Cruden Bay/Largs) Ford Escort Mk2, B
- 102, Malcolm Davey/Paul Slingsby (Bradford/Ilkley) Ford Escort Mk1, H4
- 103, Stevie Irwin/Neil Bye (Dunbar/Burnley) Vauxhall Nova, B
- 104, Adam Booth/Daniel Granger (Congleton/Congleton) Ford Escort, C
- 105, Jack Hartley/Gary Dawes (Barley/Worsthorn) Austin Mini, A
- 106, Tony Shields/Graham Wild (Halifax/Market Rasen) Vauxhall Nova, A
- 107, Thomas Boylan/Weazel Currie (Monaghan/Bellshill) Peugeot 205 GTi, B
- 108, Dave Riley/Gary Dillon (Blackpool/Lincoln) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4, E
- 109, Bevan Blacker/Russell Waller (Boroughbridge/Harrogate) Peugeot 106, B
- 110, Dan Sedgwick/Sam Ambler (Settle/Settle) Peugeot 106 Rallye, B
- 111, Graeme Sherry/Gordon Clark (Gartcosh/Falkirk) Peugeot 206 gti, C
- 112, James Campbell/Donald Morrison (Craignure/Craignure) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo4, E
- 113, Shug Steel/Fiona Moir (Strathaven/Inverness) Subaru Impreza, E
- 114, Beefy Fraser/Iain Thorburn (Alness/Tobermory) Hillman Avenger Tiger, B
- 115, Sydney Grant Fleming/Chloe Fleming (Uddingston/Uddingston) TBA, A
- 116, Ruaridh Allan/Jamie MacLean (Salen/Salen) Vauxhall Nova, B
- 117, Kevin Charles/Anthony Jevons (Workington/New Orleans) Ford Escort G3, C
- 118, Neil Thompson/Niall Frost (Chirnside/Harrogate) Vauxhall Corsa, B
- 119, Stevie Alexander/Christina Turner (Blairgowrie/Blairgowrie) Citroen Saxo VTS, B
- 120, Michael Renton/Rachel Matheson (Bonar Bridge/Beauly) Peugeot 306 GTi, C
- 121, Daniel Chambers/Leigh Chambers (Inverness/Inverness) Ford KA, A
- 122, Paul Miller/Katy Mashiter (Kendal/Morecambe) BMW Compact, D
- 123, Gordon Cunningham/TBA (Galston/TBA) Subaru Impreza, E
- 124, Innes Mochrie/Lewis Griffiths (Lochgilphead/Aberangell) Rover Metro GTI, A
- 125, Jim Slater/Chris Slater (Isle of Mull/Skipton) Ford Focus, D
- 126, Cameron Craig/Ewan Lees (Motherwell/Glasgow) Peugeot 205, A
- 127, Kevin Gray/Callum Shanks (Invergordon/Westhill) Suzuki Swift, C
- 128, Craig Callander/Ross Callander (Lochgilphead/Lochgilphead) Subaru Impreza, E
- 129, Tony Fleming/David Fotheringham (Carluke/Mauchline) Peugeot 205, B
- 130, Iain Noble/Alan Noble (Tobermory/Salen) Citroen C2, B
- 131, Donald McColm/Campbell McColm (Stranraer/Stranraer) Peugeot 106, B
- 132, Graham MacDonald/Angus MacNeil (Conon Bridge/Oban) Audi TT, D
- 133, Alasdair Ingram/Bernard McSweeny (Tobermory/Garryhesta) Honda Civic VTI, B
- 134, Arthur MacMillan/Hugo MacMillan (Langbank/Langbank) Ford Escort Mk1, H2
- 135, Duncan MacLean (Ian Parker/Lochgilphead/Lochgilphead) Peugeot 106, B
- 136, Gareth Hooper/Paul Wild (Keighley/Keighley) Opel Manta, C
- 137, Ryan Ingram/Calum MacDougall (Tobermory/Tobermory) Honda Civic, B
- 138, Andy Hardiman/Rhys Edwards (Powys/Herefordshire) Peugeot 205 gti, B
- 139, Mark Runciman/Ted Runciman (East Kilbride/Bishops Stortford) BMW 318 Compact, C
- 140, John Tillett/Tony Vart (Northallerton/Preston) Ford Escort, C
- 141, Martin Beech/Jessica Beech (Congleton/Congleton) Mazda RX7, D
- 142, James Newbould/Jack Ramsay (Northampton/Wetherden) Vauxhall Corsa, C
- 143, Chris Pedley/Chris Pedley Snr (Rochdale/Middleton) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo8, E
- 144, Andrew Blower/Ian Clarke (Ashby de la Zouch/Groby) Austin Mini, A
- 145, Toby Marshall/Graeme Wood (Macclesfield/Knutsford) Nissan Micra, A
- 146, Alistair Dalgliesh/David Dalgliesh (Lanark/Lanark) Subaru Impreza, E
- 147, Rob Meynell/Martin Young (Malton/Leyland) Opel Kadett, C
- 148, Louise Thomas/Suzanne Barker (Glenforsa/Huby) Rover Mini, A
- 149, Euan Blair/Grant Lewis Walker (Gorebridge/Kelso) Talbot Sunbeam, H3
- 150, Shona Hale/Andy Brown (Dunfermline/East Rainton) Citroen C2 (Kettle), B
- 151, Scott Jonas/Chris Perry (Totnes/Paignton) Rover 200, C
- 152, Michael Robertson/Murray Milne (Dunfermline/Dunfermline) Honda Civic Type R, C
- 153, Mark Booth/Colin Tombs (Langold/Spennymoor) Ford Escort, C