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Rally News - May 9, 2010 Jaggy's latest collection of ramblings from around the globe Euan Thorburn crashed out on Friday night of the weekend's Manx Telecom Rally when he and co driver Paul Beaton were caught out on a notoriously bumpy section midway through the third stage on Friday night. Thorburn lost control of his Subaru Impreza at an estimated 125 mph with catastrophic results and whilst both crew members were uninjured, the previously pristine Impreza was badly damaged. The Pirelli TEG Sport Rally Team were continuing to work on their new TEIN suspension system and had a technician from base in Japan working with them over the weekend. Fingers crossed the youngster gets a decent run on his home event, the Jim Clark, at the end of the month. The event was won by Paul Bird in the Focus with Kirsty Riddick once again demonstrating just how professional she is on the Notes. Roger Donnan and Chris Davies won their class in the Puma and finished 21st overall, while Jim Sharp and Amy McKinnon had an eventful run, but finished 30th overall in the Subaru. Dave Weston Jnr was another non-finisher when the fuel pump failed in SS8 and Stan Quirk was out with Daniel Harper in the BMW MINI but sagging oil pressure caused them to pull out after 5 stages. And just as an aside, it was encouraging to note the number of ‘Mull regulars’ who were out on the Manx including John Cope, Mark Jasper, John Swinscoe and Daniel Harper, which bodes well for this year’s event in October. **** It seems that Bruce Edwards is getting quicker as he gets older, not that he’s old mind you, it’s just that he was reading the tablets when others were reading their newspapers at Ingliston, but he swapped from paddles to gearlever for the final two runs. When asked why, he reckoned: “When the throttle jammed half open, the car mounted a couple of tyres. I was lucky to get away with it. I think I downshifted too quick. Too quick for the paddleshift and it might have jammed when it couldn’t keep up with what gears I wanted – so I put the gearlever back in for the final two runs.” Quicker than software, eh? I wonder if Bill Gates knows about Bruce Edwards. Tommy Morris was having to learn about rally driving all over again. With the engine not back for the Metro yet he had his second run out in his minted MkII. After breaking the gearbox and driveshaft first time out at Ingliston a month ago, he had the ‘box repaired and a new CWP as well for his second run out. He finished 7th but he’s still not doing it right: “I’m just not used to spinning the rear wheels to get it off the line,” he said, “it’s just so different from the Metro.” Well, I’ll tell you what he was learning quick. He was lighting them up just fine by the end of the day! Scottish rallying was summed up for me at Ingliston the other weekend when Kevin Dunn broke his driveshaft and Stephen Thomson lent him his own spare. It was actually an Astra shaft, but it fitted, and more to the point it allowed Kevin to finish and score that stupendous third overall. Young Alec Brown and Stewart Wilshire were knackered after the first stage at Ingliston. When the Saxo broke a shaft they pushed it for damn near half a mile to get it back to service, where Dad was heard muttering: “We’ll fix it the Mull way – we’ll weld it back in!” Nigel Hepburn finished a rather lowly 31st at Ingliston in the wee Citroen. He got the car just before Christmas and this was only his fourth run out in it: “The clutch is knackered and it keeps jumping out of 2nd gear,” he said, “this is my second Citroen but this one only has a standard engine at present.” Stuart Baillie was spotted spectating at Ingliston: “I retired here last time with an electrical fire, and it’s still not running. The engine’s back in but it’s not quite finished so I had to pull my entry for today.” **** Last weekend was my first visit to Hallburn just outside Longtown and what an effort has been put into the place by the South of Scotland CC team. They’ve bought a ‘never raced or rallied’ portacabin for the Event HQ and Results Room, and a large marquee which can be erected to keep the Scroots dry. More to the point, in the three weeks running up to this latest event, volunteers spent days running round the course on a big tractor towing John Bogie’s vibrating roller. Competitors and spectators rarely realise how much time and effort goes into the organisation of events so it’s especially nice to note the amount of help they’re get from folk like John Bogie. Apparently, the last time Hallburn was used (apart from the inaugural event last year) was way back in the early and mid 80s in the days of the County Garage Championship when Paul and Mike Gilligan of County Garage, the Ford dealers in Carlisle, were rallying. Previous winners include Kieron Hill (I remember seeing him at Baldoon too) and Dougie Watson-Clark. Crikey, I knew them all. Walter Henderson was spotted wandering around the Hallburn service area in boots, boiler-suit, dayglo jaikit and haunds in poackets. And no, he wasn’t rounding up some wandering coos, he was there to help out Kevin Haynes doing his first rally. Apparently it was pay-back time. Kevin is a big help to Walter with his own car so Walter volunteered to help him at Hallburn. Sadly, Kevin’s run ended on the first stage with gearbox failure, hence Walter wandering about with his hands in his pockets! Or maybe Kevin didn’t find him much help and will think twice about asking him again! I can understand that. On a similar point of note, it was good to see another front-running driver helping out younger and newer drivers. Jock Armstrong was wearing the pull-on rigger boots and boiler suit to help out young Peter Stewart. And if he thought he was in for a quiet day, young Peter had other ideas. He skelped a large banking on the first run and bent the rear arm and pushed in the bodywork, so it kept the boys busy for the rest of the day keeping the Fiesta on the go. Event sponsor at Hallburn, Duncan Wardrop got a surprise when wife Gill agreed to co-drive this year. After weeks of persuasion last year she eventually agreed to co-drive on her first ever event, so Duncan wasn’t expecting her to agree this year: “She shouts at me if I go over 30 in the town!” They finished 6th overall, but more to the point, they’re still talking! Richard Stewart was running Course Car at Hallburn, just trying to get a bit more mileage in his new Subaru ahead of the Jim Clark. It’s a good he did. Something broke in the transmission and he finished his day’s duties in a two wheel drive Subaru! Useless information time. Did you know that Hallburn Clerk of the Course, and Duncan Wardrop’s regular co-driver, Ian Crosbie is known in the south west as Bing? It took me a minute or two to figure it out as well! Oh please yersels, I thought it was funny. **** I got a nice wee note from Calum MacLeod, (one of my regular readers from Germany!) who was just back from watching the Olympus Rally in Seattle, the second round of the North American Rally Championship. He noted the entries were smaller than Scottish rounds, but the forests could have been anywhere in Scotland, great enthusiasm from the crowd, but very restricted viewing areas due to "liability and risk". Travis Pastrana won easily. He also brought me up to date on newcomer Ruary MacLeod’s problems. The boy is not having much luck with Honda CV joints at present but they reckon they have solved the problem. And after a succession of co-drivers it looks like Ruary now has a regular with young Will Rogers (from Wyedean country) who debuted on the Granite and has ‘signed up’ for the rest of 2010. On a more worrying note, Calum’s wife Claudia wants to navigate for him on a Scottish event to find out what all the fuss is about. The trouble is, she’s German and needs to get a German licence up to Nat A and Int level for non NEAFP rounds to compete in the UK. So Calum will use a GrpN Subaru on three German rallies, starting on May 22nd, with the rest within 6 weeks, to get signatures! The idea is get his ‘new’ MkII out for the second half of 2010 as it is now nearing completion at bgmsport, but apparently Claudia says she doesn't want to sit in such an old car! Sounds like the girl has a lot to learn, eh? Calum concluded his wee note with: “The Scottish scene is quite amazing yet there's a recession, I don't get it!” Aye, neither do we, so let’s enjoy it while we can. **** I travelled up to Oban on Friday for the funeral. It was quite a moving day, but it was good to see the respect and esteem in which John Allan was held. I spoke to a church elder afterwards and asked how many the church seated. He said around 200 when it was full – and still there were folk standing at the back! For a quiet, private man he had an awful lot of friends and admirers. **** And did you know, that following Ford’s victory on the weekend’s New Zealand Rally, Ford has now become the most successful manufacturer in the FIA World Rally Championship? Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila earned the company's 75th WRC victory breaking a record that has stood since 1992. Timo Mäkinen scored Ford's first victory in the inaugural year of the FIA World Rally Championship nearly 40 years ago. One of the instigators of the ‘Flying Finn’ legend, Makinen was partnered by Henry Liddon when they won the 1973 1000 Lakes Rally in an Escort RS1600. Among the competitors he beat on that event were Ulf Grönholm, father of Marcus, and current FIA president Jean Todt, who co-drove for Achim Warmbold. Seventeen drivers have now contributed to this record comprising, Timo Mäkinen, Hannu Mikkola, Roger Clark, Bjorn Waldegard, Kyosti Hamalainen, Ari Vatanen, Didier Auriol, François Delecour, Miki Biasion, Gianfranco Cunico, Tommi Mäkinen, Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae, Markko Märtin, Marcus Grönholm, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala. But here’s a pub argument in the making, which one was/is best? **** Croft Circuit has launched its own ‘Croft Circuit Official Supporters Club’ so if anyone is keen on doing their bit to try and preserve the facility as a motor sports venue, then it might just be worth their while signing up. In case you don’t know, the circuit is coming under increasing threat from householders nearby who object to ‘excessive noise’ and mostly from folk who bought their houses long after the circuit was established there. Although mainly known for its motor racing activities, the venue does attract rallies and rallycross events, hence my interest, and yes I know it’s in Englandshire but it’s still fairly close. In fact if ye flung a stane due south from the top of Carter Bar you could just about hit it. For a membership fee of 15 quid, benefits include: a membership card which will allow a £1 discount on all advertised gate admission prices, free priority car and bike parking at most meetings, free programme at BTCC and BSB meetings, quarterly newsletter, social meetings and an annual barbecue and a free ‘official’ sticker. There will be more benefits to come too.
More info at: Now that Mull is back on, October is shaping up to be a busy month again with the International Rally of Scotland (14 - 16 October) following on the weekend after Scotland’s ‘other’ international. Already the hunt is on for marshals, and not just ‘standy-ooters’ on the rally, but there will need to be marshals on the recce earlier in the week. So after a week on Mull how does a week in Perthshire and the Trossachs sound? If you can help out, drop a line to: **** |