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Jaggy Bunnet Rally News - September 12, 2011 Scots Abroad Here’s a turn-up for the book, Allan McDowall now leads the MSA English Rally Championship (albeit by 1 point) from Darren Pinchin following round five, the Woodpecker Stages Rally. Allan won Class E5 by 21 seconds from David Young and Warren Philliskirk. Pinchin lost out when he broke a driveshaft on his Proton. Unfortunately, Allan’s co-driver, Gavin Heseltine, is only second in the Co-drivers’ Points Tables. Championship positions (provisional) after Round 5: On last month’s Mewla Rally David Hardie/John McCulloch overcame fuel starvation problems in their Subaru Impreza to salvage 10th place. At least they have hung on to fourth place overall in the English Tarmac Championship with two rounds to go, the Patriot Stages on 25th September followed by the Cheviot at Otterburn in October. Championship positions (provisional) after Round 7: There seems to have been a good turn-out of Scottish crews at the Richard Burns Memorial Rally last month. Bruce Edwards and Barry Young were fourth in the Darrian, Tom Morris and Colin Harkness were 17th in the MkII, Alistair Tough and David MacFadyen were 24th in another MkII while Lachlan Cowan and Stuart Bell weer33rd (and last!) in the wee Peugeot 106. Young Peter Taylor from just over the border was there too with Andrew Roughead and finished 7th in the Renault. Afterwards, Tommy Morris was in pensive mood and was seen deep in earnest conversation with some of the Irish boys who were over with their more exotic MkII Escorts. So don’t be surprised if he pays a visit to Mr Millington soon. He’s also getting a paddle-shift made for his Metro. Boys and their toys, Eh? ** The next round of the 2011 Brick & Steel Ecosse Challenge will be the Colin McRae Forest Stages based in Aberfeldy on 1st October 2011 after which there will two more rounds to go on tarmac to settle the 2011 Championship. ** The Schedule for Scottish Motorsport Festival Plans are now firming up for the proposed Scottish Motorsport Festival which will be held during the first week of October, and the line-up of events is as follows: Friday 30th Sept - Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally Driver Forum, Aberfeldy 20.00 Once I get more detailed info I’ll let you all know. ** It’s amazing what you can do with mobile phones and text messages these days. Running at the head of the field on the Merrick alongside Steve Bannister, Louise Sutherland denied that she was sending texts back to Mike Faulkner whom she co-drive for on the Speyside. The subject of these texts that she claimed she wasn’t sending was weather reports and stage conditions. Naturally she denied all knowledge of acting as an unofficial weather crew. Apparently, this is the modern version of sending post cards when you’re on your holidays! It’s amazing what you can’t do with Coke cans. I watched the boys working on Mark McCleary’s Nova at first service.The carbs were falling off the engine because the intake pipes were fractured and falling to bits. They were snipping bits off Coke cans to try and wrap metal strips around the pipes but getting nowhere fast. Valiant effort, but they don’t make Coke cans like they used to! I don’t know if you had look inside Liam Regan’s minted Peugeot 206 at the Merrick. But this device was running full EVO6 four wheel drive running gear and a turbo engine. He was actually going to use it on the Dog Leap Stages but when the event was cancelled he came over to the Merrick instead as he had the budget going spare. He did well (8th o/a) but reckons that Glentrool needs a whole lot more commitment than he was prepared to give in his new car. Afterwards Liam was very gracious when he said: “I’ve never been to a rally with such a warm welcome.” So well done to the Merrick folks. Calum and Claudia MacLeod had a good time at the Merrick despite using 3 throttle cables in 3 stages before they found the cause of the problem and fixed it. Oddly enough they had managed 5 runs at the Shakedown with no problems, but Calum did remark: “I sat beside Gary for the first time in the Honda at the Shakedown for one run,” he said, “and it’s the first time I’ve been frightened in a rally car.” I don’t know if that was a comment on speed or ability – or both! And finally ... After the Merrick Rally I popped into Steven Cronnie’s Butcher’s shop just off the Square in Wigtown to see what kind of day he had. This was the guy who had a sign in the window which stated: “Home made RALLY good pies”. I have to admit this was my third visit of the day. Breakfast was a steak filled pie (£1.40) and afternoon tea comprised a traditional Scotch mutton pie (99p). Purely in the interests of assessing quality you understand but I passed on the results of my testing tasting to a commentating Jim McDowall who encouraged the gathered throng to avail themselves of Steven’s delicacies. And Jim had a couple too – but I paid for mine! Over the course of the day, Steven sold over 500 pies. **** |