Rally - Life's a Jazz - No it Ain't!

Left Crieff this morning at the wheel of a Honda Jazz IMA to head north up the A9 to the Gleaner Oils Speyside Stages. After yesterday's deluge, it looked OK at first, then it didn't, and then I passed through some rain at Craigellachie before it cleared as I got to Fochabers. And then the sun came out, so it was a good day for the 63 Car Club organising team who had laid on a sponsors/media day in Whiteash Forest.

As for the Jazz, I know it's a city car and not designed to be a Highland glen cruiser, but I was a wee bit disappointed. I was never over 70 mph and yet couldn't get more than 53 mpg. For those paying extra for a hybrid in the hope of reducing fuel bills, well they might not be too chuffed. There is one thing though - the no-fee Tax disc on the windscreen.

Reay MacKay was giving the Impreza WRC a run. After 5 non-finishes on the trot, he's hoping he's finally got to the bottom of the car's electrical gremlins - after it had a wee holiday down at Dom Buckley's!

Robbie Head was trying out Pirellis instead of the DMacks which he has been using this year and Andy Horne was giving the DAM a run after some suspension work following the RSAC Scottish.

John MacCrone was having another run out in the Honda Civic, but it was only running on 3 cylinders for the first run. Big Gordon Cunningham was quickly on the case and 4 cylinders were restored.

Another one with the bonnet up was Hamish Kinloch trying to suss out Quintin Milne's misfire in the MkII. Even after some extensive work reecntly, the bluidy misfire is still there - or is it Quintin doesn't know what a rev limiter is? Only kidding, but he's away down to Ricky Gauld's tonight to get it on the rolling road. Mind you, it didn't stop him giving it the beans on the test stage.

Jock Armstrong gave a few folk a quick hurl as did Mike Faulkner, Barry Groundwater, John Morrison, Colin Gemmell, Chris Collie, Billy Miller and Mike Grant, while Stevie Brown was out in the Subaru again trying to get some mileage ahead of tomorrow.

Philip Morrow was also there and it will be interesting to see how he gets on tomorrow against our lot. He's got a deal to run DMack Tyres so that's why he's here.

Now I'm off to find the nearest Asda. The 63 CC girls had tea, coffee and sandwiches for the guests today, but they also had packs of Asda biscuits. If ye huvnae tried the caramel/fudge 'Mars bar lookalikes' then take it from me, they are well worth a sook and a swaally.