Rally - Mull for the IRC

Now here’s an idea. Make the Tunnock’s Mull Rally part of the IRC! No, not that overblown international, fly-by-night outfit, this is a new idea. John Morrison from Fort Augustus came up with it: “I did Rally Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis a few weeks back and the Manx Rally on the Isle of Man last month,” said John, and now this. We could have an ‘Island Rally Challenge’ and championship.” See what he’s done there, ‘IRC’, that’s quite clever - for a driver! John Finished 7^th overall on the Manx, but can he do better over here?

Alex Taylor made quite an impression on Mull last year, and he’s back again for more this year. Typically Yorkshire, he likes to do things differently, and drives a Subaru Forester. It;’s not the quickest through the stages but it’s one of the more spectacular dues to its Alex’s effervescent driving style: “This will be my third bodyshell in three events, including this one,” said Alex. On that basis, stand well back tonight. “Third time lucky,” he added. Anyone selling lucky white heather out there?

Car 34 will be worth a look and a listen tonight, it is Steven Ronaldson’s MG Metro 6R4, but it’s not just any Metro. “It’s the ex Scottish Champion, Jon Burn’s stretched wheelbase car,” said Steven, “But I’ve got the Jaguar V6 engine out of Andy Horne’s car in the back. It’s two years since the car was last out on the Granite and it has taken that long to get this far, but it drives better, it starts easily and it doesn’t foul its plugs. It’s already better than it was!”

Lachlan Cowan appeared at Scrutineering with four wheels on the Fiesta. Unusual, because the last time we saw it, it only had three: “The axle broke and I lost a wheel on last weekend’s Colin McRae Stages Rally,” said Lachlan, “we went back to look for the wheel because the wheelstuds were still attached, only to be told that some spectator was spotted carrying it out of the forest. We hoped that he might try to get in touch to return the wheel. So far, nothing. Maybe he thought it was a souvenir!”

Or maybe he just had a Fiesta at home with one of these useless squirt, seal and blow cans in his boot instead of a proper spare wheel!