A Night for giant killers …. Friday night was not a night for the fearful or the ungodly. As ever, the Beatsons Mull Rally served up a battlefield where giant-killers rode their skill and their luck. To call conditions treacherous is an understatement. It’s not just the rain that upsets predictions and hopes, it is where the water lies in hollows and verges or runs across the road in veritable streams – and usually in the wrong places. Like braking zones!
And yet, the front runners still manage to head the results, but not all of them. John MacCrone and Kirsty Riddick covered the 44 miles of water slicked tarmacery of Friday’s opening night tests in 41 and a half minutes. That’s not skill, that’s witchcraft. Fully a minute behind them were Colin O’Donoghue and Evan MacBride. I’m sure I saw a leprechaun cackling away merrily on the roof of the Escort in hot pursuit of the witches’ four wheeled broom but only 8 seconds behind them were Hugh Hunter and Andy Marchbank heading up the ‘old guard’.
In fourth place was a Rally4 car, the Opel Corsa of Luke Constantine and Ifan Devine and there was another Rally4 car in the top ten with Ross Hunter and Chris Dodds in the Peugeot holding 8th place, but putting in a demon drive (yet again) was the old school Peugeot 206 of ‘Dangerous’ Des Campbell and Rhys Donaldson.
And this is where the real magic of Mull makes itself known, and it’s not just about the machinery its about the men and women inside the projectiles. In 18th place overall are Daniel Harper and Chris Campbell – in a Mini. Not one of those giant german sausage tin MINIs, but a real, genuine British Leyland Mini – just like the car in which he finished 10th overall on this event exactly 30 years ago!
And what about Junior 1000 Graduate Ollie Forrester, first time on Mull in his new Citroen C2. The first time he’s seen real rain and terrifying darkness. He and Chloe Fleming lie just outside the top 20 in 21st place. Marvellous, absobluidylutely marvellous! There’s another young Junior 1000 graduate showing well too with number 99 seeds Ruan Lowry and Ian McRae holding 60th place in the 125 car field.
Top lady at this stage, and she is a rally driver, not just a ‘lady’ rally driver is Sarah Hunter (that’s her big brother in the top ten!) who is holding 28th place with James Braithwaite. No real surprise there given her proven pace on Irish events this past year! And there’s the wee Rover Metro of Innes and Kirsty Mochrie skipping over the puddles to finish the first Leg inside the top 50 in 47th place and looking more like CalMac’s Loch Frisa when it encounters some of the more watery sections!
And that’s what Mull is all about, the people and personalities, so keep an eye out too for Iain ‘’Phooey the Fireman’ Noble in the 121 Avenger, Marc McCubbin on his first Mull with a 1 litre Junior (although Marc’s certainly no ‘Junior’!) Challenge car running car 129 and Cammy Fair, the co-driver turned driver, in his new Nova running car number 90 – but pick your own favourites and follow their fortunes – or misfortunes!!
And what of Fergus Barlow? At the shakedown yesterday, his rally hopes took a dive when a death rattle was heard from under the bonnet. The search was on for an engine or a car, and in the end a bright red Historic spec Escort Mk2 was sourced from Stirling and sent northwards. At close of play last night, Fergus and Heather MacCrone running with the number 135 on the door were holding 12th place overall – first time out in a completely different car!
Provisional Top Ten after Leg 1:
1, John MacCrone/Kirsty Riddick, 41m 30.8s
2, Colin O'Donoghue/Evan MacBride, 42m 32.2s
3, Hugh Hunter/Andy Marchbank, 42m 40.1s
4, Luke Constantine/Ifan Devine, 42m 55.15s
5, Jonathan Mounsey/Richard Wardle, 43m 41.2s
6, Stephen Thompson/Larry Higton, 44m 06.5s
7, Des Campbell/Rhys Donaldson, 44m 11.7s
8, Ross Hunter/Chris Dodds, 44m 13.2s
9, James Hall/Laura Stone, 44m 31.2s
10, Owen Paterson/Catrin Price, 44m 38.0s
