WRC on TV with BBC

We don’t have a confirmed date yet, but the FIA World Rally Championship is definitely coming to Scotland next year and the new WRC promoter has signed a three year deal with the BBC. In return the terrestrial channel will carry reports on each and every round with extensive additional and live coverage of the Scottish event being staged in Aberdeen and the north east, probably early October 2027.

There was a real heavyweight turn-out this morning (Friday 18th Sept.) at BBC Scotland HQ on the bonnie bonnie banks and I don’t mean the cars. The Scottish Minister for Sport Maree Todd MSP was in attendance (and got a hurl!) along with Eric Boullier the CEO of the new WRC Promoter and of course Motorsport UK was represented by Hugh Chambers. Toyota had sent a car for Elfyn Evans while M-Sport had a car for Josh McErlean.

It was also good to welcome back the BBC to rally sport coverage. It’s been a while since they covered the Scottish Championship so maybe, just maybe, we can get them enthused once again – just as long as we don’t have any big daft ex-rugby players presenting the programmes!

Also in attendance and keeping himself busy, scurrying about to make sure things ran well and safely was Iain ‘Skunner’ Campbell who had also called upon a contingent from ‘The Coltness Bears’ to help with marshalling duties, not just because they were one of the closest car clubs to the location, but it might well have had something to do with the fact that two of Scotland’s World Rally Champions, Colin and Derek, were both members of Coltness Car Club. Nice wee bit of continuity there, eh?

Catching the guests by surprise was another rare visitor – the sun! At times it caused havoc with the foties and filming, but taking pics for the WRC was our very own Graeme Brown (from EK) who was quite pleased with an assignment on home turf as opposed to trekking around the world photographing the WRC and Superbikes. He says he’ll send me some of his shots from today so you’ll have to do with my efforts for now!

However, at least it was dry and nobody got drookit although by the time things were over, the big grey clouds were rolling in the from the west.

I’ll write a bit more later but it’s all starting to feel a bit real, eh?

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Book - The last stage

The latest ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ book covering the decade 2010 to 2019 is now with the printer, as of 10.00 am yesterday morning (Monday 14th September) when a USB stick was handed over to the printworks in Hamilton.

The memory stick contained the third and final draft of this year’s epic. The first draft went to the proof-readers a couple of months back and was then returned with corrections and amendments to be made. Once that was done, this second draft was passed to the typesetter/designer who laid out the text and photos and then passed back them back in a digital form which would resemble the final publication. This of course prompted yet another review, and discussions with David (the designer) followed resulting in this final draft ready for printing!

All this means that the book is on time for a pre-Christmas launch at the beginning of November. I wasn’t actually planning another ‘official book launch’ but the idea of launching the book at a regular Coltness Car Club night is now regarded as something of a tradition. The past three events have proved such a success with expected guests and surprise visitors dropping in to further enliven the evening. In all honesty nothing is planned for these events, as certain guests turn up they are politely induced (the Bears have a knack for such things) by the ‘Larkhall Foghorn’ to have a chat in front of the crowd. Do not confuse this event with a proper, professional Rally Forum, this is simply a busier than usual informal club night and all are welcome – especially from other car clubs.

The book should be printed, bound and published by the end of October so it looks like the first Monday in November will be B-Day, that is Book Day, not to be confused with the term for French toilet furniture!

The venue may also be different this time because earlier this year Dalserf Bowling Club in Ashgill was vandalised when some mindless bampots set fire to it. Repairs have not yet been completed although Coltness CC has found a new temporary home across the road in Larkhall Golf Club and they have been looking after the Bears very well so far!

As in the past, it will be open house, all welcome and not restricted to club members, while full details of date and location will be revealed in due course – just keep the first Monday in November free!

And finally, one of the attached photos shows the front cover of the latest book, but who should feature in the prime position? See if you agree in six weeks time!

Book sales: https://fife-motor-sports-agency.square.site/ 

The current books are also available on Ebay, just type in ‘Scottish Rally Championship’ and you should find them.

#ScottishRally #RallyScotland
#MotorsportBooks

Sam Mullen, 1960 - 2026

Current day rally crews will probably say “Who?” while those of a certain age and era will more likely respond with a smile as it triggers memories of a force of nature by the name of Sam Mullen. Sadly, Sam passed away last week. Sam was a true character, what you saw and what you heard was what you got. No airs and graces, just forthright views expressed forthrightly! No offence meant and none taken, just a ball of energy and fun, although it was often the ‘fun side’ that got him into trouble!

At 16 years of age Sam joined Kerr & Smith, the Ayrshire based Vauxhall commercial vehicle and car specialists, as an apprentice mechanic to a chap called Ian Shennan whose brother Robert Shennan was already making a name for himself in rallying and Sam was soon inculcated into this culture!

Once he had had served his time Sam moved on working mostly for himself in a variety of premises around Cumnock, Auchinleck, Mauchline and latterly new Cumnock. Oddly enough he was back with Ian Shennan more recently where work was progressing on yet another Ford Escort Mk2. Sam was a master of all trades, a time served mechanic, proficient with bodywork repairs and good at welding, in fact all the skills needed to build a rally car!

It was around 1986 that Sam first ventured into the world of rally competition. Oddly enough, he started as a co-driver and he finished third in the 1987 East Ayrshire Car Club Co-Driver’s Championship! Less talked about was his driving debut although he actually finished an encouraging 38th overall in an Opel Kadett on the 1986 Baldoon Stages Rally. However, the end of season Galloway Hills Rally resulted in a non-finish – when the Opel ended up in a ‘burn’ (Scottish word for stream!) so a change of marque was called for and work commenced on the build of a Ford Escort Mk2.

Now immersed in the sport of rallying, Sam still did a bit of co-driving but for the 1989 season he concentrated on driving and he won the ‘5 of Clubs Championship’, a regional championship series in the south west of Scotland. Initially he teamed up with Sharyn Stewart for the 1989 Snowman Rally, still with the Opel Kadett, and they finished 45th from a start number of 56 and on the Scotphone Stages finished 33rd from a start number of 107. Then came the Granite City Rally. Although all the stages were contested they had an ever-so-slight wee ‘off’ in Clashindarroch which ensured they completed the rally but were OTL. They were 36th on the J&P Argyll event and topped that with an 8th overall on the Baldoon Stages Rally and 2nd overall on the Kames Trophy Rally. The duo finished off the season with 17th overall on the Galloway Hills Rally just 7 seconds behind a chap called Ivor Clark.

1990 was a lean year but he and Tom Hynd managed to get a run out on the Galloway Hills Rally and finished 11th overall now with a Ford Escort Mk2, but he certainly made his mark on the sport the following year.

The 1991 season started well with a 18th on the Snowman and 7th on the Scotphone Stages, then came the Granite City Rally. As a counter in both the Mintex British Championship as well as the national Scottish series, the rules for eligible cars were a wee bit different and those outwith the Mintex rules had to run at the back of the 95 car entry, five minutes behind the last National car! Sam and his home brewed Ford Escort were in good company. Donald Milne was there too with Bob Locke, Ian Wilson, Richard Wheeler and others with Sam and Jim Leighton winning their class and finishing 28th overall in an entry which comprised the best of British talent at that time.

They bounced back on the Hackle Rally with 10th overall and then Sam teamed up with Tom Hynd for the Fleming Toyota Rally losing out on a top ten finish after a puncture in the fifth stage at Glengrubach Moor – although that’s not what Sam called it later! Even so he ended his first full season in the national Scottish Rally Championship in 17th place overall and 5th in the Challenger’s Championship.

By this time Sam was earning a sound reputation for building rally cars and competing took a bit of a back seat for the 1992 season but he did manage a 10th place finish on the Weldex Rally in Argyll with one David McHarg Esq alongside! Another good result was 11th with Gerry Bryden on the Border Rally

1993 was arguably his best year. He finished 4th overall in the main Burmah Scottish Rally Championship and won the Challenger’s Championship outright after a string of decent finishes including 8th on the Weldex, 3rd on the RSAC Scottish National and 11th on the Weir Toyota with Gerry Bryden.

A good season with Gerry in 1994 resulted in 7th place in the Scottish Championship standings which included a 12th on the Valentine, 9th on the Weldex and 5th on the RSAC Scottish National. He didn’t manage a full season in 1995 although a highlight was 12th on the Snowman Rally first time out with Cosworth power in the Escort and another 12th on the Jim Clark Rally with Gordon Adam in the hot seat.

No-one really knows how many cars Sam actually built whether it was a 1300, 1600 or a Pinto, his cars had a reputation for being well built with good handling. Business had to come first but he managed a run out on the 1996 Snowman Rally with ace engine builder Ian Shennan and Ian recalled Sam’s determination. They had a big off into the trees in Teindland Forest on the fourth stage with Sam jumping out instantly tearing at the bushes, trees and rocks with bare hands to clear a path to get out and get going. They did – and they still finished 12th. Sam and Gerry Bryden also lost out on a top 20 finish on the Granite City that year with a puncture in Balloch Wood and one of his final events was the 1997 Rally Alno where he and John Truesdale finished 13th. And just for a laugh he and Tom Hynd contested the 1998 Park Systems Rally in a bright yellow Mk2 with a ‘Taxi’ sign on the roof – but that was only after the local Ayrshire Polis had a word when they spotted the car ‘testing’ on the local industrial estate! However, the discussion ended well once they realised it wasn’t any new taxi-driver, it was just Sam. The test must have been worthwhile – they finished 14th!

Although most co-drivers talked of his determination, they and many others also talked about his skill behind the wheel. Sam had a natural flair coupled with exquisite car control a fact which he enjoyed showing off just for the pure joy of driving flat-out and steering from the rear. A measure of his finesse was in evidence at the Kames events which he won, a venue that rewards neat and tidy lines, as opposed to his excessive use of the wider gravel roads in the forests!

But if Sam worked hard and competed fiercely, he played hard too, especially at the after-rally parties. When the glasses were drained and the bottles were empty, Sam Mullen was usually the last man standing. His antics are the stuff of legend whether he was on a table top demonstrating the ‘Mullen striptease’ or blowing the fuses on a Karaoke machine with his rendition of ‘My Way’. He was also possessed of a wicked sense of humour, best avoided by those of a sensitive and ‘woke’ disposition!

Sadly, over recent years Sam had to cope with Type 1 Diabetes a condition managed and overseen by Elsa although he passed away peacefully at home last week. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Elsa and the two boys Iain and Gareth, his immediate and wider family and all of his friends. Scottish rallying has lost yet another true character, a genuine one-off.

 

Rally - The debate

I don’t normally report or comment on funerals. It’s a time for family and friends to try and come to terms with such a terrible loss, but I see that other people have posted their own thoughts after yesterday’s Highland gathering. So I hope I can be forgiven for revealing one little tale from yesterday.

After the packed service (estimates vary around a thousand!) in Huntly yesterday a procession of rally cars followed the entourage to Huntly cemetery. It was a rather poignant and colourful tribute to a lost friend, one who had lived life to the full, and if truth be told just a wee bit of a party animal at times.

After the short open-air service and the black cars had departed there was some hesitation before the rally cars followed. That was because there was a heated debate underway in the lead car, the Hyundai i20 R5 resplendent in its full and exact 2024 Snowman Rally winning livery.

I don’t know who suggested it first but Ken Wood was saying surely we can’t do that in a cemetery and all the while being urged on by Neil Shanks to defy convention. Neil of course was John Wink’s co-driver on his last 40 rallies, and not just a co-driver but a close family friend, so knew him well. And under that ‘Doc Brown’ (from Back to the Future!?) exterior there lurks a streak of devilment in Ken Wood, as one might expect from anyone who wrestled a 300 bhp Rover Vitesse through the nation’s forest rally roads in days gone by.

Whatever, the debate raged on for a few seconds until Ken finally switched on the ‘Launch mode’ button on the Hyundai. According to him it wasn’t a ‘full launch’ just enough to make the heart of the beast pop and bang and reverberate across the grass and through the trees breaking the reverential silence.

They both agreed – he would have loved that. 

You want proof? There are two streaks of rubbery black smudges on an otherwise quiet stretch of tarmac in Huntly cemetery where they shouldn’t be.

For sure, John Wink would indeed have loved that.

 

Book progress

Last weekend the first digital proof of the next book, ‘The Scottish Rally Championship 2010-2019’, was delivered to the publishing premises of Castle Bunnet. This of course prompted yet another read-through of the text but also the first view of the photographic lay-out and the accompanying captions. First impression was that David (of Dash Design) has done it again. He has taken the jigsaw of photographs and made them whole, albeit in book pages. Of course it would be easy just to paste them into the pages like a stamp album but a book has to look good and read well!

The format is the same for this book as it was for the previous three with reports from every round of the championship during that decade in the first half of the book and then the photographic section in the second half.

As before, each rally report lists the top ten rally finishers plus each class winner, including Co-drivers, and at the end of each annual chapter the top ten Championship Drivers, Co-Drivers, Challengers and Juniors, and of course listing all the end of season Class points scorers. It’s always interesting to look through the class winners and points scorers because that is invariably where the stars of the future first appear!

As for the photo pages, they are split into three sections, first with four Personality pieces (because we had four different Champions in that decade) followed by a section on the People who took part and concluded with a selection of action photos from Alistair and Andrew Farquhar, John Lindsay and of course the multi-talented (?) author.

Now a word of caution, a touch of frivolity may have appeared in some of these photo captions. Of course they will all be ‘factually’ correct, although maybe not ‘politically’ correct, but why let some ‘woke’ nonsense ruin an otherwise accurate description?

The big surprise however, is that despite all the read-throughs which took place while writing the text and despite having passed through the hands of the two proof readers a few mis-types and errors still crept through that nit-picking process. No doubt there will be a few slip-ups yet which have passed inspection but this can happen to the best and most famous of authors and printers, not just the amateurs. So if you do obtain a copy of the book and spot a wee mistake, best keep it to yourself, because this will have been picked up and fumed over by the author on the first read through of the finished book!

What is glaringly obvious at that stage has been missed countless time before and he certainly won’t need any well meant pointing-out!! So be careful.

David now has all the corrections and list of style changes and will work through that, before the next stage when the proof will be passed to the printer and he will prepare an physical page print-out which will then have to be checked again before it is passed to the print and binding room.

In other words ‘BD Day’ is drawing ever closer, that is ‘Book Publishing Day’ – not to be confused with toilet furniture - think about it.

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Funeral Arrangements

 

There will be a ‘Celebration of Life’ for John Wink next week on Thursday 3rd of September in Strathbogie Drumblade Church, Bogie Street, Huntly AB54 8DX at 1pm, and later at Huntly Cemetery on the western side of the town just off Deveron Road. The family have respectfully invited all friends but family flowers only please. Donations for the The Leanne Fund can be made at the church door. And one final request, please wear a touch of colour in honour of John.

 

Rally - Seeking justice

The total number of marshals on the recent Grampian Stages Rally was swelled by one extra individual ahead of this year’s event! And not for the first time this season! Until this year, this ‘new’ marshal was a licenced co-driver of over 40 years experience who has competed very successfully at the top level in British stage rallying having started as a novice navigator on club road rallies.

And why was he marshalling? Because the sport’s governing body had refused to re-new his Co-Driver’s Licence!

Last year this individual and his regular driver hatched a plan to contest next year’s FIA WRC Grampian Rally to top their final years in this sport before resorting to the more ‘gentle art’ of historic rallying and bar-room bragging!

Come 2026 and Motorsport UK refused to automatically re-new this Co-Driver’s Licence – and so far without specific reason or explanation, thus scuppering hopes, plans and dreams.

And here’s the slightly complicated bit, the Co-Driver in question has a heart condition. This however is not something new, a slight defect he has had since birth. Up till now this has not been a problem.

The Co-Driver in question has, and uses regularly, a DVLA Class 1 driving licence to get himself around the country and to and from events so there is no problem there. He is mentally able to use OS maps and even sufficiently electronically competent to use a SatNav which means he can safely be allowed to leave home without the need for carers. He even has scans from his regular consultant which have shown no change over the past five years. In other words, he is normal, absobluidylutely normal. And yet the Motorsport UK medical view is that he does not meet DVLA Class 2 licence criteria and therefore have refused his licence renewal!

Of course this prompted a few questions from our aggrieved party which were initially sent by email to the appropriate named person in Motorsport UK. Answer came there none. Undaunted, a telephone call was made to the named personage and questions repeated. Apparently he was assured of a response. So far no response and no questions answered.

That is surely not good enough from a major sports governing body. The least that could be done is a private call to discuss the matter and explain Motorsport UK’s position. Perhaps there is a good reason for refusal and maybe that reason has not been fully investigated so far, but the very least that could be done is keep the chap informed, even if he is asked to keep their response confidential.

For sure there must be a reason, but to simply ignore a chap who has spent a few thousand pounds on competition licences over the past 40 or so years is either thoughtless at best, or inconsiderate at worst. Motorsport UK are often quick to penalise and/or fine perceived wrongdoers, as recent events in Scotland have shown, but when it comes to helping and advising folk they don’t appear to be just as quick off the mark!

Naturally our hero is made of sterner stuff and hasn’t given up, but to keep contact with the sport in the meantime he has qualified as a Marshal and is giving something back.

On a personal level, methinks our governors have taken their hands off the steering wheel on this one. Of course we need officials, organisers, marshals with regular training and qualifications, and yes the governing body has many rules and regulations to oversee and amend as and when necessary along with all the other things they have to do, like newcomer initiatives and bringing an FIA WRC round to the UK - again. But they have to remember that the lifeblood of the sport, any sport, is and are the competitors. Without them we wouldn’t need all the volunteers, or even Motorsport UK!

The non-identification of individuals in this wee story has been deliberate as there is no desire to upset any delicate sensibilities, but there is a wrong to be righted here, and on that basis all licence payers/holders should be concerned.

Hopefully we can return to this sorry tale with some better news !!

Note: Pics for illustrative purposes only, any similarity to anyone involved in rallying is entirely unintentional and purely coincidental!