Rally - Kirkaldy's Kingdom

That's the main report from the Kingdom Stages Rally now in the on-line mag. Andrew Kirkaldy took the win ahead of Joe McKeand, but what happened to top seed, John Rintoul? Also, Greg Inglis clinched the 2019 Cobble Shop Scottish Tarmack Driver's title by one point from Kyle Adam, so how close was that? There were also quite a few other tales to be told and gossip gathered but that will have to wait till after the Jim Clark, prep for that has taken up quite a bit of time. Anyway, the full Kingdom story is here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2019/11/07-nov-kingdom-stages-report/

 

Rally - Jim Clark Rally

Preview and Entry List now in the on-line mag. 3 stages on  Friday afternoon and 8 stages on Saturday, both days starting from Duns Square.

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2019/11/06-nov-jim-clark-rally-preview/

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2019/11/06-nov-jim-clark-rally-entry/

Rally - Making Progress

On the basis that you can't get from first to top gear without going through the rest of the 'box, Motorsport UK's latest announcement has to be welcomed. Of course we all want more change more quickly, but turning a juggernaut around requires more than just a bit of elbow room.

Motor sport is more than just rallying and racing, there are umpteen different types of discipline within that single term. They all have their own following and participants, and therefore have to be managed, controlled and regulated. What suits autotests may not suit autocross, and so on.

Then there are the various levels of competition, from single car club and inter-club events to regional, national and international permit competitions, and then above all that there is the FIA. Whether we like it or not, it is best to be integrated with their rules and structure. That enables those of us who wish to compete overseas and also attract furriners to our shores and to our events. If you have never competed abroad - put it on  your bucket list now.

These changes might appear at first glance to be very modest but making it easier and cheaper to get into the sport in the first place has to be at the top of the agenda. Without new folks coming in, the sport has no future. It will just be full of auld gits with grudges and memories and rusting silent heaps in their garages.

So whilst we might have some disappointment about the apparent slow pace of change, this announcement does at least confirm that progress is being made and with that hopefully change for the better. And bear in mind, this announcement does not herald the end of the process - merely the start. This could be motor sport's last chance to have a future.

Patience dear peeps, patience.

Full text of Press Announcement here:

http://www.jaggybunnet.co.uk/2019/11/06-nov-motorsport-uk-making-progress/

Rally - New champions

Scotland has another new national champion. Yesterday, Greg Inglis clinched the 2019 Cobble Shop Scottish Tarmack driver's title, while Fiona Moir claimed the Co-driver's title.

On the day, Greg was navigated by Ian Parker while Fiona was driven by the newly crowned 2019 Junior Champion, Kyle Adam. In fact, Greg and Ian had a relatively stress free day compared to Kyle whose runner-up points finish was down to the heroic efforts of Fiona.

At the end of the first stage, the Escort's alternator failed and the car cut out just as it approached the Finish line at the end of the very first stage of the day. The sudden-ness of the electrical cut-out pitched the Escort into a lurid spin where it lay dead in the road facing the wrong way. Out almost before they had started? Not quite.

In one of the jammiest stage finishes seen in a long time, the spinning Escort broke the stage finish timing beam - they got a time. However, with the car completely dead and refusing to fire up, Fiona had to get out and push watched helplessly by the Marshals and spectators who were not allowed to help as the car was still within the Time Control and not allowed to receive 'outside assistance'. The poor girl was knac.... almost exhausted, but she did it.

Aye gaun yersel girl! The finest advert for home made porridge if ever I saw one.

Rally - Wet, wet, wet

If Mull was wet, wet, then Crail was just wet. And where it wasn’t just wet, it was muddy, greasy and grassy wet. Trouble was, conditions kept changing throughout the day. The correct tyre choice at the start of a stage was often proved to be wildly wrong mid stage while a third choice was needed by the end of the stage! Even Harry Potter would have been confused.

Today’s Kingdom Stages was the final round of the 2019 Cobble Shop Scottish Tarmack Championship and what a finale it turned out to be, not just the duel for the title, but also for outright victory on the day.

Greg Inglis and Kyle Adam arrived at Crail knowing one would leave as champion, and the other wouldn’t, and there was only 1 second between them in Greg’s favour at the start. As things turned out they each scored maximum championship points by winning their respective capacity classes. Not only did they win their classes, Greg finished 3^rd overall in the Exige while Kyle was 4^th in the Escort. Greg is the new Scottish Champion.

Meanwhile up at the sharp end, Andrew Kirkaldy led from the front. After 2 stages he was 19 seconds up on Alistair Inglis and after 4 stages, they were dead level!

It all went wrong for the Lotus driver when it hit standing water, spun like a peerie, a full four 360 degree spins, ending up astride a pile of tyres with bent steering. No big damage but he was out. Harry Chalmers lost out on a sensational potential 3^rd place overall when the bonnet pins snapped and the Subaru’s bonnet flew up obscuring the windscreen and 4^th placed Alan Wallace then lost out on 3^rd place when the Lancer’s centre diff broke.

That pitched the Subaru of a surprised Joe McKeand into the runner-up spot with the boys in 3^rd and 4^th. Chalmers recovered to finish 5^th easing Greg Stark into 6^th who was struggling with a leaking clutch master cylinder in the Lancer and losing pressure throughout each stage.

Kirkaldy took the win, and somewhat relieved considering the slippery, uncertain conditions: “I loved those last two stages, they were really fast, super quick,” said Andrew, “I’m just glad the Escort is in one piece – so my brother (Alan) can’t moan at me!”

Top Six

1, Kirkaldy/Carstairs, 68m 19s

2, McKeand/Shanks, 70m 32s

3, Inglis/Parker, 71m 22s

4, Adam/Moir, 72m 10s

5, Chalmers/Logan, 72m 25s

6, Stark/Stark, 73m 04s

Full results on: www.scotresults.co.uk

Just a short report for now (still bluidy drying out!) but there will be an event report with Pics in Wednesday’s ‘Motorsport News’ and a much fuller rally report in the on-line magazine later next week.