Originators of UK closed road motorsport

2001 – Murmur Chapter 3

MULLMURMURSMULLMURMURSMULLMURMURS – Chapter 3

– published on the island, during the event by Jaggy Bunnet

Provisional Leaderboard after 3 (of 18) Special Stages

1 Callum Duffy/Del Duffy (Ford Escort) 27mins 01secs
2 Neil MacKinnon/Mike Stayte (Subaru Impreza) 27m 01s
3 Dougi Hall/Gareth Williams (Ford Escort) 27m 24s
4 John Cope/Tony Cope (Ford Escort Cos) 28m 31s
5 Eddie O'Donnell/Eddie O'Donnell (Ford Escort) 28m 50s
6 Stuart McQueen/Alistair Green (Mitsubishi L) 28m 59s
7 Steve Davis/Lesley Hastie (Ford Escort) 29m 12s
8 James MacGillivray/Brian Kennedy (V'hall Corsa) 29m 14s
9 Dave Miller/Andrew Bailey (Subaru Impreza) 29m 16s
10 Robert Davies/Neil Fraser (Mitsubishi Lancer) 29m 20s

The 32nd Philips Tour of Mullstarted dry in Tobermory, but a slight smirr of rain has left the roads greasy rather than wet. Apparently it's not dry enough for slicks and not damp enough for intermediates.

Even so the guys at the front are setting a hot pace, already the 9m 01s sec record for Tuath (SS3) has gone with the top 3 under that time … Calum Duffy says it's very greasy "On the first stage I kept expecting it to turn in like the EVO, lots of understeer, but it was better over the next two" … Neil MacKinnon was grinning at first service "I had a big 360 at Turner's approaching Dervaig, just a case of too much braking on the rear. I was approaching kind of quick and I really had to stand on it" … Dougi Hall is also on the pace "But so is Calum, he's taken time out of me on all three so far" but as a measure of the pace, he's over a minute clear of 4th placed crew … John Cressey's in trouble "I've had more attempts at an accident in 3 stages than I had all rally last year" but the suspension is far too soft and he's going to full tarmac settings at service … first time out with GrpA power John Cope is driving with one hand "I daren't take my hand off the gearstick, everything happens so fast with this", spectators have reported it gets off the start line like a rocket … Daniel Harper was off at Ulva Ferry but he and Daniel Barritt with the help of one spectator pushed it back out of a bog 30 yds on to the road "I'm kn*ck*r*d" said Daniel, but they lost 11 mins … Stuart McQueen has slight front end damage after taking to a ditch "It was a big moment at a KR and I had to throw it into a ditch to get round" … the O'Donnell twins had to stop between SS1 and SS2 to fix a loose wire on the alternator … and Bob Cowe is on his own because co-driver John Baird is not feeling well at all … John Morrison is needing a change of brake discs at service … Martin Healer says "I've been off in every stage so far it's so slippy" … Mark Jasper broke a wheel in the Metro but is still going and Willie Bonniwell is reported off in SS2 at the school.

Remember, don't treat the above positions as gospel, but the times are pretty accurate.

That's yer lot meantime, more later Yer auld pal, Jaggy Bunnet, Cragnure, 11:00 pm Friday.

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