Recordbreaking Beatson's Mull Rally 14 | 10 | 2016

A record-equalling 150 crews will tackle the 47th running of the Beatson’s Mull Rally, which also welcomes a new Clerk of the Course, Andy Jardine. Jim McGill speaks with some of the favourites to win this year's high-speed event, and reflects on the events of 2015

CAN IT REALLY be 12 months since we all gathered here on this beautiful Inner Hebridean island for the Beatson’s Mull Rally? How time flies when you’re enjoying yourself … or anticipating enjoying yourself. It’s time for the 47th running of the world’s best rally: Mull.

A record-equalling 150 crews will tackle this year’s event, which guarantees the normally peaceful tranquility of the island’s serene surroundings will be shattered by the piercing, demonic wailing of some of the fastest rally cars in the UK when the tree-day Mull Rally roars into action this evening. (All photos are from the shakedown at Duart Castle this morning: Copyright LindsayPhotoSport).

Pivotal to any of the drivers hopes of mounting a genuine, serious challenge for this year’s event is dealing with the two night-time legs run through the growing autumnal gloom on Friday and Saturday night.

At the head of the field there are a number of drivers who will battle for overall victory and podium places

Seeded No1, nine-time winner Calum Duffy, who last year ditched his all-conquering Ford Escort MkII and replaced it with a four-wheel drive GpA Subaru Impreza, debuts a one-off Skoda Fabia S2500.

And Duffy is quick to highlight the strength-in-depth of this year’s field will ensure the competition will be tougher than ever.

“The entry on Mull this year is the most competitive in many a year,” the Dervaig driver said. “There’s Paul MacKinnon in his new S14 Subaru, which is the best car on the entry; John MacCrone in a Ford Fiesta R5, with massive amount of seat time and an outright win in a Scottish Rally Championship round; plus several other past winners throughout the top 10.

“It’s going to be very hard to pick a winner, which is what we relish and why we take part.

“We would be happy if, at the end of the event, we are still there and putting in competitive times. This car is very much a work in progress and we appreciate it could take a good few events to get the whole package competitive.

“It's unproven, unlike the other cars, so to get it up there straight away would be a massive achievement; it’s not impossible, but it’s a big ask.

“We’re just going out to really enjoy the event and competition, but mostly enjoy the car. So stand clear and listen as that 2.5-litre Millington will really light up the hills and valleys on Mull.”

Double Mull winner Paul MacKinnon returns with a new charge for the event, an S14 Subaru Impreza, and though — like many local drivers — he’s playing down his chances, he will carry the tag of ‘favourite’ which a number of the leading drivers have bestowed upon his shoulders. And there’s a link to a past success in MacKinnon’s plans for 2016.

“I’m hiring the Subaru from Kenny McKinstry Motorsport,” the Tobermory man explained. “In 2011 I used a car supplied by Kenny, and I won the rally. Then I took a five-year break from rallying. Last year I did it again in the MkII Escort, and this year we’re trying in Kenny’s car again.

“I would have liked to have done it in the Escort again, but the problem was my co-driver for this year wasn’t keen on the Escort. He wanted to try something different, so we got the Subaru.

“It’s something I know a bit better, having owned a Subaru in the past. This one is more modern; this one is a good machine and let’s face it, I feel I need all the help I can get.”

MacKinnon, meanwhile, believes the Dervaig duo, Duffy and 2013 winner MacCrone, are the men to beat. MacCrone though, who won the Grampian Stages Rally, a counter in the SRC, earlier in the year, admits he’s lacking time on tarmac.

“I haven’t rallied on tarmac since Mull last year,” he admitted. The Scottish Championship has been all-gravel, so I’ve been powering through the forest stages this year. The first stage — MishNish Lochs — will be by first tarmac stage for 12 months.

“I’ve got Stuart Loudon co-driving with me again this year, so it would be great to repeat the win of 2013. We’re in a Fiesta R5, prepared by Dom Buckley: it’s the car Alastair Fisher has been using in the Irish Tarmac Championship, so both Stuart and I are looking forward to it.”

Without question, the most laid back former winner is James MacGillivray.

“The rally’s not really been in my thoughts because of work commitments this year,” MacGillivray, who will drive the Subaru Impreza he powered to victory in 2005, reflected. “I haven’t done anything in terms of rallying since last October, nothing.

“I’d hoped to have used the same Impreza I used last year, in which we blew the engine during the event, but we haven’t had time to make the necessary repairs.”

And, like others, he’s playing down his chances.

“We’ll just hang on to the coat tails of these other chaps who are doing big things with fancy cars and see where we end up,” he laughed. “I’m too long in the tooth to be doing that; for me rallying is a hobby.

“Obviously I want to beat these guys, but I’m not prepared to put myself in a big financial mess just to try and beat them. That said, I don’t think we’ll be far away from them.”

But while the drivers and cars are, without question, the big attraction on the Beatson’s Mull Rally, the organisers have again ensured the spectators are well looked after.

Once again, the “Rally Zone” spectator area at Glengorm crossroads at the Tobermory end of the Mishnish Lochs stages to allow people in Tobermory to get access to good spectating without the need to walk on the stage.

And while the 20-mile final stage on Friday night has been reversed from last year simply to allow time for safety cars to get through the stage without holding up the competitors, there’s also a change concerning the Long One.

This year it will start the final leg from Dervaig to Killiechronan. The last stage is a run up the Glen and over the Lochs to Tobermory to bring the final control back into the Ledaig Car Park.

And for the first time, this year’s Beatson’s Mull Rally is being overseen by new Clerk of the Course, Andy Jardine.

“It is a huge privilege to be Clerk of the Course on the Beatson’s Mull Rally, especially 24 years after I bounced off that big lump of granite in Gribun,” Jardine said.

“It is testament to the strength of the event, the volunteers who put it together, and the competitors, that within 12 hours of entries opening in August we had received 177 applications for the 150 entries available. 

“For the second year since 2009 we are back at a capacity entry and hopefully this will continue for the foreseeable future. We need this strength in numbers to be able to make the event work.”

This year’s event is the first since co-driver Andi Mort succumbed to the injuries he suffered 12 months ago in the accident on Saturday afternoon. Last year also witnessed the death of Chris Lawson during the event due to a medical condition.

In the wake of those two tragedies, the family that is the Mull Rally came together in a way never before seen in rallying, and sent a powerful message of solidarity to world motorsport.

This year we celebrate the return of the rally to the island, but the memories of Andi and Chris will always be with us. Let us remember them with a smile and enjoy the action: it’s what they would have wanted us to do.

Related: Citroen confirms 2017 WRC crews

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/Scotcars

Jim McGill