Duffy ready to shine in new Skoda

NINE-TIME WINNER Calum Duffy heads into this weekend’s Beatson’s Mull Rally behind the wheel an all-new Skoda. The Dervaig driver gives Jim McGill an insight into his reason for switching from last year’s Subaru into his bespoke, right-hand driver Skoda S2500.

“In my opinion, the Skoda was the most successful S2000 car out there and we wanted to go for the best one to do the conversion on,” Calum explained.

“We bought the car from Desi Henry last November and, knowing how good the Escorts were that they built for me, Den Motorsport did all the mechanical side of the Skoda work, including the right-hand drive conversion.

“On paper you’ve got far better brakes and suspension, four-wheel-drive and just a better all-round package, It’s also lighter, so in theory it’s all there. All these plusses will add up; now it’s just a case of me maximising them.

“The car’s a lot wider than I’m used to. But it’s very precise, very nimble. I knew when i tested the car last month that I was driving a car which was a proper rally car. All the noises and smells were right. A real rally car.

“We’ve also fitted a 2.5-litre Millington into the engine bay, so that will really light up the hills and valleys on Mull. I can’t wait for the action to start.”

MacCrone eyeing more Mull magic

DERVAIG’S JOHN MACCRONE heads into this year’s Beatson’s Mull Rally playing down his chances of repeating his success of 2013. And the former winner, who will share his Ford Fiesta R5 with Uddingston co-driver Stuart Loudon, tells Jim McGill he hasn’t rallied on tarmac since last year’s event.

“My preparations have gone ok so far,” John explained. “I’’ve done a few rounds of the Scottish Championship, and won the Grampian Stages, but I’ve not done any tarmac stages, so Mull will be a bit of change to running through the Scottish forests. It’s been a gravel year for us.

“Winning the Grampian has boosted my confidence a bit, so that will definitely help going into the home event.

“It’ll be good to get back on the hard surface and roads that I love. The first stage — MishNish Lochs — will be by first tarmac stage since Mull last year.

“I’m in the Fiesta R5 from Dom Buckley this year. It’s the car Alister Fisher has been using in the Irish Tarmac Championship.

“And I’ve Stuart sat with me again, so it would be great to repeat the win of 2013. We’re both looking forward to it.

“As for the main rivals? Paul Mackinnon in the Subaru, I think, is the man to beat. He’ll be difficult to keep up with. I think he’ll be way out in front, and the rest will be chasing to keep up with him. He’s quick, and the car’s quick, so it’ll be fun chasing him.

“Then of course, we have Calum in his new Skoda. And we all know he’ll be proper fast too. These are the two guys who will be exceptionally quick.”

Mull Rally crews raise £1125 for OUCH (UK)

Thanks to the generosity of the competitors in this year’s Beatson’s Mull Rally, we have already raised an astounding £1125 for our chosen charity, OUCH (UK), which raises general awareness of cluster headache.

All the crews had the opportunity to donate a minimum of £10 along with their entry to Mull, and their combined total was £1125.

As you probably know, we’ll be raising funds for OUCH (UK) throughout the rally, so this initial figure will only grow.

This year OUCH (UK) will also be presenting a trophy which we hope will become an annual award. It’s to be the prize for the biggest headache! The winning car must complete the rally.
The “headache” will be the struggle that crews and engineers have to endure to get the car to the finish line, a nod to the struggle that clusterheads have to get to the end of their day.

Scottish champ Bogie set for Mull debut

FIVE TIMES SCOTTISH Rally Champion, and former British champion David Bogie will make his Beatson’s Mull Rally debut driving a MkII Ford Escort. He spoke to Jim McGill about his decision to finally tackle Mull.

“This will be my first time doing Mull,” David explained. “I’ve been across before and actually stayed with Calum Duffy. I’ve been spectating, so I have a reasonable idea of what the roads involve, but obviously it’s a very specialised event.

“What makes Mull unique is the fact you have two legs in darkness. Now it wouldn’t perhaps be so difficult if it was in Ireland, where there are a lot more reference points, be it houses, post boxes, fences, or telegraph poles. But on Mull there just aren’t those points of reference. That makes it a lot more specialised.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been wanting to do Mull for quite some time now, and of course I’ve got people asking me on a daily basis, ‘when are you going to come and do Mull?’

“People are fascinated by the rally, so I thought I’d do it this year.

It’s maybe not the best preparation, doing it two weeks before Rally GB, but I thought, why not have a crack at it now?”

Mackinnon’s got the “rally bug” again

AFTER GETTING THE rally bug again last year, Tobermory’s Paul Mackinnon is back determined to make a push to win the Beatson’s Mull Rally. He explains to Jim McGill how, having taken time to concentrate on his tourism business, he’s back relaxed and ready to have fun in a Subaru Impreza S14.

“I did the rally last year and definitely got the bug again,” Paul explained. “I would have liked to have done it in the Escort again, but the problem was my co-driver for this year, Daniel Barritt, wasn’t keen on the Escort at all. 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,” he smiled.

“I’m definitely looking forward to the rally. Taking a wee bit of time away and just concentrating on work and stuff means I can enjoy it more when I’m back in the car. Sometimes when you’re tied up in it all, it’s just work and rallying, and it becomes difficult to enjoy it because you’re so busy with everything else.

“As for the guys to beat: I would have said Calum Duffy has won it quite a bit since I was competing, so he’s the main man; and he has a nice new Skoda being built. Of course it doesn’t matter what he’s in, he’s always going to be competitive.

“And of course, there’s my wee mate John MacCrone. He’s back in his R5, a state-of-the-art car, and I know how good he is. These are the boys I need to beat.”