Category Archives: News

Targa Announcement

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Hi,

Just to keep you up to date with a pre-announcement:

Mull Car Club Ltd (in association with Saltire Rally Club) are intending on putting on a dual permit multi-venue Targa Road Rally & Historic Road Rally as part of the replacement for the cancelled Mull Rally. The Route and Permit applications have been submitted this week, it’s all been a mad rush since our stage rally was cancelled, but we are getting there.

Full announcement and regs/entries should be out by the end of August.

Outline details:

Scrut & Signing-On Thursday afternoon
(we are also hoping to be able to accommodate a few on Friday morning*)
Daytime route, mid-morning Start in Tobermory
Approx. 95 miles total / 17 of which are private and are mainly gravel
Approx. 14-16 tests and 4 Regularities
Last Car finishes approx. 6pm in Tobermory (plenty time to leave on the last ferry*)

*while we really would love everyone to stay on the island as long as possible, we also wish to make the event as accessible as possible to those who are time-limited. There are 3 ferry sailings to Mull on Friday morning which allow crews to make the start, and one late night sailing which allows crew to leave afterwards.  Check www.calmac.co.uk for timetables and bookings.

There will also be a Gravel Rally Time Trial on Saturday 14th Oct for those with Stage-prepared cars, and some social events.

All to be announced on www.mullrally.org

Statement on 2017 Mull Rally

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2017 Beatson’s Mull Rally — Statement

It is a matter of considerable regret for the organisers and the Motor Sport Association, the sport’s governing body, that the Beatson’s Building Supplies Mull Rally cannot run as a closed road event in 2017 due to insurmountable insurance issues.

MSA Chief Executive Rob Jones explained the current situation:

“The Mull Rally runs under a private Act of Parliament. It has emerged that the private closed road legislation raises very significant insurance challenges for Mull this year, which was first thought to render the Mull Rally uninsurable.

“The MSA has been endeavouring to find a solution with its brokers. Whilst the brokers have offered a potential solution for 2017, this is unfortunately totally impractical as each and every claim under the policy would be subject to a very significant excess payable by the organisers, and one which the organisers cannot afford.”

Consequently the Mull Rally is unable to run as a closed road event this year. It will be the first time the world renowned three-day rally, which last year attracted a record-equalling 150 crews and generates around £1 million for the local economy, will not have run on closed public roads since the event was granted its Act of Parliament in 1990.

“This development has come as a massive shock,” Andy Jardine, Mull Rally Clerk of the Course, said on receiving the news, “as we were well on with a lot of the early work of setting the route and preparing the paperwork.

“As I understand it, the MSA has been working behind the scenes to try and agree a work-around but have been unable to come up with an acceptable solution. Our attention is now focussed on what can be done in the short timescale to make sure something happens over the weekend.”

Donald Brown, chairman of the Guardians of Mull Rally, admitted the cancellation of the 2017 Mull Rally will have a negative financial impact on the island.

“There’s no denying this is a huge blow to the Island and its businesses who work hard to welcome the competitors, volunteers and spectators each year to the island in October,” Brown said.

“The organising team is endeavouring to put on an alternative motorsport event for the same weekend on Mull. Naturally those plans are at a very early stage of development, but it’s hoped the new event will be attractive to Mull residents, competitors, volunteers and spectators alike.

“Initial feasibility checks have been started to see what can be done to mitigate the impact and hope we can rely on our regular visitors continuing to support us.”

The MSA and Mull Rally organisers fully acknowledge the Mull Rally’s economic benefit of around £1 million to the Isle of Mull.

It is hoped that following the conclusion of the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the Jim Clark and Snowman rallies in July and August this year, that the Scottish Government will quickly adopt the new legislation recently passed in Westminster which will allow the Mull Rally to make a return in its closed road format in 2018.

Escort Challenge

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MULL RALLY LAUNCHES NEW ESCORT CHALLENGE

Organisers of the Beatson’s Building Supplies Mull Rally will introduce the R.A.C.E. Escort Challenge at this year’s event. The award is open to all rear-wheel-drive Ford Escort crews, and will feature an incentive for first time drivers.

The award, supported by leading Ford Escort proponents, Phil and Mick Squires of Rally and Competition Equipment in Stoke-On-Trent, are offering a £500 voucher to the challenge winner.

The iconic asphalt rally, which last year attracted a capacity 150 car entry, takes place on the Isle of Mull between the 13 and 15 October. The R.A.C.E. Escort Challenge has been created in recognition of the continued popularity of Ford Escorts in rallying, and it is hoped that the new award will attract top Escort crews that may not have previously considered coming to Mull.

Duncan Brown, Mull Rally Deputy Clerk of the Course says, “Ford Escorts have a strong heritage on Mull, with RWD versions winning 17 of the previous rallies. They are still popular today, over 20% of last year’s field were Escorts. We wanted to create a standalone award for the growing number of Escort crews, and we felt it was important that this award is possible for a newcomer to win.

We hope that R.A.C.E. Escort Challenge will attract new Escort crews from the U.K., Ireland and further afield. Perhaps some Welsh and English tarmac expects might consider this is the year to test themselves on Mull’s roads. The event has recently attracted a number of high-profile Escort drivers, including former British Champion David Bogie, who was as high as fourth in his first time competing on the event last year.”

The challenge is open to all crews who enter the rally in a rear-wheel-drive Mk1 or Mk2 Escort, or RWD Mk3-4-5-6 conversion – as defined by the Make/Model on the entry form and MSA log book. All forms of Escort shall be allowed – including historic models, and “hybrids” e.g. with Vauxhall or Millington engines, sequential boxes etc.

Crews will be scored on their overall finishing position, plus a handicap based the number of previous Mull Rally starts since 2000 as a driver. The crew with the lowest score wins. As with other class awards, the top three overall finishers are not eligible. Hence, the organisers think this category will be hotly contested.