James MacGillivray

LAST YEAR, SALEN’S James MacGillivray’s Beatson’s Mull Rally came to a premature end when the engine of his Subara Impreza expired. Ahead of this weekend’s event, he tells Jim McGill how he plans to mix it with the leaders this year.

“Aye, last year was frustrating, but sometimes that’s the way rallying goes,” James, co-driven by Salen’s Ian Fraser, laughed. “This year though we’ll be back in the very same car, which hasn’t turned a wheel since I blew the engine last year.

“To try and find bits at reasonable money was a big job in itself, given the fact it was a World Rally Car engine.

“I haven’t done anything, nothing, in terms of rallying since last year’s Mull. But the car will have a new engine and gearbox, and we’ll probably run Michelin tyres.

“Apart from that, 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. 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.”