20/10/2026
Well over a week on and we may have dried out, but I’m not sure about the caught-up-on-sleep part! 😴
The Mull Rally is always a fairly tough weekend due to the timings and nature of the event. This year, however, was by far the hardest, probably not helped by my inability to say the word no! 🙉 In the months and weeks leading up to the event, the phone just seemed to keep ringing and, before I knew it, eight was looking like the number. Perfect, as I like even numbers! 😆
“Running eight cars at Mull? Are you mad?” That question got asked a few times, and it got my usual answer. YES! 🤪
As usual, prep for Mull starts months in advance, but it doesn’t half sneak up on you, especially considering how busy the last, well, YEAR has been! The last six weeks have been a bit of a blur, and I may have been a bit hard to deal with at times (more than normal, before anyone says it! 😬). Things got even busier when a test day popped up two weeks before the event, which most of the crews opted to take part in. The workshop really was going like a fair, with plenty of late nights, seat fittings, setting lights, testing and everything else that comes with it.
Anyway, “the” week was finally here!
The first group of lads set off at midday on Wednesday for a late-night test. With that being a success, Thursday was upon us, and it was one of, if not THE, busiest days of the week. Getting everything set up, all the cars scrutineered and ready for Friday’s shakedown, with five cars taking part, certainly kept us busy.
As the rest of the lads arrived, it was all hands on deck to get everything organised for the following few days. And just like that, the rain started and didn’t really let off until the usual time to go home!
Unfortunately, we would have one customer pull out just before the event started.
And so it starts (this might take a while)! 😅
Mull man Craig Rutherford would be joined by Greg Halfpenny in the Mk2 Es**rt for the first time. Being a local man, there’s always added pressure at this event, but you can never really tell with Craig! 😎
After a good test on Wednesday and opting not to take part in the shakedown, it was a fairly relaxed build-up to the event for the pair.
Having never read notes competitively together, there was a bit of apprehension before Stage 1. However, after setting the eighth-quickest time on the opening stage, it was clear they didn’t really need much time to get used to each other!
Stage 2 was all about keeping the momentum going from Stage 1, but unfortunately, after locking up on standing water, they slid off the road. Game over for the night. 😔
Thankfully, there was no serious damage, meaning they could rejoin the rally for Leg 2. After losing a lot of time the night before, they were heading back out for a bit of fun, and judging by the smiles on their faces at service, that was certainly going to plan! However, yet again, it would be short-lived after an oil pump failure on the following stage. 😔 Such a shame for the pair, as it’s an event full of what-ifs and what could have been!
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Ross Hunter and Chris Dodds were back out in the 208 Rally4. After a successful test a few weeks back and a good few runs at the shakedown, there was a fair smile on Ross’s face, ready for his favourite event of the year! Leg 1 and there wasn’t much to report, other than some very consistent top-10 times.
Leg 2 and it was business as usual, with the pair continuing to put in stage times inside the top 10, even managing the second-quickest time on Stage 8! 😅
Unfortunately, it all came undone after getting caught out under braking and sliding off the road. Thankfully, no damage was done, but they would go no further. 😔
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Gordon Morrison was back out after what had been his longest spell out of the car this year, with Michael Hendry alongside him in the Lochwhinnoch Motors Mk2 Es**rt.
Another crew taking part in Friday morning’s shakedown to get back into the swing of things before the gruelling event. All was well, with no issues to report.
They were another crew setting cracking times on the opening few stages, sitting ninth overall. Unfortunately, on Stage 3, they left the road and got beached. 😔
The decision was made not to restart the following day, saving the car for the final round of the Irish National Championship.
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Andrew Forbes and Charles MacKenzie would pair up for the first time, with another crew making good use of the test a few weeks earlier and the shakedown. Once again, there were smiles all round!
After taking a year out, and with nearly a year and a half having passed since Andrew was last on tarmac, every mile behind the wheel of the Civic was building more confidence.
Considering it was Andrew’s first go at Mull, the times certainly didn’t reflect that, with the pair making it inside the top 30 after Stage 4 and plenty more to come.
Unfortunately, the Civic developed an engine issue, meaning they could go no further. 😔
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Sarah Hunter and James Braithwaite were back out in the Fiesta Rally4 for one last outing following Sarah’s successful season in the Irish Tarmac Championship. She’d really been getting to grips with the car, and her results just kept getting better and better throughout the year. After a clean run at the shakedown, all was well.
Into the darkness of Leg 1, and they were hampered by the lamp pod flickering on and off. Thankfully, a fix was found at service, and the confidence was back.
Leg 2 brought a small touch with a bridge, which altered the car’s tracking, but all was well again after midday service.
Leg 3 was all about a trouble-free run to the finish, and that’s exactly what they delivered, bringing the car home in a fantastic 17th overall! 👏
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Steven Barclay and Daniel Bauer would be out in Paddy Munro’s Es**rt for the first time, on tarmac, on Mull, with a new driver and navigator pairing. No pressure, eh? 😅
One of the few crews not taking part in the shakedown, meaning it was a leisurely start for them too!
Heading straight into Stage 1 was a bit of a baptism of fire. What was supposed to be a routine service on Friday night turned into a rear diff needing rebuilt. 🥴 No bother to the lads, though, as the rain was coming in horizontally!
Leg 1 done. Leg 2 was thankfully a bit more trouble-free, with just an engine sensor failing, but fortunately no time was lost. Leg 3 was straightforward enough, and they brought the car home in 39th overall. Some result, considering Steven hadn’t rallied since 2009! 👏
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John MacCrone and Kirsty Riddick would join the team to chase John’s third win and Kirsty’s first on the Island, in John’s newly acquired Mk2 Es**rt. There were just seven weeks between us picking the car up and arriving at the event, giving us limited time to get to know the car and iron out any teething issues.
Plenty of time, obviously! 😅
The pair took part in the shakedown to get used to the Mull roads for the first time in this car. They settled in fine, with no issues to report.
Then came the wait for the start.
Stage 1 arrived, and the nerves were quite high, to say the least. With it being John’s first event in two years, the conditions certainly weren’t helping matters. Thankfully, Leg 1 passed without any real issues to report, and the pair ended the night leading the rally!
Saturday was upon us, with six stages lying ahead and yet more rain. 🙄
The first couple of stages in the loop went well, and I was genuinely starting to think this might be an easy event with this car. Wrong! 😅
A misfire appeared just before midday service. Fortunately, after a fairly fraught 30 mins, the fault was found, and they were on their way again. Leaders at the end of Leg 2!
Just one leg to go now, with “only” four stages left. First up was a near-22-mile stage to contend with. 😅 Hoping that the earlier misfire would be the only drama of the rally, how wrong was I!
Getting the message saying, “We’ve lost 4th/5th gear, six miles from the end,” was less than ideal, to say the least. With one more stage before service and only three gears left, it was going to be a tall order to hold on to the lead. But, just like the weather over the weekend, when it rains, it pours! The throttle sensor failed on the next stage. 🥴
Just the small task of tackling a 20-mile road section with three gears and no throttle. A real test of the nerves and patience!
Somehow, they made it to service, with the car cutting out as it hit the groundsheet. It had to be pushed the last six feet!
With just a three-second lead coming into service, the pressure was on the lads to get the car back to full health.
After some mega teamwork, the car reversed off the groundsheet sounding as it should and with the correct number of gears, with just 2 minutes to spare! 🥵
Thanks to Kirsty’s persistence, their road position was reinstated, although this meant shortening the service time by five minutes. That was just casually slipped in, hoping I wouldn’t notice five minutes being taken off our service time! 🥴
Just two stages left, and the lead they had built up was gone. So, I think it’s safe to say the last two stages were an all-or-nothing affair!
It was a LONG wait, let me tell you, for that results screen to refresh.
But that was it. Job done!
THE RALLY WIN BY 39 SECONDS! 🏆
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I’ve said this a lot this year, but the effort everyone has put in behind the scenes, both in the workshop and out on the events, is second to none.
You have to be pretty keen to want to crawl about in puddles at three in the morning while the rain is coming at you from all angles! 🌧️
But this bunch of lads just kept working away, no matter what was thrown at them, and I really can’t thank everyone enough for all the hard work, dedication and effort that went into that weekend.
