… Dunoon Presents the Argyll Rally , Sat 24 June …
It’s been a while since rally cars last romped through these woods. In fact, it was 14 years ago when Raymond Munro sped to victory in the Cowal Peninsula on the ‘Garelochhead Coaches Rally’. His Subaru finished just under a minute clear of the Subaru of Jon Burn, but 8 seconds covered the next three cars home with Calum MacKenzie (Mk2) finishing third ahead of Willie Bonniwell (Subaru), Andy Horne (6R4), while Steve Bannister rounded off the top six in his Mk2.
There will be few around this weekend who were there back then, but a certain Jim Carty has been lured out of ‘retirement’ by long time pal Tom Coughtrie. In fact Jim finished 8th overall in 2002 in Argyll in his Metro 6R4, but if Tom is hoping for the benefit of local knowledge from his new ‘co-driver’ then he can forget it, Jim will be lucky if he can find his way home again afterwards.
Ken Wood should know his way around too, winner of this event in 1982 (TR7 V8) and again in 1986 (6R4), but expectations will be somewhat lower this year in his historic Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
Roll forward 14 years, and Jock Armstrong will lead the field away from Dunoon Stadium on Saturday morning. Euan Thorburn will take up second on the road with Mike Faulkner on their tail at the start of the ‘Dunoon Presents the Argyll Rally’.
Almost local Shaun Sinclair runs at four ahead of Mark McCulloch venturing into new territory for the first time and Steven Clark who can always ask his Dad what the forest roads of Cowal were like.
Mull Car Club are to be congratulated on taking this on and it’s just a pity they haven’t got a bigger entry, but they do have quality. Enjoy the adventure.
Argyll Rally souvenir programme (£4) available from the following outlets in Dunoon:
Cowal Car Components
Holy Loch Coffee Shop
Mactavish’s Garage Arrochar
Benmore Cafe
Perk Up, Ferry Brae
Dunoon Stadium (24th June only)
Strachur Filling Station
Timetable:
Friday 23rd June:
Scrutineering, Dunoon Stadium, 14:00 – 19:00
Saturday 24th June
Ceremonial Start, Argyll Street – Dunoon, From 08:30
Special Stage 1, 09:30 – Accessed from the A815, a couple of miles south of Strachur.
Special Stage 2, 10:32
Service Halt, Dunoon Stadium, 11:10
Special Stage 4, 13:06 – Runs parallel with the old Rest and Be Thankful road, high up on the opposite of the glen from the A83 west of Arroachar.
Special Stage 5, 14:10 – Accessed from the A815, a couple of miles south of Strachur.
Service Halt, Dunoon Stadium, 14:57
Special Stage 6, 15:38 – Runs to the south of Dunoon high up on the slopes overlooking the town.
Ceremonial Finish, Dunoon Stadium, 16:16
( Note: The organisers have not released details of Spectator access or car parks, so best buy a programme or keep an eye peeled for the green Spectator direction arrows when travelling to the event. )
Entry List:
1, Jock Armstrong/Paula Swinscoe (Castle Douglas/Withnell) Subaru Impreza, 11
2, Euan Thorburn/Paul Beaton (Duns/Inverness) Ford Fiesta R5, 12
3, Mike Faulkner/Peter Foy (Aspatria/Bingley) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, 11
4, Shaun Sinclair/Jamie Edwards (Connel/Wrexham) Subaru Impreza WRC S14, 12
5, Mark McCulloch/Michael Hendry (Dumfries/Archiestown) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, 11
6, Steven Clark/Paul Brown (Mostyn/Kinross) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5, 11
7, Freddie Milne/Abi Louden (Banchory/Aberdeen) Mitsubishi Evo 9, 11
8, Scott McCombie/Mark Fisher (Banchory/Workington) Mitsubishi Evo 9, 11
9, Iain Wilson/Will Rogers (Dalbeattie/Gloucester) Subaru Impreza, 10
10, Simon Hay/Calum Jaffray (Aberdeen/Torphins) Mitsubishi Evo 6, 10
11, John Wink/John Forrest (Huntly/Inverurie) Mitsubishi EVO 9, 10
12, Michael Binnie/Claire Mole (Cornhill/Duns) Mitsubishi Evo 5, 10
14, Fraser Wilson/Craig Wallace (Port William/Kirriemuir) Mitsubishi EVO 9, 9
15, Fraser MacNicol/Keith Boa (Ullapool/Ullapool) Ford Escort Mk2, 4
16, John Rintoul/David O’Brien (Lower Largo/Duns) TBC, , 11
17, Dougal Brown/Lewis Rochford (Forres/Alford) Ford Escort, 7
18, John McClory/David Hood (Strathblane/Elderslie) Mitsubishi EVO 9, 9
19, Brian Watson/Caroline Will (Stonehaven/Inverurie) Mitsubishi Evo, 11
20, Mike Stuart/Sinclair Young (Alford/Lairg) Ford Escort Mk2, 7
21, Duncan MacDonald/Neil Ross (Portree/Portree) Ford Escort Mk2, 7
22, Grant Inglis/Robert Gray (Glasgow/Glasgow) Ford Escort Mk2, 5
23, Stephen Freddy Lockhart/Cameron Fair (Oban/Stewarton) Mitsubishi Evo 7, 10
24, Angus Lawrie/Paul Gribben (Castle Douglas/Annan) Vauxhall Corsa, 3
25, Ken Wood/Gordon Wood (Insch/Huntly) Triumph Dolomite Sprint, 8
26, Keith Riddick/Mairi Riddick (Haugh of Urr/Dumfries) MG ZR, 3
27, Steven Smith/Daniel Johnstone (Hamilton/Inverness) Ford Escort, 3
28, Matthew Thomson/Ian Graham (Inverurie/Inverurie) Subaru Impreza GC8, 10
29, John McIlwraith/Heather Grisedale (Canonbie/Workington) Subaru Impreza GC8, 10
30, Thomas Gray/Nikki Addison (Muir of Ord/Inverness) Ford Fiesta R2 , 3
31, Paul McErlean/Niall McKenna (Bellaghy/Draperstown) Ford Escort Mk2, 7
32, Geoff Goudie/Murray Strachan (Califf/Inverurie) Subaru Impreza, 10
33, Jim Robertson/Mike Curry (Penpont/Thornhill) Citroen C2 R2, 3
34, Calum MacLeod/Laura Brannan (Inverness/Dunoon) Mitsubishi Evo 6, 10
35, Tom Coughtrie/Jim Carty (Ayr/Elderslie) Ford Escort RS 1800, 5
36, Alex Pirie/Frazer Skene (Drummuir/Keith) Citroen C2, 3
37, Eddie O’Donnell/Matt Ratcliffe (Isle of Mull/Isle of Mull) BMW Compact, 7
38, Alister MacArthur/Chris Robertson (Lochgilphead/Tarbert) Talbot Sunbeam, 7
39, Neil Coalter/Hannah Cessford (Sauchen/Sauchen) Suzuki Ignis, 1
40, Colin Baxter/John Campbell (Tain/Invergordon) Subaru Impreza GC8, 10
41, Ross Hughes/Neil Ewing (Lanark/Largs) Citroen C2 VTS, 3
42, Andy Chalmers/Martin MacCabe (Fyvie/Glasgow) Peugeot 205 GTI, 2
43, Luke McLaren/Phil Kenny (Blanefield/Sunderland) Ford Fiesta ST, 6
44, Robbie Beattie/Dave Findlay (Dundee/Blairgowrie) Peugeot 205 GTI, 2
45, Graeme Sherry/Richard Wardle (Gartcosh/Pickering) Citroen C2, 3
46, Michael Robertson/Gary McDonald (Letham/Aberdeen) Subaru Impreza, 10
47, John O’Kane/Meghan O’Kane (Kyle/Kyle) Ford Escort Mk2, 4
48, Gina Walker/Richard Simmonds (Duns/Duns) Citroen C2, 3
49, Grant MacRae/Martin Bruce (Portree/Portree) Ford Fiesta, 6
50, Donald Peacock/Scott Peacock (Bridge of Dee/Bridge of Dee) Peugeot 205 GTI, 2
51, Gerry Kilmurray/TBA (Oban/?) TBC, 6
52, Michael Renton/Kenny Foggo (Bonar Bridge/Munlochy) Peugeot 306 GTI, 6
53, Andy Struthers/Alastair McIlroy (Liberton/Jedburgh) Citroen C2 VTS, 3
54, Martin Crombie/Daniel Christie (Contin/Insch) Peugeot 306, 6
55, Ian Milne/Sandy Milne (Brechin/Brechin) Ford Escort Mk2, 5
56, Mark Shaw/William Munro (Ardgay/Bonar Bridge) Subaru Impreza WRX, 10
57, Max Redpath/Callum Redpath (Duns/Duns) Peugeot 205, 2
58, Lorn MacFadyen/Neil Galbraith (Glasgow/Glasgow) Ford Escort Mk2, 8
59, Tom Howie/Charles MacKenzie (Inverness/Gairloch) Talbot Sunbeam , 3
60, Ali Galbraith/Del Galbraith (Lochgilphead/Muirhead) Ford Escort Mk2, 7
61, Steven Crockett/Martin Henderson (Aberdeen/Aberdeen) Peugeot 205, 1
62, Donald MacNeill/Cara MacNeill (Furnace/Furnace) Talbot Sunbeam, 2
63, Douglas Watt/Donald Munro (Furnace/Inveraray) Ford Escort Mk2, 4
64, John Brownie/Gordon Ritchie (Kintore/Stonehaven) Opel Kadett C, 7
65, Elvin Thomas Smith/Shannon Turnbull (Dunfermline/?) Citroen C2,
66, Iain (Buffy) Donaldson/Angus MacNeil (Renfrew/Oban) Ford Escort Mk2, 7
67, James Campbell/Shona Hale (Watten/Dunfermline) Talbot Sunbeam, 2
68, Duncan MacLean/Ian Parker (Lochgilphead/Lochgilphead) Peugeot 106, 3
69, Ronnie Horne/Susan MacRae (Nairn/Inverness) Subaru Impreza, 10
70, Paul Collins/Ian MacDougall (Paisley/Tobermory) Subaru Impreza , 10
71, John Rowan/Bridget Rowan (Mauchline/Hurlford) Talbot Sunbeam, 1