Scottish Rally 2003

A report By Keith Cowan Stage Commander

The Long Dusty Road Or The Scottish 2003 The Scottish Rally is one of my favorites, I have always tried my hardest to get to every one, and I have only missed about one in the last ten years. Every year I am normally a Stage Commander, however 2003 is the first year I have run a stage under the banner of my new Club, Mull Car Club. When I was first asked to run a stage, John Clayton assured me that MCC would support me 100%. It would also be a cracker of a weekend. He wasn't kidding. I ran the Forest of Ae on last years rally, and I am not joking when I say I ran the stage with a dozen marshals. The only spec control marshals were John and Sandra Clayton, who were in actual fact my mid point radios, I also had the big accident last year, when Justin Dale decided to sus out if the rally car he was driving could float (it doesn't!). So this year, I approached Glentrool with some caution, (& plenty of midge spray) Having done a pre-recce just after the Argyll Stages I learnt that Glentrool is rough as hell, so come rally weekend I was hoping that the F.E, would have smoothened things out a bit. The first job in hand was to set the stage, so along with John, Sandra, The Parkin Clan and Uncle Tob Bob we set about on a glorious sunny, very warm and VERY DUSTY Friday afternoon to prepare the stage for the Sunday run. One word of advice, if you ever have to set a forest stage, never play chicken with the loggers, these lads in their lorries won't stop for anything, its impressive watching them work, but just don't get in their way. We called it a day around Junction 23 as the pub beckoned, then all had a good nights sleep, then it was off to S.S.1, to help Elizabeth Parkin run Knocksallie. If anybody had turned up at the start line on that Saturday a bit worse for wear, and seen the spectacle that met them, they would be convinced that there had been a contamination outbreak of some description! All you could see was a lot of people wearing scary green hats with veils, (a normal weekend in the Michael Jackson house I suppose!), very spooking, and run for the hills. The stage ran faultlessly, okay the timing beams a end packed up, but apart from that it was super smooth. I left the everybody and duly headed for Glentrool to finish setting up along with Tob Bob, and Dad Parkin, but alas, Dad wasn't going to join us, the Scottish had claimed its first victim in the punctures, so the Shed was duly out of action until a new black round thing could be bought. With Glentrool set up, and the rally over for Saturday, it was as ever, Mull Tradition, to party, a few beers in the pub garden in Newton Stewart, watching the world go by, or to be more exact, the boy racers of N.S. sad really but very entertaining, the campsite barbecue beckoned, John and Sandra entertained us with their dancing, what a mover, Fred Estaire didn't have a look in! Sunday morning, a few muzzy heads, another glorious day, and Glentrool beckoned. The midges decided to stay in their beds, and the sun shone, it was going to be another dusty one. The stage started well, the Internationals went in, not all came out, but then that's Rallying, then it was the turn of the Nationals, but before they went in, a couple of cars that had fallen by the wayside needed to be moved. Raymond Munro was first in, then, all was going well, or so I thought, it must be me, I am jinxed, the shout came through, stop the stage. Chris Moore in his Peugeot 206, who was competing in the 206 Super Cup, was in trouble, his car had caught fire. Alas there was nothing Chris could do despite being a fireman, all he could do was let it burn, even when the local Fire Brigade was called, and it was too late. Bad luck Chris. The stage was stopped for over an hour and a half, enough time for the crews to top up their tans, then finally the thumbs up were given and we were off again. The stage could have started a lot earlier but the organizers were taking no chances and had the Spec Control Officer to drive the entire stage, alas he was another victim to the rough stages and retired about a mile from end, three wheels on his wagon, and he ain't rollin along. Stage over, at last what a day, it had been a good day, yes we had a few niggles but everything had been done by the book and we had successfully ran the stage. All that was left was to clear the stage. I had agreed that I would take the stakes to certain points throughout the stage to allow my Deputy Stage Commander to pick them up with the trailer as he didn't want to drive through as he too had suffered punctures. So along with Elizabeth we set out to clear the stage, and cripes it was rough. We were about four miles from the end when I got a call from my DSC, that he too had retired, he had punctured and was now, well knackered, a lot of phone calls to Rally HQ drew blanks, they couldn't help, all I got was, phone the AA. We did finally clear all the stage, my DSC did get home after scrounging a spare couple of wheels, but the question stood still, why are the stages so rough, why does the communications pack up and go home, once the last car has finally got out, who provides cover for the recovery vehicles, who are left to clear up the mess, and for the marshals who are clearing up the stage. The conditions of the stage were atrocious. Certainly too rough for any road going car to get through, I made it but probably destroyed my car underneath. It was a good rally, just marred by a couple of niggles. Thanks to everybody who helped out. Hopefully see you all at the Clark. KEITH COWAN

Tapio Laukkanen SS6

BBQ at the campsite

John Clayton