Team Autotec supported by Rallynotes.co.uk made the annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Mull for last weekends Tour of Mull. This year was the 40th anniversary of this classic sealed surface event run across three days and taking in 145 miles of tight and twisting singletrack lanes.

Three crews tackled the event this year, Dave Miller and Andy Bailey in their Impreza starting in 16th with the Escort of Dave Hopwood and Shaun Hughes close behind seeded 18th. The Peugeot of Pierre Newton and Dan Simcock also tackled this year’s event and started in 121st.

To celebrate the 40th event the first two stages ran around the picturesque town of Tobermory on the Friday night but this almost was as far as the Escort of Hopwood and Hughes managed as a flat battery while waiting to cross the start nearly ended the event “The battery was flat at the start. We had to get a jump start at MacKay’s Garage and did the first stage without spotlights, but we were OK for the second run.”

The conditions were the only other problems as all three crews commented on the slippy conditions in the rain.

By the end of the first leg the Impreza of Miller and Bailey had moved up to just outside the top 10 in 12 place but had started to complain abut gear selection problems and thought the exhaust might be blowing. The Escort of Hopwood and Hughes had struggled with grip through the slippy night stages and were looking to improve on his 26th place. The Peugeot of Newton and Simcock finished the night in 75th place with no dramas to report.

The day light of Saturday brought some time to check the cars ready for the short blast around a loop around the top of the island. It was here Mull claimed its first Team Autotec scalp. The Impreza’s gear selection problem was solved easily but the blowing exhaust turned out to be from the manifold under the turbo and with only 30 minutes before the restart, time was against them. Deciding not to run with the risk of setting the car on fire the Impreza was parked on the trailer ready for the long haul home.

As the action restarted Hopwood and Hughes started about improving on their 26th place and pushed hard flying over the jumps and crests of the stages with times within the top 20 to move up to 23rd place. Then during the run round Calgary Bay trouble struck on the same stage as last year. Shortly after the start the oil light flashed on and they turned the engine off to save further damage. On inspection the oil cooler had split forcing retirement.

This left one crew to fly the Autotec banner, the Peugeot of Newton and Simcock. With some improved times over the daylight stages the pair moved up to 58th ready for the final leg of stages to be run once again in the dark of Saturday night. 

With the dark came the start of the issues for the Peugeot, the clutch was starting to show problems and was causing constant selection problems leading to a spin on the Mishnish Lochs stage and a slight oil leak was mixing with the rain on the screen to provide more problems.

Surviving the downpours battering the lower order on the last stage the pair hung on to cross the finish ramp in 59th place.

Once again the Tour of Mull proved to be one of the most demanding events in the UK and just getting to the finish can be a challenge.
 
Team-autotec.co.uk