October 2009
Stevie Brown and co-driver Andrew Roughead made a spectacular exit to last weekend's Tunnocks Tour of Mull Rally when their Ford Fiesta ST crashed out of the event while leading the two litre class and chasing eleventh position.
The event, celebrating its 40th birthday was set into motion with two stages around Tobermory, before crews would tackle the infamous fast bumpy tarmac lanes lined with blind crests and jumps which form the unique challenge of the Tunnocks Tour of Mull Rally.
Heavy rain fall prior to the start of the event made the roads treacherously slippery, making tyre selection crucial, and with even the most successful drivers finding the conditions difficult with twelve time rally winner Neil MacKinnon crashing out on the fourth stage of the event.
Stage five would see Brown and Roughead break a drive shaft as a result of a heavy landing on a jump, and the time lost would see them slip down the leader board. At the end of the opening leg the Millers Oils supported crew were in twentieth position, "Its disappointing to lose so much time, but when you consider we had only one wheel drive for most of the stage and still managed to set 38th fastest time from 150 cars its not so bad" said Stevie.
Leg two of the event would mark the only daylight stages of the event, and as Stevie began the fifty mile loop he was aware that the bigger more powerful car posed a real threat. "The quicker cars seem to go better in the daylight, so we'll just have to try our best and see what we can do" explained the Neil Philip Sign writing supported driver.
The Global Web backed driver's fears were however unfounded climbing to fifteenth by the end of the daylight stages, and were ready to begin the final leg fighting for a top twelve finish, ensuring they appeared on the much coveted rally calendar. "The daylight stages have gone very well for us, we were caught out in the rain on slicks, but the times seem to be good enough" explained Stevie.
A mature drive through the longest stage of the rally at twenty-three miles would ensure their class lead remained safe, and as the crew entered the final service halt of the rally they were just over thirty seconds from securing eleventh place. With the Gribun stage cancelled due to roaming live-stock on the road, Scridan would form the penultimate test of the rally, and with the reduced mileage remaining it made the job of claiming eleventh position even harder for Brown and Roughead. "We were pushing as we knew there was a chance we could make up the time" said Stevie.
He continues, "About halfway through the stage we were about half a foot off line on a flat out left hander, the car bounced off line and we landed on the rocks on the coast, the car rolled and cart wheeled to a halt." The heavy impact could be heard from over a mile away, and Andrew was taken to hospital for a full check-up and overnight observation. "I knew from the impact the car was taking that it was the end of the rally, but thankfully both Andrew and I walked away from the accident with just a few bruises, which is a real testament to the strength of the car."
The 40th running of the Tunnocks Tour of Mull Rally yet again provided a dramatic rollercoaster ride for the Five Mile Garage backed crew. "We've set some good times in difficult conditions, and with the strength of the competition this year it's been a lot tougher than in previous years." explained Stevie.
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