HRCR
Thistle Rallye - 19 June 2010
Report
by Maurice Millar
On
Saturday 19 June, Dan and Neil McIntosh organised their Thistle Rallye
starting at Knockhill with a regularity on the circuit and three tests;
and all this before breakfast. The entry of 21 cars was in for a great
event of tests and regularities, heading for lunch at Scone Palace,
then on to the finish at Blair Athol. It was a fine sunny day to be out
and about in Perthshire. The entries included a wide selection of makes
and models from a 1936 Hotchkiss to a 1973 Ford Capri and crews from as
far as Chester, Macclesfield, Hexham and Alnwick.
The
Knockhill regularity comprised an out-lap; seven full laps; and an
in-lap; all at 30mph followed by the tests on the tarmac site roads.
After
breakfast, the first regularity on the public road started from the
Knockhill entrance, then east and north through Blairadam Forest to
Cleish, ending between Kinross and Crook Of Devon. The next self-start
regularity started near Carnbo and crossed the Ochil Hills, through
Path Of Condie, ending near Dunning. Several speeds changes
and route instructions kept the navigators busy.
Part
of the old A9 at Cairnie Brae was the venue for three tests; a bit
tight through the cones for the bigger cars, but the cunning marshals
spotted every transgression. Another regularity followed using a
‘London Rally marked map’ for the experts. The
clue1 was “The name of the make and model of sportscar Jim
Clark navigated on the 1955 Scottish Rally. This car was designed by a
small motor car company owned by a man named Donald.”
Following the letters and numbers on the marked map took the crews
round about Strathearn then north to Glenalmond and through the ford at
Little Glen Shee where the marshals were waiting to pounce at a secret
time control. Following a transport section to cross the River Tay at
Kinclaven, there was a final test at Scone Palace before lunch.
The
regularity in the afternoon started just north of Blairgowrie and
headed into the hills. With one of the speed changes at the third
cattle grid following the previous secret control, the navigators were
starting to wilt. The roads were clear and empty and, for those with
time to look, the views were magnificent.
After a
transport section through Kirkmichael and Moulin, high tea waited at
Blair Atholl. The results were efficiently computed and these showed
that Duncan Wild and Steve Skepper from Chester were overall winners in
their 1965 Triumph 2000. Duncan and Steve won the Mike Kingston
Memorial Trophy. Raymond Rollo won the Jim Clark Tests Trophy and the
HRCR Tartan Trophy was shared by John Lythaby (Riley 1.5) and Steve
Skepper (Triumph 2000). On behalf of the crews, Duncan Wild thanked the
marshals, Dan and Neil for putting on a great event.
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