Profile
Rallying has always been an all-consuming passion for me, due in no small part to my childhood in Kenya and the years spent spectating on the safari rally and the local rally scene.
I started rallying in 2000 in the VW Polo challenge. One-make rallying was the simplest choice for me at the time, a formula with cars of identical specification providing an excellent proving ground for young drivers. I contested most of the British Rally Championship in my first year, up against far more experienced and well-funded drivers; I still managed to have a 100% finishing record and set top stage times along the way. Towards the end of the year, I was getting very competitive and managed to achieve some convincing class wins in the last few rallies I did in the Polo.
For 2001, I decided to contest the Peugeot Super 106 Cup, in a year that will be remembered for the disruption caused to rallying by foot and mouth disease. This was an erratic year and the first couple of rallies I did were constrained by a lack of testing and reliability. Nevertheless, I battled hard and again managed to get some good results in the face of adversity!
In 2002, I built a brand new Peugeot 206 for the Peugeot Super 206 Cup, and the year began with the Scottish rally. I managed to get the car into the top 10 even though there were many minor issues with the new car and the problems caused by catching many slower competitors on the stages.
For the Jim Clark Memorial rally held in the Scottish borders, I resolved all the technical issues, set up the suspension specifically for the demanding tarmac stages, and with the added benefit of using my own pace notes, went for an all-out attack which resulted in a podium finish and fastest stage times to my name!
I carried the momentum to the Quinton stages rally held in mid-Wales, which again saw me only a handful of seconds off the leaders throughout the rally. However, an omission the organiser’s paces notes caused me to slide wide on a corner and I recorded my first non-finish of the year. It was a cruel twist of fate, but I had achieved my main aim of being recognised as a competitive force and being able to run at the top of the field.
2004 saw me make my initial foray into the Mitsubishi Evolution challenge, a season which was eventually curtailed due to budget, but gave me valuable experience in an all-wheel-drive rally car. Despite not rallying competitively for the last three years, I’ve taken my experience onto instructing at various rally schools as well as working in the corporate motorsport world, and on behalf of manufacturers for new model launches – a great way to keep ‘match-fit’ and hone my skills.
2008 sees me make a full time rallying return, having re-assessed many of my personal and rallying goals. Having returned to a fulltime job role as a network engineer for a leading financial institution, I’ve had the opportunity to develop all the different aspects of my approach and put together a professionally coordinated package for potential partners.
I’m sure this will give us the opportunity to go places and for you to be part of the unique presence that I intend to develop within the rallying scene!
