Motorsport's camaraderie has led Gore rally driver Derek Ayson to the other side of the world to compete at the Pirelli International Rally in England today.
He will drive a top-spec Historic Group 4 BDG Escort owned by Welsh rally driver and car builder Meirion Evans with whom Ayson had a prolonged battle in the seven-day, 1000km, 2016 Silver Fern Rally. Ayson eventually won the Challenge category and Evans took home the Historic section trophy.
They rekindled their friendship at the Otago Rally last year, when Evans came over to compete, and when the Welshman offered Ayson the use of his full-works historic Escort — built at his Wales Motorsport workshop — he did not have to think too hard about his answer.
‘‘That’s why I enjoy the sport, the camaraderie. It’s a good bunch of people involved,’’ Ayson said of the bonds forged between rally drivers.
Making his first trip outside the South Pacific, Ayson has taken his wife, Rachel, with him to the rally, which is a round of the British Rally Championship and several historic championships.
Rallying today in Carlisle’s Kielder Forest, Ayson has paired up with Welsh co-driver Dale Furniss for the one-day, four-stage (run twice) event, which attracts the United Kingdom’s top rally drivers.
The 100 teams, which feature eight R5 cars and 62 historic entries will cover about 140 competitive kilometres.
Ayson is seeded eighth in his category and, because the rally does not offer a recce for historics, drivers are given a video of the stages, from which to make their notes.
‘‘The roads look pretty good. They are all fast forestry stages,’’ Ayson said.
He likened them to the Otago Rally’s Berwick Forest stages, although the northern England event had a few stings in its tail.
‘‘If you go wide you are going to be in the ditch,’’ Ayson said.
He deliberately tried to ‘‘tidy up’’ his more flamboyant, sideways, driving style at the Otago Rally earlier this month in preparation for his international drive.
It paid off in terms of stage times, with Ayson finishing second behind WRC driver Mads Ostberg in the rally’s Classic section.
Follow his progress at www.pirelliinternationalrally.co.uk where live updates will be posted
- by Catherine Pattison
Photo: Becky Ladbrook
