Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2010/January 2011 | Page 109

motoring

Island Life - December 2010
Photo: Oops didn't know that was there! Island stages rally 1980

years when driving on the limit, and then
ended up being too careful and rolling down
the side of a bank. On the next stage we had

Photo: Celebrating winning BTRDA Gold Star National
Championship 2007.

another accident and that was the end of my
chances.
“Other crashes included destroying a car in
Belgium after rolling over eight or nine times.
But in June this year I did a rally in a Mark II
Escort and it was the ‘easiest’ accident I’ve
had. The car hit a kerb and then stopped on
another kerb, but it damaged my back. I have
not done one since and am not keen to do
one, because physically I couldn’t.
“It has prompted me to think about semi
retiring. Maybe my reactions have got slower,
in fact I know they have. Perhaps for me
everything happened too late – I had my best
years from 44 to 50, and really it should have
been from 35 to 40. My retirement might
end up with me going off and doing a couple
of historic rallies, but I don’t want to be as
competitive as I used to be.
“However, I wouldn’t really change
anything. I have some good memories and
a lot of laughs, importantly with my mates
around me.”
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