Posted: February 27, 2014 2:46 PM - 5526 Hits
Posted: August 3, 2012 6:17 PM
Available under "The Neath Valley Stages 2012" on the club website:
Posted: August 3, 2012 6:12 PM
Following on from last weeks fantastic news that Juha Kankkunen and Nicky Grist will be coming out to play on this years Neath Valley Stages 2012. Three Counties Car Club can now confirm that we have had an entry from 2 times British Rally Champion David Llewellin. Winning back to back British Rally titles in both 1989 and 1990, Llewellin drove for a number of different teams reaching a pinnacle during his time with the Toyota team. In the European Rally Championship for drivers, he finished third in 1987, while his highest placing in the World Rally Championship was 36th in 1987.
We can also confirm that our very own club member Jonathan Brace will be lending the ex-British Champion one of his Ford MKII Escorts for the day. The car will be serviced on the day by a combination of Jonathan’s normal service team ACW Motorsport and Mark Solloway’s Historic RallySport Ltd.
Phil Short will team up with David Llewellin on this years Neath Valley Stages.
Phil Short was born in Morley, Yorkshire on 9th June 1945. He was educated at Leeds Grammar School and Leeds University, where he obtained a degree in Classics (Latin, Greek, Ancient History and Romano-British Archaeology). While at University he developed an interest in the sport of Rallying and straight afterwards went to work in the Dunlop Racing Tyre Division at Ford Dunlop in Birmingham.
Returning to Yorkshire, he established a van hire business in Bradford, which after 10 years he sold to a bigger concern, but during this period he was able to develop his rally career, with wins on the 1973 Circuit of Ireland with Jack Tordoff (Porsche Carrera RS) and 1978 Galway & Ulster Rallies with John Taylor (Ford Escort RS), as well as taking the UK National titles in 1975 and ’76 with George Hill (Vauxhall) and Tony Drummond (Ford Escort) respectively, and in ’82 with Malcolm Patrick (Opel Ascona).
Phil became a fully professional co-driver during the 1980s, with contracts with Ford, Audi, Austin-Rover and Toyota. He sat alongside some of the sport’s greatest world champions – Bjorn Waldegaard, Hannu Mikkola and Walter Rohrl – as well as guiding Pentti Airikkala to a win on the Mintex Rally and David Llewellin on numerous victories in 1989 & ‘90. He took the British Open Championship with David in 1989 & ’90, and 3rd in the European Championship in 1987, in which year he also won the Cyprus Rally, his final tally of International wins reaching 17 in all.
In 1990 Phil turned his hand to Team Management and has had very successful spells with Audi, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Ford. In his time in rally management he has notched up no less than 77 WRC victories, 9 Drivers’ titles (Vatanen, Blomqvist, Sainz, Kankkunen, Auriol and (4) Makinen) and 7 Manufacturers’ titles (Audi (2), Toyota (2), Mitsubishi and Ford (2)) – a feat unmatched in the sport of rallying.
He has written 2 books on motor sport & many articles for motor magazines, and in 1982 organised the route of the Lombard RAC Rally. He is also an MSA-registered Steward. He has recently been working for the FIA, supervising the Pirelli Star Driver & WRC Academy programmes for promising young rally drivers. He has competed on Sprints and Hillclimbs, previously with a very quick Mini with which he won the Longton Northern Speed Championship outright in 2006 and for the past few years has competed with success in a 400 bhp Audi S2 Coupe Quattro, followed by a Honda S2000 sports car and an Audi Sport Quattro. His favourite sports are Cricket & Rugby.
Phil lives in Ilkley, West Yorkshire with his wife Lyn and has two sons, one of whom is a professional cameraman & photographer on the current World Rally Championship.
Posted: August 3, 2012 6:09 PM
Three Counties Car Club in association with Mark Solloway of Historic RallySport Ltd, are thrilled to announce that 4 time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen will be competing on this years Neath Valley Stages. He will be accompanied by his former Co-driver and long term friend, Nicky Grist. The pair will be competing in a Brand New Historic RallySport Ford Escort MKII BDG. Fans and competitors will get the opportunity to get up close on the day in this years dedicated service area, where the pair will be available for autographs and photographs throughout the day.
Juha and Nicky last competed together on the Rally of Portugal Revival 2010, winning the event outright. Both are keen to get back out on the stages and we at Three Counties Car Club cannot wait to see them back together.
We are sure that fans and competitors will be overjoyed with the news, as this will be a unique opportunity for competitors especially to trade times with 2 World Rally Legends!