Name:

ANDY MARCHBANK

Age:

39

Marital status:

Married to Pat

Children:

1 Daughter, Anna (15)

Occupation:

Team Co-Driver / Co-ordinator for R-E-D

Place of birth:

Birkenhead, Merseyside

Country or county where you live:

Cheshire

Does your spouse / partner like rallying?

Pat used to drive a MK 3 Gartrac Escort RWD. I used to feel very proud when she finished a few events 2^nd o/a in the Cosworth powered machine and embarrassed a number of male competitors in the bargain. Pat was also on the RAC Rallies Committee for 6 years and still organises events to this day. Unfortunately my daughter is now keen on competing as a driver so it looks like I’ll be on the breadline for a few years yet.

Any other hobbies?

Big socialite. Love parties, dining out and fine wines

Favourite food:

Italian. Although I do like a nice rare Beef Wellington

Favourite drink:

Kia Royale (champagne and cassis)

Favourite motor sport paper / magazine:

MN/Rally XS

Favourite sports person (other than rallying):

Eddie Irvine (the guy has charisma)

Favourite film star:

Robert de Niro

Favourite holiday destination:

Sanibel Island off the Gulf of Mexico (Pat and I got married on the beach there at sunset. Aaaaaahhhh!! )

Which TV sports programmes do you watch?

Most of the motor sport programmes plus a little bit of rugby.

How did you start out?

Navigating on road rallies in the late 70’s

First driver you sat with:

Andy Davies. A long time friend of mine who I grew up with. Mk 1 Escort 1600GT.

First event:

Rally of the Meres 78? The event started at Barrs Electrical in Oswestry and went around all the lanes on the Welsh Borders.

Type of licence held:

International

Which motor club do you belong to?

Wallasey

Do you contribute towards your rallying?

Not financially

Have you ever driven on a rally?

No way. I know my limitations. Although if I did I would be so quick up until the first bend and then………………!!!

Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?

Of course. I’ve done TC’s, PC’s, and MC’s in the past. I’ve been Club Steward and RLO on events. Problem is time as I’m either competing or co-ordinating. I’ve marshalled throughout the UK

How many events do you get to watch? (e.g. per year)

Not very many. Between 2-3.

How many rallies do you take part in? (e.g. per year)

20-30. Last year killed me. In the 80’s I was doing between 30-40 events and on more than one occasion I did 3 events in a weekend. I’m lucky to have such an understanding wife.

Have you competed abroad? Where and when?

Yes. I went over to Germany a few years ago to compete on the Hunsruck Rally (now Rally Deutschland) as we had an invite off Reinhard Klein (rally photographer). I was co-driving in an international spec. Metro 6R4. Amazingly we won an award for the ‘best sounding car on the event‘!

Favourite rally car:

Lancia Delta S4 (the fastest rally car I’ve ever seen) 

Favourite rally driver:

Timo Makinen from the ‘black and white‘ days

Tommi Makinen currently as he seems to be the only WRC driver not to whinge and just gets on with the job in hand

Favourite rally co-driver:

Arne Hertz. Although Don Barrow is still my hero as he is a true navigator.

Favourite bit of road or forest:

Nant y Moch on road rallies and any stages in CLOCAENOG on Forest events (as I don’t need to read a map there as I know the stages so well)

Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?

Either. I really enjoy map events, as I believe I can give a driver an advantage, as that’s my forte. Pace notes are enjoyable as long as my driver and I have made them.

Things you dislike about rallying?

Bad organisation. Drivers who get a few results and then reckon that their rallying should be paid for as they think they deserve it! 

Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2002?

Gronholm but watch Makinen and Burns go when they’ve got used to their cars.

Drivers you have sat with:

At the last count it was over 90!! At R-E-D I’m known as the ‘rallying prostitute’. 

Some of the drivers include: Pete Littler, Ian Gwynne, Mark Higgins (test), Geoff Jones, Jon Mercer, John Roberts, Iwan Roberts (one of Peugeot’s ‘Young Lions‘), Julian Reynolds, Theo Bengry, Guy Robinson, Paul Griffiths, Nick Barrow, Martin Healer, Jon Ingram, Peter Vaughan, Derek Carless, Neil MacKinnon (Mull fame), Derek Arnold, Dennis Quinn, Guy Woodcock, Jim Bothwell, Ian Caddy, Steve Bennett, to name but a few.

Best driver you have ever sat with?

An unfair question as all are very good in their own right. Some of the road rally drivers could have gone on to bigger and better things. Pete Littler is the most adaptable driver as we’ve had results in FWD,RWD,4WD,LHD,RHD,turbo and normally-aspirated cars.

Best result:

I’ve had approx. 100 overall rally victories and have enjoyed every one. Best Road Rally victory would be winning the ‘King’ of road events the ‘Cilwendeg’ in the 80’s.

Worst result:

Championships contested:

In the past I’ve competed on: BTRDA Goldstar, BTRDA Silverstar, ANCRO, ANWCC Forest, ANWCC Road rally, MN/BTRDA Road Rally, MN Tarmac series, Welsh National, Welsh Clubman, etc., etc,

Best Championship result:

I never have much luck when I enter championships (sod’s law):

1984- 2^nd o/a Navigator ANWCC Road Rally
1986- 3^rd o/a Navigator MN/BTRDA Road Rally (1st attempt)
1989- 1^st o/a Co-driver Bala Ranges Championship
Various wins between ’90 and ‘99
2000- 1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh National Championship
2000- 1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh Clubman Championship
2000- 1^st o/a Co-driver ANWCC Forest Championship
2000- 2^nd o/a Co-driver BTRDA Goldstar Championship
2001- 1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh National Championship
2001- 1^st o/a Co-driver ANWCC Forest Championship

Best rally memory:

Winning the Deejay’s Cambrian Rally in 2001 for the second year in succession. It was Hyundai’s first victory in the UK for the Accent WRC.

Strangest incident on a rally:

I was competing on a road rally up in Yorkshire back in the 80’s. It was about 3am and freezing cold when we came to a secret pace note check. The young ladies doing the check were clad in basques, stockings and suspenders. One of the girls asked me to get out of the car and proceeded to give me a body search and then commented ‘that’s a funny place to keep a torch!’

(Ok, ok! It was one of those small magi-lites!) 

Biggest accident:

Pete Littler and I went down to do the Somerset Stages in an ex-works Vauxhall Astra. Not only were we leading F2 but we were lying 3^rd o/a on the whole event. We were pushing quite hard when a small bump, which pushed us into a small lay-by, caught us out. We ended up barrel-rolling the car over a hedge and finished upside down in a ditch. I had cuts and scratches to my face caused by my head smashing through the side window.

The car was scrap!!

Achievements gained from rallying:

I met my wife through rallying. I met my ‘best man’ through rallying. Most of our friends have connections with motor sport. My career is now directly involved with rallying and I work with some close friends. I get paid to do a job I love. What more could someone ask for?

Very content at this moment in time!

Your current driver(s) and events or Championships being contested in 2002

Pete Littler. Hopefully contesting the BRC in a Hyundai Accent WRC.

How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?

Get more experience on WRC or European rallies.

How could you improve your current driver’s performance?

Give him £100K

If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do? 

Back one of the young up and coming drivers.

Where would you most like to compete (in the world):

New Zealand

Which rally would you most like to compete in?

Safari

Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?

Future World Champion Sebastien Loeb

Ambition in rallying for the future:

To get R-E-D back into the WRC or European circuit with a high profile driver. 

What would you like to put back into rallying?

The fun and adventure. Too clinical nowadays.

Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?

Simon Hughes

Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?

I don’t know many of the new lads.

What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?

Never give up. Learn to love maps and remember you get out what you put in!!

1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh National Championship
1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh Clubman Championship
1^st o/a Co-driver ANWCC Forest Championship
1^st o/a Co-driver Mid-Wales Stages
1^st o/a Co-driver Vauxhall Astra Stages
1^st o/a Co-driver Deejay’s Cambrian Stages
1^st o/a Co-driver BTRDA Team Award
Winning Co-driver BTRDA ‘ Hard Chargers ‘ Award
2^nd o/a Co-driver BTRDA Goldstar Championship
2^nd o/a Co-driver Plains Rally
2^nd o/a Co-driver Red Dragon Rally
2^nd o/a Co-driver Quinton Stages Rally
2^nd o/a Co-driver Dukeries Rally
3^rd o/a Co-driver North Humberside Rally
4^th o/a Co-driver Wydean Rally
4^th o/a Co-driver Somerset Stages Rally
4^th o/a Co-driver Kerridge Rally (ANCRO)

1^st o/a Co-driver Welsh National Championship
1^st o/a Co-driver ANWCC Forest Championship
1^st o/a Co-driver Deejay’s Cambrian Stages
2^nd o/a Co-driver Vauxhall Astra Stages (ANCRO)
3^rd o/a Co-driver BTRDA Goldstar Championship
3^rd o/a Co-driver Dukeries Rally
4^th o/a Co-driver Bulldog Rally (ANCRO)
5^th o/a Co-driver ANCRO championship (only 2 scoring rounds)
Lean year due to foot and mouth.