Personal

Name:

Calvin Cooledge

Age:

45

Marital status:

Married

Children:

2; Ben 14 & Jack 9

Occupation:

Co-driver / Co-ordinator

Place of birth:

Prestatyn, North Wales

Country or county where you live:

Ruthin, North Wales

Does your spouse / partner like rallying?

No interest whatsoever!!!

Any other hobbies?

Water Skiing & Diving

Your opinions

Favourite food:

Indian and Chinese

Favourite drink:

Red wine or Gin & Tonic

Favourite motor sport paper / magazine:

Autosport

Favourite sports person (other than rallying):

Don’t really have one

Favourite film star:

Michael Caine

Favourite holiday destination:

USA

Which TV sports programmes do you watch?

Most of them except for football programmes

Starting out

How did you start out?

With Rhyl & District MC, in 1977, marshalling to start with and then onto 12 car rallies.

First driver you sat with: 

Clive Sparks

First event:

Midsummer Rally 1977

Rallying background

Type of licence held:

International

Which motor club do you belong to?

Rhyl & District Motor Club

Do you contribute towards your rallying?

Not financially, as I earn my living from the sport these days.

Have you ever driven on a rally?

Yes, in a 12 car event back in the 70s, hated it.

Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?

Used to, don’t have the time these days.

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

None

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

15 to 20

Have you competed abroad? Where and when?

Yes, many places around the World, and for a number of years.

Your opinions (rallying)

Favourite rally car:

Audi Quattro

Favourite rally driver:

Roger Clark

Favourite rally co-driver:

Luis Moya

Favourite bit of road or forest:

No-one piece in particular, you don’t get a lot of time to look at the scenery!!

Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?

Pace notes, you go a lot faster but safer

Things you dislike about rallying?

The cost for young drivers trying to get started 

Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2004?

Loeb

Rallying history

Drivers you have sat with:

Bill Gwynne
Ian Gwynne
Pete Gwynne
Simon Hughes
David Higgins
Damon Harvey
Iwan Roberts
Tom Coughtrie
Kenneth Ericsson (Testing)
Alister McRae (Testing)
Michael Guest (Testing)
Simon Davison (Gravel Noting)
Henrik Lundgaard (Gravel Noting) 

Best driver you have ever sat with? 

Kenneth Eriksson

Best result:

1^st International win with David Higgins in USA.

Worst result:

Last on a rally on Otterburn years ago, still managed a 2^nd in class though.

Championships contested:

Motoring News Tarmac
BRC
SCCA

Best Championship result:

Championship Class win MNTC 92 -ish?

Runner-up Production Cup 1995 BRC

Best rally memory:

Finishing 3^rd O/A again with David Higgins on an event in Russia when we needed to take 1.5 secs a Km (over 45km) out of the car in front of us to get to 2^nd O/A, and very nearly did it!!!

Strangest incident on a rally:

?

Biggest accident:

Jim Clark Memorial Rally 2003, Renault Clio S1600

Achievements gained from rallying:

Having turned a hobby into a career

Your current performance

Your current driver(s) and events or Championships contested in 2003

Simon Hughes, BRC 2003

… and in 2004?

Not yet decided

How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?

By being fitter!!!!!!

How could you improve your current driver’s performance?

By getting him out on more events

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

Try and invest it, you need a lot more than this amount these days!!

Your future in rallying

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

Africa

Which rally would you most like to compete in?

The Dakar

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

Ari Vatanen

Ambition in rallying for the future:

Now moving into Team Management

What would you like to put back into rallying?

Help an up-and-coming co-driver realize his or her ambition.

The future of rallying

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

Got to be Simon

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

Daniel Barritt

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

Always do your homework, never be complacent and check, check and re-check!!!!

Any other comments?

Don’t go into this game with high expectations;   there’s a lot of luck involved and being in the right place at the right time. Keep talking to people!!!!!!

posted 9/12/03