Exclusive Interview with Top British Co-driver Claire Mole

Personal
Name:	Claire Mole
Age:	** 34
Marital status:	Married
Children:	** None but there is Rodney my Rabbit!
Occupation:	Co-driver / Insurance rep.
Place of birth:	Newcastle upon Tyne
Country or county where you live:	Berwickshire, Scotland
Does your spouse / partner like rallying?	Used to co-drive, too
Any other hobbies?	Clay pigeon shooting, gardening, painting
Your opinions
Favourite food:	Pasta
Favourite drink:	Whisky
Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:	Motorsport News
Favourite sports person (other than rallying):	John Cleland
Favourite film star:	Julia Roberts
Favourite holiday destination:	Menorca
Which TV sports programmes do you watch?	ITV's F1 programme. Any rally reports.
Starting out
How did you start out?	My father used to take us to watch the Scottish rally. We followed it right through, sleeping in the car, etc. The seed was sown then.
First driver you sat with:	The 1991 Colway Champion and fellow club member, David Martin
First event:	Sul Thistle Snowman Rally
Rallying background
Type of licence held:	International
Which motor club do you belong to?	Berwick & District Motor Club
Do you contribute towards your rallying?	Not now.
Have you ever driven on a rally?	Yes, on a road rally. I led the novice class and went off on the second last corner of the last stage!
Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?	I marshalled on many, many events from the RAC to local nigh rallies and still help out on local events now.
How many events do you get to watch? (eg. per year)	3 or 4, if I am lucky
How many rallies do you take part in? (eg. per year)	12, approx.
Have you competed abroad? Where and when?	Belgium 1996 Finland 1997 Malaysia 2000 Sweden 2001 ** France , Sweden, Gran Canaria and USA in 2002
Your opinions (rallying)
Favourite rally car:	Peugeot 206 WRC
Favourite rally driver:	Colin McRae
Favourite rally co-driver:	Phil Mills
Favourite bit of road or forest:	All of Sweden
Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?	Pace notes
Things you dislike about rallying?	People who succeed in the sport but forget they are still the same person, i.e. big heads!
Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2001?	Colin McRae
... and in 2003?	** This has to be Petter Solberg and Phil Mills’s year.
Rallying history
Drivers you have sat with:	Mats Andersson, Louise Aitken-Walker, Andrew Wood, Jenny Davies, Julian Porter, Charlie Jukes, David Martin, Rob Watson, Ian Watson. ** Alexander Foss, Stuart Darcy, Mark Higgins, Sophie Robinson.
Best driver you have ever sat with?	Mats Andersson ** and Mark Higgins are both very different drivers but both excellent.
Best result:	5th overall on Rally Malaysia ** and 1^st overall in USA 2002 – that was a special day.
Worst result:	4th last on a Scottish Championship round but we did have eleven punctures! ** Or was it crashing on the Jim Clark 2002 on the 2^nd corner of the 1^st stage?
Championships contested:	Scottish Rally Championship British Rally Championship
Best Championship result:	Super 1600 Champions 2000
Best rally memory:	Doing 1999 Network Q rally with our team mates, Tony Jardine and Kevin Piper. The event was a scream and we won our class, too! The best week's rallying I have ever had.
Strangest incident on a rally:	Testing on some private estate in Malaysia. Came round a corner and had to stop for a huge salamander standing on the stage!
Biggest accident:	Hit a tree at 70mph and stopped instantly. Thought I had broken my back. Thankfully, no damage done although my neck still hurts sometimes.
Achievements gained from rallying:	Been to some fantastic places and met hundreds of lovely people.
Your current performance
Your current driver(s) and events or Championships being contested in 2001	Mats Andersson and Proton Satria Rally Team. Formula Rally Championship and three rounds of Asia Pacific Championship.
... and in 2003?	** Mats Andersson and I will start the BRC with our trusty Proton. Plan to do the South Swedish Rally and anything else that takes our fancy.
How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?	Need to work on mental arithmetic and fitness levels
How could you improve your current driver’s performance?	Arrange more time in the car for him
If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?	Take our current Proton Satria to a FIA 1600 WRC round and win!
Your future in rallying
Where would you most like to compete (in the world):	Australia
Which rally would you most like to compete in?	Rally Argentina
Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?	Colin McRae
Ambition in rallying for the future:	To compete in all rounds of WRC
What would you like to put back into rallying?	Help other women to get on in the sport, especially co-drivers
The future of rallying
Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?	Mats Andersson, of course!
Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?	** Michael “Gibby” Gibson
What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?	Keep your head out the clouds and your feet on the ground.
Any other comments	I think marshalls should be paid on events, even if it helped towards their travelling costs. No marshalls - no rallies!
posted 24/5/01 updated 23/12/02 (items marked **)

Claire's news

I have done a lot of rallying throughout Europe with Mats Andersson over the last six months, always with a 1st or 2nd in class. Did my first proper winter rally with Rally Finnskog in Norway in February where we took class honurs. It was a fantastic experience and a huge challenge for me as I have Raynauds Disease (poor circulation which can be very painful in extreme temperatures). I wonder if I am the first co-driver to have a Heated Bucket Seat? My boys are good to me in Sweden and surprised me with this luxury which turned out to be essential kit for me in -25C.

I have also done the Circuit of Ireland with Dermot Hanafin in his Subaru where we finished 10th overall despite a severe electrical problem. That was a fantastic event and Dermot was great fun to work with.

I am doing the Scottish National Rally with Neil Buckley which I am really looking forward to.

Moley
3/6/04

It's been a really strange but very enjoyable year. I have made lots of new friends and done a few new rallies which has been a great experience.

However, nothing beats working with the same driver rally after rally. Having that 110% trust and understanding between Driver and Co-driver is so important.

I am really looking forward to 2003 and working with Mats again. We will be reunited with our much-improved Proton Satria which is been lovingly attended to by Mats's father, Osten.

Moley
23/12/02

I am doing the Rally of Wales with Stuart Darcy from the Irish Republic. We have never met but he sounds really nice on the phone. So it's back in Super 1600 class and I am really looking forward to it.

It looks like I will be doing the Scottish too and then off to a Mediterranean island for the rest of June.

Best wishes,
Moley
3/5/02

I am no longer sitting with Alexander Foss in the World Junior Rally Team for 2002. Talking to a few people but BRC looks unlikely...........

Best wishes,
Moley
24/4/02

Claire co-drives for Mats Andersson in their trusty Proton in the BRC 2003

Claire co-drives for
Mats Andersson in their trusty Proton
in the BRC 2003