Name:

Howard Cooper

Age:

Over 21 (Very Very)

Marital status:

Married

Children:

Two sons

Occupation:

IT Systems Administrator

Place of birth:

York

Country or county where you live:

Leicester

Does your spouse / partner like rallying?

NO

Any other hobbies?

Designing websites (Busman's holiday), Sailing, Golf

Favourite food:

Steak

Favourite drink:

Stella Artois

Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:

Motorsport News (still prefer the old title "Muttering Nudes")

Favourite sports person (other than rallying):

Greg Norman

Favourite film star:

Bruce Willis

Favourite holiday destination:

St Lucia

Which TV sports programmes do you watch?

Eurosport, ITV F1, They think It's All Over

How did you start out?

Joined York Motor Club at 17, became part of the famous "York Mafia" of Mad Dan Grewer, Piggy Thompson, Tony Drummond & Dick Rowland.

Moved from road rallying to stages, and was a co-driver for the Skoda factory and BL Special Tuning.

First driver you sat with: 

Steve Berry

First event:

Some York road event in the 60's 

Type of licence held:

Was International, now National A 

Which motor club do you belong to?

Loughborough Car Club, BTRDA 

Do you contribute towards your rallying?

Yes, nowadays - to the point of poverty! 

Have you ever driven on a rally?

Yes - did 1973 RAC as first driver for seeding reasons 

Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?

Yes - Rallies, Autotests etc 

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

2 to 3 per year 

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

11 per year 

Have you competed abroad? Where and when?

Finland, Sweden, Belgium, France, Czechoslovakia 

Favourite rally car:

1293 Cooper S

Favourite rally driver:

Timo Makinen (shows the age)

Favourite rally co-driver:

Robert Reid - he reads notes the same way I do

Favourite bit of road or forest:

Mikkola's bend in Dalby Forest

Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?

Notes are easier, particularly if they are your own, but maps give a greater satisfaction 

Things you dislike about rallying?

Current seeding on events where Single Venue specialists get seeded above regular competitors that have been doing events in fields of 150 cars 

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

Marcus Gronholm

Drivers you have sat with:

In two parts

60's to '77:
Steve Berry, Mike Dale, Dick Rowland, Geoff Grundy, Tony Kershaw (Nik's Dad), Dave Lang

Since 1999:
Nik Kershaw

Best driver you have ever sat with? 

Best result:

1^st overall 1977 & 1978 Trackrod

2^nd in Class 1968 Scottish to Roger Clark

Worst result:

Excluded for speeding on '76 Thousand Lakes after winning class with the works Skoda 

Championships contested:

Motoring News 74, 75

Rally World Championship 76

BTRDA 2000 - 2001

Welsh National 2000 - 2001

Best Championship result:

1^st Class A7 BTRDA 2000 & 2001

1^st Class 3 Welsh National Championship 2001

Best rally memory:

Running 13 on the road on last morning of '75 Welsh International in works Skoda. Spectators thought it MUST be John Haugland 

Strangest incident on a rally:

Doing Dalby at 27 miles on the '75 RAC in the Skoda; the stage lasted so long, I was convinced we had missed an arrow and were doing part of it twice.

Driver and me both falling asleep on the start line of Speech House on '75 Welsh after 38 hours of rallying with the longest break of 20 mins. (bring back the good old days)

Biggest accident:

Not really an accident - or was it?

In 1977 I quit rallying to go work in Saudi.  A friend of mine, also a co-driver, said, "Don't go to Saudi, come and work for me. I am setting something up in Motorsport that I think will work. I can't afford to pay you much to start with though."  I went to Saudi and didn't rally for 22 years - The person with the offer? - Dave Richards (Ouch!) 

Achievements gained from rallying:

Lots of great friends, and very wild experiences. 

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

Nik Kershaw SEAT Ibiza Gti

BTRDA, ANCRO, Welsh National

How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?

Put a better co-driver in the car with Nik! 

How could you improve your current driver’s performance?

Buy him a quicker car

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

Buy Nik a better car and see just how quick he really can be.

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

Finland (Again and Again)

Which rally would you most like to compete in?

New Zealand

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

Timo Makkinen - that name again or Ari Vatanen 

Ambition in rallying for the future:

To get a full time job in Team Management/Organisation - to finally get paid for what I have, for years, being paying to do. 

What would you like to put back into rallying?

To support and help Club Drivers that have the potential but not the money. 

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

Niall McShea

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

Don't know - they are all so good, or so they say. 

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

There is an alternative. Find a forest and set light to £10 notes.  You will get a warm feeling, and spend a lot of money very quickly - but then you won't make many friends.