Personal

Name:

Linette Applegate 

Age:

30 

Marital status:

Single 

Children:

None 

Occupation:

Professional Gardener / Garden designer 

Place of birth: 

Harlow 

Country or county where you live:

Bedfordshire 

Does your spouse / partner like rallying?

Just a tad… 

Any other hobbies?

Mountain Biking, Walking, Squash 

Your opinions

Favourite food:

Goats Cheese or Chips (but not together) 

Favourite drink:

G and T  

Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:

Motorsport News 

Favourite sports person (other than rallying):

Liz McColgan 

Favourite film star:

Gerard Dépardeau 

Favourite holiday destination:

France 

Which TV sports programmes do you watch?

Eurosport WRC 

Starting out

How did you start out?

The boyfriend came home one evening to announce ’I’ve bought a rally car’ … and I haven’t looked back since. 

First driver you sat with: 

‘The boyfriend’ Pat MacArthur

First event:

A single venue tarmac event, Snetterton Stages 1999 in our trusty 1.3 Peugeot 106 

Rallying background

Type of licence held:

National A 

Which motor club do you belong to?

BTRDA and Thame MC 

Do you contribute towards your rallying?

No, apart from maps, notes, accommodation (and in theory 50% of Pat’s Rallying – the drawbacks of a joint account!) 

Have you ever driven on a rally?

No 

Did you ever marshal on events?  When and where?

No 

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

1 or 2 only 

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

10 to 14 

Have you competed abroad? Where and when?

Yes, Tour of Flanders 2000 

Your opinions (rallying)

Favourite rally car:

Audi UR Quattro 

Favourite rally driver:

Michelle Mouton 

Favourite rally co-driver:

Luis Moya – how fast!? 

Favourite bit of road or forest:

The twisty last 2 miles downhill in Resolven 

Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?

Notes have their advantages but spent 3 years mostly reading maps – they do get the grey matter working 

Things you dislike about rallying?

Cheats using notes on map events, and having to watch every bloke relieving themselves before stages whilst wishing there was a quiet spot somewhere for myself! 

Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2003?

Markko Martin

Rallying history

Drivers you have sat with:

Pat MacArthur, Richard Crossland, Dave Nutt, Martin Mansell, Julian Gunnell, Pat Jackson, Mark Palmer, Shelley Nutt… 

Best driver you have ever sat with?  

Pat…naturally

Best result:

16^th overall and 3^rd N4 on first event with our Evo IV on Dukeries 2003 

Worst result:

98^th overall and 6^th A5 on Red Dragon 1999 after 4 weeks of rebuilding the 106 after rolling spectacularly on the Plains – I think the driver fell asleep at the wheel. 

Championships contested:

BTRDA in 1999 and 2003  

Best Championship result:

BTRDA Lady co-driver champion 2003 

Best rally memory:

Finally reaching the finish ramp on Tour of Flanders 2000 after a nightmare event. 

Strangest incident on a rally:

Being cheered on by spectators running beside our car as we completed two laps of the ‘zoning’ stage on the Tour of Flanders 2000 – we were stuck in first gear for nearly 10 miles but were determined to make the finish! 

Biggest accident:

Plains 1999, one of our first forest events and Pat learnt the hard way – 70mph double head-over-heels roll  - stuck in the previous cars dust. 

May have just been outdone, though, by Richard on Woodpecker 2003, flat in 5^th gear into a tree head on and down a bank backwards.  

Achievements gained from rallying:

The satisfaction of seeing a team of friends all working together. 

Your current performance

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

BTRDA 2003 with Richard Crossland in an Escort Cossie

Other ‘non-clashing events’ with Pat MacArthur in Evo IV

How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?

Work less, Co-drive more! 

How could you improve your current driver’s performance?

Win the lottery and buy them a nice WRC each 

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

See above…

Your future in rallying

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

New Zealand

Which rally would you most like to compete in? 

New Zealand

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

Petter Solberg…nice! 

Ambition in rallying for the future:

More continental closed road events would be nice – just for the great atmosphere alone. 

What would you like to put back into rallying?

Having a go at being the other side of the clipboard at time controls. It would be good to marshal if I had any free time. 

The future of rallying

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

Shelly Nutt – go girl! 

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

Me – of course (one has to plug one’s self, doesn’t one!) 

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

Don’t get lost….?

Any other comments

Keep up to date with the latest goings on at www.macarthur-motorsport.co.uk  

posted 9/9/03