rallycodriver magazine - daily international rally motorsport news plus latest rallying information and online magazine subscription

Personal
Name:	Paul Hudson
Age:	39
Marital status:	Single
Children:	None
Occupation:	Engineering ** Coordination & Logistics Manager for G2 Motorsport Ltd
Place of birth:	Darlington
Country or county where you live:	Co Durham
Does your spouse / partner like rallying?	No
Any other hobbies?	Collecting Motorsport mags, ** Mountain Biking, Walking, Fishing
Your opinions
Favourite food:	Italian / Chinese
Favourite drink:	Red wine / Good beer Water / Orange on events
Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:	Motorsports News / Rally XS
Favourite sports person (other than rallying):	Kevin Keegan
Favourite film star:	Kim Basinger
Favourite holiday destination:	Greece, Crete
Which TV sports programmes do you watch?	Anything with Rallying
Starting out
How did you start out?	Watched 1980 RAC in Hamsterley Forest. Hooked from then on. Joined Stockton MC. Competed on road rallies as driver and co-driver. Progressed to stage events as driver. Then found my real vocation as a co-driver on stage rallies which I now find more fulfilling and challenging.
First driver you sat with:	Co-driving for Ned Brooke in a Fiat 127
First event:	Long time ago. I think it was with Ned Brooke on the Julie Shield road rally
Rallying background
Type of licence held:	International
Which motor club do you belong to?	Northallerton AC / IRDC
Do you contribute towards your rallying?	** In a lot of time and planning, yes. Financially no. Expenses are negotiable dependent on requirements.
Have you ever driven on a rally?	Yes. Several years in Escorts and Ladas. Crashed a lot and had a load of fun but, more importantly, I learned what a driver wants to hear and needs to know.
Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?	Used to do a lot but unfortunately don’t have the time to do as much now.
How many events do you get to watch? (eg. per year)	Try to get to as many as possible when not competing, just to keep an eye on who’s doing what.
How many rallies do you take part in? (eg. per year)	10 to 15
Have you competed abroad? Where and when?	Belgium / Ireland / Manx
Your opinions (rallying)
Favourite rally car:	Escort BDA / Subaru
Favourite rally driver:	Henri Toivonen / Ari Vatanen / Colin McRae
Favourite rally co-driver:	Phil Short / Nicky Grist /** Phil Mills
Favourite bit of road or forest:	Isle of Man
Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?	Both give a challenge. I love pacenotes for the speed but find maps more rewarding when you know you've got it perfect
Things you dislike about rallying?	The cost
Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2001?	Tommi Makinen, though I’d like to see McRae do it
..... and in 2003?	** Burns but again I would love to see McRae do it again. If not, then Petter is the man.
Rallying history
Drivers you have sat with:	Ned Brook / Ian Jackson /Dave Owen /Graeme Able / John Hesseltine / Philip Wilks / Kevin Procter / Tim Johnson / Mike Lacey / Alun Pearson / Nigel Wilkinson /Terry Deere /Mally Norris / David Brown / Jenny Davies / Glen Workeman / ** Keith Scarr / Gigi Bettencourt-Gomes and a few more
Best driver you have ever sat with?	Tim Johnson, Skoda Trophy Champion
Best result:	Winning 1993 ANECC Stage Championship Winning 2000 Mintex Gp N Championship Winning 1^st rally Opposite Lock 2000 Winning NAC Motor Club Co-driver 2000 ** 7th o/a Castrol Polo Challenge 2002 and finishing the 2002 Tempest 3rd Polo after a very gutsy drive by Gigi with no brakes and gears for several stages to gain her very first Trophy in rallying. Fantastic finish to a novice year. It was one of those lump in the throat, tear in the eye moments, that us guys don't have!!!. "Top Burd" Great Drive.
Worst result:	** Retiring in Flanders 2000 with David Brown in GpN Subaru while 2nd in GpN with 2 stages to go, broken drive shaft and diff, lost possible 3rd place o/a in Mintex Championship. I was gutted after the work put in beforehand Off in a Kielder Ditch for Gigi and I on our first event together Pirelli 2002 was disappointing, but a lesson learned.
Championships contested:	1981/1985 TSMG Road Rally Cship as driver 1985 /1991 ANECCC / ANCC Stage Cship as driver As Co-driver from 1992: 1992 ANECCC Rally Cship / 1992 ANCC Rally Cship 1993 ANECCC Rally Cship 1994 ANECCC Rally Cship / 1994COLWAY 1300 Rally Cship 1995 ANECCC Rally Cship / 1995 COLWAY 1300 Rally Cship 1996 ANECCC Rally Cship / 1996 COLWAY 1300 Rally Cship 1997 ANECC Rally Cship / 1997 BTRDA Rally Cship 1998 Year off! 1999 ANECC Rally Cship 2000 ANECCC Rally Cship / 2000 MINTEX Rally Cship 2002 ANECCC Stage Championship and Castrol Polo Challenge ** 2003 Ford Ka Championship / ANECCC Stage Championship / BRC Championship
Best Championship result:	MINTEX 2000 Overall Winners Gp N ANECCC 1993 Co-drivers’ award NAC 2000 Co-drivers’ award ** 7th o/a Castrol Polo Challenge 2002
Best rally memory:	** 1980 rallying got me interested; never forget those days of Escorts, Chevettes, Sunbeams and the Quattro!!!!! Mint Gp B cars - 6r4, RS200, Lancia 037 and the Delta S4
Strangest incident on a rally:	** Rolling twice on the Ulster Rally, once on each leg and still finished
Biggest accident:	150 yds bouncing off every bank and tree before going over a 20ft drop. Saved by hitting a tree head on a few feet down whilst flat in 5^th gear in a Sierra Cossie. Ouch!
Achievements gained from rallying:	Rallying has introduced me to a lot of new places. I’ve met a lot of new people and made a lot of friends. I have learnt so much about everything from organising to man-management; it has taught me a lot.
Your current performance
Your current driver(s) and events or Championships being contested in 2001	David Brown on selected events. No championships in 2001 due to development year in new car - Ford Puma 4x4 WRC spec.
...... and in 2003?	Gigi in a one-make Championship. David Brown on selected events and Keith Scarr on selected events
How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?	Get fitter / lose weight / do more rallies for the experience and the fun
How could you improve your current driver’s performance?	Gigi is a novice and is improving mile by mile, so I want to get her out on as many rallies as possible in 2003 to gain more experience - a star of the future, I'm sure.
If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?	I would invest it in Gigi and see how far we could get in rallying
Your future in rallying
Where would you most like to compete (in the world):	Anywhere abroad for the experience
Which rally would you most like to compete in?	Any WRC rally. The Safari would be a challenge.
Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?	Colin McRae, of course, or anyone with the skill and ambition to be the next British / World champ.
Ambition in rallying for the future:	Do more events and learn more. Would like to do more events abroad for the experience. ** To compete in the WRC and become more involved in the Coordination and Logistics at BRC and WRC level.
What would you like to put back into rallying?	Put more time into organising events. I would like to help a new co-driver achieve his / her ambition to progress to the top.
The future of rallying
Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?	Guy Wilks seems to be one to watch Gigi, of course
Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?	Me ** Vicky Johnson, young, keen, organised, eager to learn. I'm sure she will go far.
What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?	Listen to all advice. File and store what you think is crap today. It may be useful crap tomorrow! ** Don't be afraid to go with different drivers, you learn so much from each one.
Any other comments	Never take anything for granted. Check and double check . Don’t be afraid to ask but the main thing is to enjoy yourself
posted 24/9/01 updated 7/6/03 (items marked **)

Rocky!