Exclusive interview with top British co-driver Phill Harrison

Personal
Name:	Phill Harrison
Age:	42
Marital status:	Single
Children:	None
Occupation:	Salesman
Place of birth:	Liverpool
Country or county where you live:	North Wales
Does your spouse / partner like rallying?	Very much
Any other hobbies?	No time for anything else
Your opinions
Favourite food:	Chinese
Favourite drink:	A good bitter
Favourite motor sport paper / magazine:	Motorsport News
Favourite sports person (other than rallying):	Valentino Rossi
Favourite film star:	John Wayne
Favourite holiday destination:	Corsica
Which TV sports programmes do you watch?	Any motorsport
Starting out
How did you start out?	Helping a friend by navigating on a 12 car
First driver you sat with:	Ian Rowlands
First event:	12 car rally 1975
Rallying background
Type of licence held:	International
Which motor club do you belong to?	Rhyl and District
Do you contribute towards your rallying?	No
Have you ever driven on a rally?	No
Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?	Yes, still do on local events, but have marshalled all over the country in the past
How many events do you get to watch? (e.g. per year)	Don't like watching. The worst form of motorsport ever invented!
How many rallies do you take part in? (e.g. per year)	18 - 20
Have you competed abroad? Where and when?	Been to Belgium a couple of times
Your opinions (rallying)
Favourite rally car:	Lancia Stratos
Favourite rally driver:	Henri Toivonen
Favourite rally co-driver:	Arne Hertz
Favourite bit of road or forest:	Great Orme in Llandudno / South Ring in County Cork
Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?	Not bothered - like either
Things you dislike about rallying?	Politics and petty protests at the end of rallies
Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2003?	It won't be me!
Rallying history
Drivers you have sat with:	34 different drivers on hundreds of different events
Best driver you have ever sat with?	Gwyn Thomas as a competitor Gwyndaf Evans on a test session
Best result:	1st Post Historic Jim Clark 2003 6th Manx International in a very outdated Sapphire
Worst result:	550 yds of Manx International in 1986 after a week of making notes
Championships contested:	British Open Marlboro National British Historic Get Connected
Best Championship result:	1st in class on Get Connected 2002
Best rally memory:	Seeing Markku Alen in a Lancia 037 for the first time
Strangest incident on a rally:	Rallying for the first time in Ireland. Just so many things happen over there, it's hard to pick out a favourite
Biggest accident:	1999 West Cork. 100 mph backwards through a wall, rolled several times, and came to rest upside down in a stream with the car on fire. Needless to say, this ws the end of the trusty old Sapphire.
Achievements gained from rallying:	All the wonderful people I have met and all the fantastic places I have been to
Your current performance
Your current driver(s) and events or Championships being contested in 2002	Get Connected Championship with Gwyn Thomas in 4x4 Puma Cosworth British Historic Championship with Rikki Proffitt in a Mk 1 Escort RS1600
How could you improve your own current performance?	Probably by drinking less beer
How could you improve your current drivers performance?	Give him lots of money to buy a better car; he's already got the talent
If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?	See above - I'd give it a Gwyn
Your future in rallying
Where would you most like to compete (in the world):	Corsica
Which rally would you most like to compete in?	Tour de Corse and 1000 Lakes
Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?	Petter Solberg, now that Henri is sadly no longer with us
Ambition in rallying for the future:	The same as it's always been. Enjoy myself and meet some more nice people
What would you like to put back into rallying?	Money to help young talent - but I haven't got any money!
The future of rallying
Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?	There's loads of them here in North Wales
Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?	Carl Williamson - when he's recovered from his accident
What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?	Stick at it and listen to advice only from people who have been there and done it.
posted 18/10/03