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Personal
Name:	Ryland James
Age:	48
Marital status:	Married
Children:	Two
Occupation:	Chartered Quantity Surveyor
Place of birth:	Carmarthen
Country or county where you live:	Carmarthenshire
Does your spouse / partner like rallying?	Not a fan – but gives me every support
Any other hobbies?	Classic cars – Bought a genuine un-rallied Mark 1 RS1600 in 1999
Your opinions
Favourite food:	Chinese
Favourite drink:	Red wine
Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:	Motorsport News
Favourite sports person (other than rallying):	Ellen MacArthur – for her courage and determination
Favourite film star:	Michael Caine for the 'Italian Job' – I watch it every Christmas
Favourite holiday destination:	Minorca
Which TV sports programmes do you watch?	Anything to do with motorsport – and there are plenty of those on satellite TV
Starting out
How did you start out?	Went to watch a 12 car road rally in the late 1960s
First driver you sat with:	Someone called David Griffiths – who retired from rallying over 30 years ago!!
First event:	A Saundersfoot Motor Club 12 car rally in 1969
Rallying background
Type of licence held:	International
Which motor club do you belong to?	Carmarthen
Do you contribute towards your rallying?	Give a lot of time!!
Have you ever driven on a rally?	Driven on approx 10 rallies. First rally was the Valley Services road rally in 1992 – finished 2^nd overall. Have driven Epynt 6 times and won a trophy every time – best result there was 5^th overall on the Tour of Epynt in 1993 ish.
Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?	Turn out around 6 times a year (when I am not competing) with Carmarthen MC. Also Clerk of Course on ATS Coracle Stages since 1989 and Entry sec on two events at Pembrey. Always happy to help out as Club Steward if I’m able to. Marshalled in 2000 and 2001 in United States – Clerk of the Course 2001 on The Ferrari Rally of the Blue Ridge Mountains (Georgia/North & South Carolina and Tennessee)
How many events do you get to watch? (e.g. per year)	Very rare – I prefer to be doing something
How many rallies do you take part in? (e.g. per year)	On average around 18 to 20.
Have you competed abroad? Where and when?	Ireland, France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Barbados (Various years 1990 – 2000 generally)
Your opinions (rallying)
Favourite rally car:	Opel Manta
Favourite rally driver:	Petter Solberg
Favourite rally co-driver:	Phil Mills
Favourite bit of road or forest:	Forest – any of the Yorkshire forests – especially Dalby. Tarmac – South West Ireland (Molls Gap, Healey Pass or Connor Pass)
Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?	No preference
Things you dislike about rallying?	Those who will put nothing back into the sport when they retire. The benefit of experience can be a big help to youngsters.
Who do you think will win the World Rally Championship in 2002?	Marcus Gronholm (quite an easy question in December 2002!).
....and in 2003?	Prediction for 2003 has to be Solberg – if the technology does not let him down.
Rallying history
Drivers you have sat with:	Glyn Jones (57 times), Brian Price (52), Geoff Smith (51), Andy Elliott (44), Gareth Lloyd (28), Wynne Griffiths (25), Gareth Jones (17), Tony Davies (15), Wyndham Rees (13), John Griffiths (11), Steve Winter (10), Jon Bennett-Evans (9), David Griffiths (7), David Jones (6), Graham Hicks (5), Wynne Pickersgill (5), Graham Cole (3), Pete Littlewood (3), Brian Bell (2), Ceiriog Hughes (2), Gwyndaf Evans (2), Huw Davies (2), Ian Gwynne (2), John Hand (2), John Morgan (2), Julian Reynolds (2), Keith Robathan (2), Mark Hand (2), Martin Thomas (2), Stephen Davies (2), Vince Whetton (2), Alan Bryer (1), Andy Miers (1), Ari Harjojudanto (1), Bob Williams (1), Brian Thomas (1), Corbett Williams (1), Danny Owens (1), Darren Mansell (1), Dewi Price (1), Dickie Morris (1), Edward Griffiths (1), Eian Pritchard (1), Elgan Jones (1), Geoff Kitney (1), Idris Jones (1), Jan Churchill (1), John Green (1), John Llewellyn (1), John Roberts (1), Kevin King (1), Malcolm Rich (1), Michelle Dilworth (1), Mike Brown (1), Paul Bevan (1), PJ McGrath (1), Richard Tippins (1), Rob Large (1), Rudi Lancaster (1), Simon Brown (1), Simon Rogers (1), Steve Thackery (1), Stuart Fenwick (1), Theo Bengry (1), Will Morris (1), Wyn Gruffydd (1) (Bet you’re sorry you asked that question now!)
Best driver you have ever sat with?	Gareth Jones
Best result:	Lombard RAC 1986 14^th overall with Glyn Jones (Gareth Jones’ dad)
Worst result:	Throttle cable broke on start line of 1982 Sarn Helen Road Rally.
Championships contested:	Too many to list.
Best Championship result:	I am not a big fan of championships as they can interfere with the individual events. Accordingly, I have not kept records. I can, however, recall being runner-up in BTRDA on a few occasions with Andy Elliott (late 80s).
Best rally memory:	Too many to list.
Strangest incident on a rally:	Wouldn’t like to repeat in public!!
Biggest accident:	Up-rooted three trees in Pantperthog with Geoff Smith in Escort WRC.
Achievements gained from rallying:	Seen a lot – met a lot!!
Your current performance
Your current driver(s) and events or Championships being contested in 2002 (and for 2003)	Set out in 2002 with a programme to gain maximum experience without the pressure or distraction of a championship. Currently looking at options for 2003.
How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?	Do less thereby allowing me to focus more on the job in hand – but then I’d be afraid of missing something!
How could you improve your current driver’s performance?	Dedication and experience of events
If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?	Go historic rallying myself as a driver
Your future in rallying
Where would you most like to compete (in the world):	Anywhere I have not been to
Which rally would you most like to compete in?	World Cup Rally – or similar long distance endurance event
Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?	Difficult to answer as I have found that many drivers are very different once inside a rally car. As long as they are enjoying their rallying, I don’t mind who I sit alongside.
Ambition in rallying for the future:	To continue to enjoy the sport
What would you like to put back into rallying?	Experience and advice to youngsters.
The future of rallying
Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?	There are a number of promising youngsters out there. If I had to single one out it would have to be my current driver Gareth Jones who has achieved good pace considering he only entered his first rally in Feb 2002.
Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?	Very difficult – most of my contemporaries are like me – aging and on the way down!!
What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?	Do not be afraid to seek advice.
posted 9/12/02