Name:

Stella Boyles

Age:

39

Children:

None

Occupation:

Self-Employed Co-Ordinator, principally working with Peugeot Sport on the Super 106 Cup.

Place of birth:

Aberdeen, Scotland

Country or county where you live:

Warwickshire, England

Does your spouse / partner like rallying?

Wouldn’t matter whether they do or don’t!

Any other hobbies?

Occasional badminton, painting and do it yourself type room and furniture renovations. (not very good at it though!)

Favourite food:

Got a very sweet tooth, and chocolate would feature high on the list, but for general food, any kind of fish, especially salmon and trout!

Favourite drink:

A smooth red wine, perhaps a Rioja

Favourite motorsport paper / magazine:

Motoring News / Rallysport

Favourite sports person (other than rallying):

Daley Thomson – very competitive with a sense of humour! 

Favourite film star:

Split between Pierce Brosnan and George Clooney – films aren’t always great, but who cares… Swoon, swoon

Favourite holiday destination:

Haven’t taken "proper" holidays in a long time, but would love to go back to New Zealand.

Which TV sports programmes do you watch?

Just about anything that is on, except football! 

How did you start out?

My boyfriend back in 1979 asked me out by asking if I would like to see his rally car!! I married him and competed in the car (a Riley Elf)

We contested anything in the Aberdeen & District Motor Club - the rallies together, and individually autocrosses, autotests, PCT’s (production car trials – what ever happened to them?) and the hill climb at Fintray, Dyce. We bought our next car, a Sunbeam Stiletto in exchange for a pair of shoes and sold it a year later for a wine making kit, complete with a couple of demi-johns! Our next car was a Talbot Sunbeam (start of the Peugeot connection maybe?)

First driver you sat with:

Ian (ex-husband), then started to freelance on the road rallies, before Donald Brooker asked me to sit with him for a season in 1985, then George Gauld, then Steve Hill in early 90’s.

First event:

Driving on the May ’79 hill climb. Probably the slowest time ever recorded, but the knees were shaking when I came out and said, "I just have to do that again!"

As a co-driver – the Spotlight Rallies – 50 mile road rallies as part of the training series ADMC ran in 1979.

Type of licence held:

International

Which motor club do you belong to?

Aberdeen & District

Do you contribute towards your rallying?

No (and nearly never have done – provided sponsorship monies instead)

Have you ever driven on a rally?

Yes, swapped roles with Ian on a couple of road rallies. He was sick both times! Women drivers? I thought it was great…

But being competitive, I knew I was beatable as a driver, so concentrated on the co-driving.

Did you ever marshal on events? When and where?

Clerk of Course of road rallies – October 100 , and marshalled on most ADMC events when not competing. On committee, senior vice president at one time.

I enjoy marshalling on events, but tend to have other duties nowadays on rallies, and if I was to marshal as well would not have a life outside motorsport. But I do enjoy marshalling.

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

Probably in the region of 5-10.

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

Probably in the region of 10-15

Have you competed abroad? Where and when?

Indonesia, France, Sweden, Spain, China (Course car), Finland, Belgium, S. Ireland.

With various drivers, and in various years since 1991 through to 2000.

Favourite rally car:

Contested 24 Hours of Ypres in an original Lancia Stratos which was an experience, but generally my favourite is the one I’m in at the time!

Favourite rally driver:

To watch – Colin McRae, to co-drive for – Dom Buckley

Favourite rally co-driver:

Don’t have one particular – have many who have become friends over the years.

Favourite bit of road or forest:

A lovely fast flowing section on the Isle of Man, or maybe all of the Isle of Mull (except one particular corner on Calgary Bay, we rolled, then later stood on the top of our crashed car and put torches under our chins to make faces at the following cars. Responsible, not!)

Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?

I always enjoy map reading events, because it is a skill I bring to the team, but have done so few of them recently that the skills learned in making good notes is gradually replacing maps for enjoyment factor.

Things you dislike about rallying?

Politics and cheating! (Esp. notes on map events – I think my views have been well documented on that one!)

Who do you think will win this year’s World Rally Championship ?

I think Gronholm will take the title, and having worked with him at Goodwood this year, will be deserved too. No prima donna, just a terrific gentleman in the sport, bit like Ari Vatanen.

Drivers you have sat with:

What, all of them?

(Apologies to those I miss out)

Barbara Armstrong

Natalie Barratt

Gordon Boyd

Ian Boyles

Donald Brooker

Dom Buckley

Neil Buckley

Dangerous Dougan

George Gauld

Jane Gunningham

Mervyn Johnston

Steve Hill

Adam Kent

Can’t think of anyone in the second half of the alphabet! (except Harri Rovanpera on a test stage)

Best driver you have ever sat with?

Close, Steve Hill is excellent but probably goes to Dom Buckley, for pure technical flair with a cheeky grin

Best result:

Have won several events outright, but probably best achievement was a fastest stage time on the Network Q in 1996 (Trentham Gardens) with Steve Hill, and ending the day in tenth overall, not bad for a privateer team!

Worst result:

Finland last year – crashing very badly on the first stage. Have got the video too, and each time I see it I think, I’m glad I wasn’t in that car, theN remember that’s me! Won’t let my mother see it!

Most emotional rally for me was retiring from the 96 Network Q after having been in tenth place. Sat and cried, most unlike me!

Championships contested:

Over the years, ADMC, Scottish, BTRDA, Mintex National, British Rally Championship, Irish Tarmac. All UK based. 

Best Championship result:

Won the ADMC Ladies Championship six successive years, then retired unbeaten (always in the Top Ten overall too!)

Runner up Scottish Champion co-driver

Won Production Cup class in BTRDA

Overall Winner one make Mazda championship

Mintex National Champion co-Driver Group B, and 2^nd Overall.

Irish Ladies Tarmac Champion 

Best rally memory:

Probably my first true free-lance event as a co-driver was for Mervyn Johnston (one time Irish Tarmac Champion) in 93 on the historic Donegal. Never met him before we were introduced on the steps of the Mount Errigal in Letterkenny. What a gent, and what a great debut into Irish hospitality and fun. Finished 2^nd overall in his Mini!

Strangest incident on a rally:

In Indonesia, getting stuck in a mud pool on the recce and having nothing to dig the car out with except hands and stuff from the wood. It became dark, and Dom Buckley got me to stand in the headlights, as he said my legs were still so white they would reflect the beam back so he could still see to put more sticks under the wheels for traction! We got out some hours later, and the local drivers told us we were lucky as there were tigers in those plantations!

Biggest accident:

1000 Lakes – 1999 with Adam Kent in the Super 106 Cup test and development car. We tested it to destruction on the first stage. I still don’t like to see the video!

But over the years I’ve had my fair share of accidents, and luckily only one resulting in an injury, when Jane Gunningham lost the tips of her fingers during a colossal six times barrel roll in the Isle of Man.

I still reckon it’s a safe sport – but always wear my neck brace. 

Achievements gained from rallying:

Probably my job! Turning a hobby into my livelihood and still enjoying it…

On a personal level, satisfaction from bringing my range of skills to a team and knowing they are appreciated.

How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?

Be able to spend more time on pre-event preparation, but I have a finite time available, so the necessary is always done, but maybe I’m hard on myself in that I want to do the best possible job and always think that it could be done better…

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

Be able to support some deserving driver/co-driver who could do well from a talent point of view, but just needed some extra funds. 

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

I’ve been over some of the New Zealand roads, and would love to contest that event. Also Argentina.

Which rally would you most like to compete in?

The next rally I’m able to do!

What would you like to put back into rallying?

I think I’m doing something at the moment – being able to help the youngsters that come through the Peugeot Challenges, especially the co-drivers. Passing on the skills and just being able to be on the end of a phone to help out and solve the problems that they think are insurmountable. I get a great personal buzz out of seeing the improvements and changes over the season that some individuals make. 

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

With my Peugeot Sport hat on, Justin Dale, David Higgins and Mark Fisher, and any of the other top runners in the current Super 106 Cup. Also having sat with Neil Buckley, he has raw talent too, now shaped into championship winning material. And don’t forget Natalie Barratt, she’s put in some cracking performances recently.

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

You mean, apart from myself? It’s perhaps a reflection on the Cup that most of the top runners have slightly older, more experienced co-drivers. Andrew Bargery is excellent, and still in his 20’s – will go far.

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

You just never know who looks at the work you produce for each event, so always do the best job you can, because it can lead to other work and opportunities which you aren’t aware of, sometimes years in the future. A lot of work I’ve been offered has been a direct result of my map preparation and paperwork produced.

I’ve met some brilliant people in the sport, and made many firm friends from motorsport. The opportunities to travel, meet new people with a common interest, are all there, you just have to make them and take them! The downside has been the sacrifice of many functions and family times which have clashed with previously committed rally dates. To date the rallies have always won, but after 20 years I’m owing some priority to my family and non-motorsport friends.