Heroes Rally 2022

Here we are - My final drive in the Mini Rally Challenge 2022. What an experience this has been, through all the highs and lows, I've found I've joined an amazing community and met lots of great people along the way.

Heroes Rally took place at Weeton Barracks, a very far drive for me this time round (6 hrs at least!) The rally had some 70 something competitors, including a high number of Junior rally drivers. Harriet Worth joined me for the last Challenge drive, and we were here to have a blast! The stages looked great, but there were definitely some rough areas to be found out there! A track walk was handy to make note of some nasty curbs and pot holes.

Harriet and I were driving hard through Stages 1-5 and we were making great pace! Unfortunately, on SS5, the front left wheel kissed a curb and if snapped the driveshaft. The car was towed back to Service, and Ben and Nathan worked to get the car ready again for SS6. The speed at which they had a new driveshaft fitted was amazing, and although we took a penalty for not completing SS5, Harriet and I were back in the game!

Harriet and I had nothing to lose now, and we drove the hell out of the car! 3rd fastest in SS6 and then we set back-to-back fastest lap times out of the minis in SS7 and SS8. It was a shame about the penalties, as that would for sure have put us in a podium finish, which would have been the most awesome way to end the day! In the end, we were 5th in the Minis and 14th in class. And as I stopped my campaign in the championship on this event, it cemented a 12th place finish in the final standings of the championship. Not bad for a half-season, and a first one at that, I think!

I really want to take the time to thank WB motorsport for being a superb rally support crew all year, and John Goff for creating such a fantastic grass-roots rally series for people to start in and continue their passion for rallying. What he has achieved in such a short space of time is nothing short of a miracle, in the seemingly dying sport of Rallying in the UK. I see this Rally challenge only going upwards from here!

I will be doing a gravel test next, at Walton's Arena, with a very special person teaching me in the passenger seat - stay tuned!