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Looking back on that memorable year of 36 years past, I’m often struck at the breadth of impact winning that championship had on my life. Obviously winning against all the odds was a massive achievement, and led to whole new chapters opening for me in the coming years, but the lessons I learnt throughout that year have stuck with me and had significant impact on my professional and personal lives. When I started rallying it was for the thrill and the craic. I was competitive and wanted to win, but I was attempting to do that driven on a mixture of testosterone, adrenalin and youthful bravado.  I had some reasonable driving experience behind me when I was asked to drive the MG Metro 6R4. However there is a huge difference between being a good competitor, on weekends for a hobby, and taking someone’s else's car and drive it as fast as it will go, not crash, and try to win a Championship. Oh! You get to sit in the car for the first time on the eve of the first rally!   

We (Peter and I) had a great team with CBC who were placing their trust with no real hard evidence that we could match more experienced crews in similar cars.  Here would be absolute reliance on teamwork. that was essential for success. Understanding that it took much more than the two front men to gain the required results. The power of the team when everyone is pulling in the same direction was really put into focus for me that year.  

When I started rallying I thought it would a good result to finish in the top ten and then the ‘Rally fever’ takes over, you think to yourself , I am not far behind the top 5, drive a bit faster maybe I could get there. When you come 4th or 3rd, you start to scrutinise the results, and realise that the crew beating you are beatable, for you beat them on some of the stages.  Then believing in yourself, your co-driver, and your support team all start to become more crucial.  Just when you think you understand what it takes to win, somebody delivers a body blow, something completely unexpected, a curved ball, a flanker. It is designed to stop you getting too cocky.  

When the team got back to the workshop after the first rally, I can imagine the conversation as they brewed tea.  ‘Whose daft idea was it then to get this ‘Sutherland’ to drive the Metro. He stuffs it against a wall the first time he drives it, and caused Bevan to have to drive back to rugby to collect bits. Then the result was terrible, and he just said the car has no grip. Well Frankly he is well out his depth!   It must have taken a huge leap of faith to continue with me driving the car, and therein lies the secret of success.

Respecting the team and everyone that’s in it, and each team member needs to have the same belief.  No matter what race or challenge you are engaged in, sports, business or personal, you have to get the most out of everything you are using to win.  That may be machinery, people or circumstances, but it will always be about every day, getting the best out of you. Be  prepared for that.

It is times like these that you must trust in your team mates or partner/s. When your nose is that close to the wheel and your eyes fixed straight ahead, you need to trust in others, recognise that they might just see things differently to you and have the answer to the problem you are all  facing – you are never alone in a race, put your faith in others in the same way you ask them to put their faith in you.   So when Alan Clegg, rang me after the Skip Brown rally, and reported that he had found a problem, I was delighted for a number of reasons. He had listened to my comments and took them seriously enough to investigate rather than thinking ‘Alistair is a fool’. He knows nothing about these cars.  After that I knew that Alan was serious about getting the best out of me and vice versa. These incidents are building bricks for a great team.  When you start to win, then the whole team are responsible for that success, the team are the wind beneath your wings. When you fail, you must remove the weakest link, after proper consideration, for both success and failure are transient, and persistence is required to win over time.

The biggest and most powerful engine does not always win, the most expensive car does not, the biggest brakes, the greatest co-driver, or the most talented engineers. The skill is to blend all that you have, hone it, commit to it, and ensure that the elements are working on a common goal and everyone in the team clearly understand what their part is, in this quest. 

I used to think it was impossible to explain to someone who does not drive what the importance of winning is to a driver, when the alternative can be death. I never used to think about death while in the car, if I did, I would still have driven, you believe it won’t be you, and I recognise that it’s an extreme comparison of risk, but you have to be not only awake to risk, but also the responsibilities that come with it. It goes with the territory. 

I put my business and family life on hold, I INSURED the car. Was I reckless? Possibly. Did it bother me more than wanting to win? Probably not, but those where the lengths I was prepared to go to in order to win.   I was never frightened, although I did taste fear. The fear of letting the team down, fear of not finishing, fear of letting myself down – but once you commit to something, then is the time to put fear aside  You fill the void where fear was with the camaraderie of your team, with the values and ethics you all share that were designed to reach your shared goal.  

Some people want to stay at home and lead mundane lives, which is fine, they may be winning in their own race, but when there are others in the competition, and you want to be the best at the end, then understanding all that you need in order to take the highest podium is essential.  Self-belief is everything in life, I never considered myself a better driver than my peers, but I did believe in myself. Yes, doubt creeps in, but you need to deal with it in a cool and calm way, That’s what I did, I stayed cool and carried on while inside I was a bag of nerves,  until the start marshal said go, keep focused on the task    Be prepared to dig deep!  Don’t be found wanting.

I’ll leave you with a quote I have often leaned on in my life, it’s by Calvin Coolidge and I find it most instructive;

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.  
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.     
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  

A brave new world lay ahead.   
A new page in my life. 
I was very excited,  only a little nervous, 
Stop thinking too much
Crack on! 

On a more personal note: For a number of years I have progressively been suffering from Parkinson's which has the ability to rob people of their abiity to do some of the most mundane tasks but their are ways to making life with Parkinson's easier... exercise, healthy eating, a positive mental attitude and friends...

Here's a quote I like to challenge people with 😀

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself... it has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival"

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