James G. Smith
Rally Competitor
My first event was as a co-driver in a Mk2 Escort at Longcross in December 1996. I started my rally driving career with a Renault 5 GT Turbo on NatB events from March 1997. After some on/off rallying years I discovered the joy that is competing on multi-venue events when I entered the 2001 Polo Challenge. Now I know there is nothing to compare to going flat-chat through the woods trusting 100% on your co-driver and your seat-of-the-pants skill. My first foreign event was competing on the closed public roads of Belgium in 2001, with my first International drive being the Ulster Rally in 2002. My WRC debut was as a co-driver to Chris Melling on Wales Rally GB 2005. I finally managed to start a WRC event as a driver on Wales Rally GB 2007.
About Me
Some photographs of me
The eyes have it
The man in Rally Mode
Looking to the future :-)
More information
I grew up in Saltcoats before work brought me to Cambridge via some student years in Leeds.
Some achievements
2001 Pirelli Spirit of the Polo Challenge award
2002 Sony Commitment to Rallying award
2003 Rallye Sunseeker : Mintex Best Improvement in Seeding award
2003 Astra Stages : Mintex Best Improvement in Seeding award
2006 MSA British Rally Champion R1 Co-driver
My short-term ambition is to have a clean run on a rally, where I get to the end of an event with no possible reason for making an excuse :-)
My ambition for the future is to compete in the Dakar, In my view it is the ultimate in “stage” rallying.
The rally cars I have competed with:
Renault 5 GT Turbo
N1 VW Polo
1400cc Peugeot 205
N4 Mitsubishi EVO VI
N3 Vauxhall Astra
N4 Subaru Impreza