Cruttenden: Jim Clark Rally

Joe Cruttendenin the Jim Clark Rally

With the help of local businesses, Newhey Rally Codriver, Joe Cruttenden, was able to compete in last weekends Jim Clark Rally.

Joe, a motorsport engineering student at the University of Central Lancashire, was not planning to compete in this year's Jim Clark rally, due to a lack of funding, but following last minute discussions with three local businesses, Milnrow Motor Co., MDS Towbars and Rochdale Online, Joe was able to enter, sitting along side Matthew Jackson in his Super 1000 Nissan Micra.

The Rally, the only rally on mainland Britain that uses closed public roads, started on Friday evening with two runs through the boarder town of Duns.

"Thousands of people lined the streets to watch the cars run through, the atmosphere was tremendous", said Joe.

The Rally re-started from Kelso Racecourse on the Saturday morning, with eight stages of fast road rallying lying ahead.

The lads, in the smallest car in the event, set some respectable times, pushing the little Micra to it limits. "We did not have the power of the bigger cars, which at times was advantage as we we able to keep the car on the road and not in the air over the rollercoaster lanes", commented Joe.

All was going well for the crew, and despite a visit in to a hedge on stage 6, the pair had moved up the field and were lying 1st in class and 5th overall. Their luck ran out on stage 8, when they lost drive,

"The driveshaft had popped out of the gear box, which left us without any drive", said Joe. "We attempted to fix the problem on the side of the road with the aid of a rock to knock the joint back in, but by this time we had lost all the gearbox oil.

"We had a good run, and had a great laugh entertaining the thousands of spectators who went out to watch this event.

"The Micra is a little flying machine and proved to be quite competitive, it was just a pity we couldn't finish with a class win." 

Joe added: "I would like to thank Milnrow Motors Co., MDS Towbars and Rochdale Online, for their support, without whom I would not have been able to compete."

Joe is now being mentored by Nick Grist, ex world rally champion, with whom he will be working  for the rest of the season.