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News
The Retro Rallycross teamed up with Haynes of Maidstone to the delight of the hundreds of spectators who visited their static display at round 1 of the 2013 FIA European Rallycross Championship (IMG’s RallycrossRX) at Lydden Hill over the Easter weekend. The first ever European Rallycross Champion, John Taylor joined the Retro team as the sport celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ERC.
Four decades after he was crowned the first ever European Rallycross Champion, JT was back on the Lydden Hill Circuit in a replica of the car that brought him that 1973 victory; the Haynes of Maidstone liveried Ford Escort MK 1.
John Taylor’s career path changed after an accident halted his chance of becoming an award winning Jockey, which resulted in him changing one horse power for another. What turned out to become Horse racing’s loss and our gain, saw Taylor pip Rod Chapman to the post after a season long battle of seven rounds that resulted in them starting the final event on equal points. Taylor whose driving style could not have been more different to that of Chapman went on to be crowned European Rallycross Champion after a breathtaking finale that did not separate the pair until the last race in the 1973 series.
Sat in centre stage on the Retro stand the MK1 was joined by John’s own Mk2 Rally championship winning Escort, which had kindly been loaned by Haynes of Maidstone, who maintain links to Rallycross through their association with Team Principal Shirley Gibson. The Taylor celebration was topped off by the appearance of a replica of his Rallycross Ford Fiesta. Taylor was so impressed with the display that was designed to celebrate his 40 years involvement in Rallycross and especially so the MK1 which he says he enjoyed driving at the time as he was reminded of those days sat in the immaculate car that has been built by Mark Williams for use in the 2013 Ripla.co.uk Retro Rallycross Challenge.
The Marc Griffin Ford Fiesta had JT so fooled that he asked Shirley Gibson during their Lunch together on Sunday if the car was the actual one he had once owned. Praise in deed for the amount of effort that Marc has put in to make the car look the part for the series.
Other Team members who supported the weekend consisted of Barry Stewart in his Porsche 911, Ray Morgan‘s Super Fast Ford Escort MK3, and the impressive looking Mini of Russell Crampton who is the new boy to the series.
The RS200 of Bill Watson, which is currently for sale, proved to be popular with visitors to the stand. Bill builds RS200 and Audi Quattro Replica’s in his RS Motorsport workshops in Kent and the finished product is to a very high standard. John Taylor commented that he has “seen many reproductions of the popular group B car but none that better the workmanship and finish of the Bill Watson version”.
The next appearance of the Retro Team will be at Knockhill on 12 May. Other dates to look out for are:
13/14 July – Retro Rallycross v Classic Hot Rod Challenge Lydden Hill
25/26 August – The John Taylor/Haynes of Maidstone Festival Lydden Hill
All photographs thanks to and © of Trevor Coulson