2007 by Phill Harrison

Well what a year 2007 turned out to be, I started a new job with Ramsport in Ruthin, in January of this year, 12 Countries, 24 Rallies, 23 flights and 16 ferry journeys later we have got to December already.

I seem to have spent most of the year either sat in airports, ferry terminals or actually on planes or boats, but it has all been worth it. Most of the events I have been to this year have been to look after young Andreas Mikkelsen  who is certainly going to be a star in the future.

He has done most of the European rounds of the World Championship and several rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship this year and plans to do the same again in 2008. We have had some highs this year with top 10 results on World Rounds, top 3 a couple of times in Ireland and a 1^st in Skibbereen and then we had the real lows, the worst being Andreas’ well published accident with the new car on Rally GB in November.

I started in January as one of the mechanics working on Andreas’ car but by the middle of the year was also doing some of the coordinating for the team, by the end of the year I am now the full time coordinator and don’t get involved with the cars very much now.

As coordinator it is my job to book all the hotels, flights and ferries and to make sure all personnel and vehicles are in the right place at the right time, the other side of my job is to  do the recce support for Andreas, this involves me being at the end of every stage on the recce to make sure that the car is ok and that Andreas and Ola are fed and watered, a job in itself because Andreas never stops eating.

The plus points to this part of the job are the fact that I get to see a lot more of the country we are visiting, a lot of the lads only ever see the airport and the service area then the airport again, the other plus is that I get to see Andreas and Ola in a more relaxed state than when they are competing. One such occasion when they were very relaxed was in Corsica, and the end of a stage they asked me to go and buy snorkels and goggles, end of next stage and they were in the sea as soon as possible, this went on for most of the day, the job at the end of the day was to try and dry out the seat in the recce car were he had been jumping in all day whilst soaking wet.

The one downside to all this is the fact that I haven’t done any competing myself, due to lack of time, but hey you can’t do everything, and I wouldn’t change this for anything.

One other highlight with this job is the fact that on occasion I get to sit in a World Rally Car on a test, that in itself is worth not competing.

Well I’m off to Norway testing on January the 3^rd for a week then a National event in Norway, home for a few days and then Rally Sweden, best dig the thermals out I suppose.

See you all on 19^th January at the Oriel House.

Phill