Pirelli Prize a Bonanza for Ben

The long trip from Ipswich up to Carlisle proved to be a wise move for East Anglian Escort driver, Ben Friend, for not only did he finish an excellent 18th overall in the National A Historic category of the Pirelli Carlisle Rally but he was picked out as the lucky winner of the event’s “Road To Wales” initiative, bagging himself a free entry to November’s Wales Rally GB, the British round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Ben’s performance was quite remarkable as it was his first visit to the Kielder Forest stages and he was without his normal co-driver, Cliffy Simmons standing in for Ben’s regular partner, Sean Kennedy who was otherwise engaged running the London Marathon, his time of some 3½ hours being somewhat longer than the 53 minutes it took Ben to blast his Allglass Anglia backed car through the six stages of the rally. Ben has had a good start to his first tilt at the Mintex MSA British Historic Rally Championship, finishing all of the opening three rounds of the season and he will be hoping to increase his points tally when the series moves to Wales for the Severn Valley Stages. He intends to enter his Frank Richer prepared car in the National section of Wales Rally GB, the three day event will be a great opportunity to showcase his talents and everyone connected with the Pirelli Carlisle Rally will be following his progress with interest and wishing him the very best of luck.