Mach 1 rally’s ace
The years have evaporated for a cheese-making champion returning to his rallying roots in his 60s. Co-driver, Chris Wareham, 63, the Campbeltown Creamery manager, who will compete in next month’s fifth Mach 1 rally on July 14 and 15, left rallying nearly two decades ago, after winning his class in the Scottish international. Mr Wareham, 63, said: ‘The co-driver will never win a rally but could certainly lose one.’ Recently, with rookie driver Jonathan MacDonald, from Glasgow, driving his first ever rally - Aberdeen’s Granites - Mr Wareham navigated the pair to 18th overall. Mr Wareham said: ‘I bought an entry level Peugeot 306 Gti-6 2.0 litre from another racer off eBay for £6,000. ‘As a co-driver you have to assess the driver’s ability. You have to learn his techniques, know his limits and be ultimately confident in his ability. ‘My most successful patch in the past was with Ian Griffin - we finished in the top 20 of the Scottish international rally for two years. It will be my first Mach 1 and we are hoping for a good crowd.’
Entries are filling up fast for this year’s Mach 1 rally with more than 80 teams confirmed. Among the teams will be Campbeltown Creamery manager, Chris Wareham, ticking his bucket list by competing in rallying again after nearly 20 years away from the sport. In the past Wareham has experienced some massive shunts and all the different dramas of rallying, although he hopes to have confined it to his past. He was lucky to escape with his life after one dramatic accident on the Rest and Be Thankful. Wareham was co-driver in a tiny Reliant Kitten, powered by a Mazda Rotary engine giving an effective capacity of 2.8 litres. ‘Near the top of the Rest’s Old Military road my driver John Graham was being held up by a car in front. ‘When he passed the slower car the red mist descended and there are two sharp left bends. ‘We negotiated the first successfully but after the second one rolled five times before plunging down a slope and ending up 60ft down wedged against a tree. ‘The trees on the slope had recently been felled and the stumps were left – I remember thinking any minute now the lights will go out.’ The pinnacle of Wareham’s career was two years competing in the Scottish International event and being placed in the top 20. He added: ‘Motorsport is unlike many other sports – ordinary mortals can compete against champions.’ On Monday night, organiser David Hattrick of Dunfermline Car Club, uploaded a spreadsheet of Campbeltown accommodation. The Courier learned from a rally driver that most rooms are already booked. The event is on the weekend of July 14 and 15.