JASON BLACK
Age: 20 From: Armagh Junior Border Rally champion, and also very rapid in a 1600cc Toyota Starlet
He was born into a rallying family
“My dad, Brian Black, has been rallying for the past 40 years so it was hard to avoid in our house. I’ve been supporting him at rallies for as long as I can remember. Then I started videoing at events for Black Motorsport Videos, attending upwards of 30 rallies a year. I started competing myself when I was 14-years-old doing rallysprints in a Peugeot 106. I didn’t do many events for the first couple of years as I wasn’t earning much at the time. Then I sold the 106 to make way for a Toyota Starlet bodyshell.”
He then built up a Toyota Starlet
“I bought the Starlet bodyshell in May 2013. Progress was slow at the start until I finished school and got a job. After that, I built it up as quickly as I could afford to. It was a team effort to get it finished, but thanks to the hard work of my dad, my brother, and Gerry Buckley it all came together nicely, ready for the 2017 season.”
He thinks the Starlet is better than a Mk2
“Dad has had a Starlet for almost 20 years and my interest kind of sparked from that. At a young age I attended a lot of rallies with MS Motorsport, which looks after the Moffett Starlets. That added to my love of them. A major advantage of a Starlet is how nimble and lightweight it is compared to a Ford Escort Mk2.”
Junior rallying in Ireland is tough
“It is one of the most competitive classes in Ireland. Clubs and championships have set up some good prizes, which is very helpful for young people starting out. This year I thought it would be a steep learning curve but I seem to adapt quite quickly to listening to pacenotes as the results have shown. I’ve had numerous class wins as well as securing Junior class honours in the Border Rally Championship.”
One year at a time “For next year my focus is on the Junior National Rally Championship with the aim of getting a Billy Coleman Award nomination and the €60,000 prize [£53,000]. I would like to do the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship too if I can get the budget.”