Craig Drew returns to national rallying

Co-driver Craig Drew returned to a national championship event for the first time since 2013 when he partnered Damian Cole on the Harry Flatters Rally last weekend.

The duo overcame a first-stage off to win the event, which they last won together in 2010 in Cole’s 2005-spec Ford Focus WRC on their way to that year’s MSA Asphalt championship.

Drew now co-drives for David Higgins and Subaru in the Rally America championship, but with that series on a long break it proved to be an ideal time for him to return in Cole’s Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

“I started with Damian in 2007 in his Hyundai, so we did bits and pieces but in 2010 we did the Tarmac championship together and won that,” explained Drew.

“We’ve always kept in touch and we’ve done one-off events. He asked me if I’d do an event this year and it tallies with a break in our championship in America. I asked Subaru nicely and it went from there.”

The duo would have taken a win on the Tour of Epynt in 2013, Drew’s last event before Wales Rally GB in 2015, but for a tie-break.

“We finished on a tie-break with Steve Simpson but he won as he was quicker on the first stage,” he added. “Before that the last time I did it was Flatters in 2010 which we won. A six-year break between wins!”

Higgins and Drew lead the Rally America standings by 27 points over Troy Miller. The 2016 series concludes with the Ojibwe Forest Rally and the Lake Superior Performance Rally.