MARTIN MEADOWS RETURNS TO RALLYING AFTER TWO DECADES
Former giant-killer to return with his son Tommi in the co-driver’s seat
BTRDA Gold Star title winner Martin Meadows will return to rallying for the first time in 20 years on the Woodpecker Rally in a Ford Fiesta R2 owned by his son, Tommi.
The Lancashire man has not driven competitively since the Bulldog Rally in 2002 but spent time recently at the Phil Price Rally School getting used to the Fiesta’s left-hand drive and sequential gearbox.
Meadows Sr was a leading driver in the BTRDA championship from the mid-1990s.
However, in 2000, he produced a giant-killing act in a 1600cc Proton Compact, outpacing the Class B12 (over-two-litre) Ford Escorts to become the last driver to win the Gold Star series in a two-wheel-drive machine. In 2003 he sold the car to concentrate on his family.
His son Tommi, who will co-drive on the Woodpecker, explained the outing came about as an excuse to use the Fiesta: “I bought the car in 2019 but since then work has taken priority and I am out of the country a lot, so it just sits in the garage.
“Dad supported me for years with my own driving and I knew he’d love another go. I’d been geeing him up for a while and when we found we were both free that weekend, we agreed to do it. I particularly wanted to sit in for his first rally to make sure he enjoys it and gets as much from the day as possible.”
Asked if this was a precursor to further drives, Meadows Jr added: “If it goes well, I’m sure he’ll become a regular on BTRDA rounds again. I’ll give it two or three rallies before he’s demanding fourwheel drive and more power!”