Walmley Repair & Care

Motorsport

Our MD, Garry Preston is involved in many aspects of motorsport. As a result we support two local competitors in their endeavours.

Mike Jordan competes in the British Touring Car Championship in his very competitive Honda Integra.

The car is built and maintained by Mike’s own highly respected racecar preparation company Team Eurotech.

Please have a look at their web page, via the Links page, for more information, current results, championship positions and news items.
Walmley Repair and Care prepared and painted the bodyshell and repair the minor, hopefully, scrapes and bangs received during the season.

This car can be seen regularly on TV usually battling with the factory-entered cars at the front of the race field.

Walmley Repair and Care also help out Rallycross competitor Paul Barnes. He competes in national stock hatch series across the country.

This is a very competitive sport usually involving a lot of bumping, nudging and accidents. Needless to say he requires our services quite often!

Please have a look at the Rallycross web site via our Links page.

As well as supporting these competitors our MD Garry Preston has competed regularly in motorsport since the age of 13.

He still competes in Stage Rallies, Road Rallies, Enduro Rallies, Autotests, Autosolos, Classic Car Trials and Production Car Trials.

He is currently contesting the 2007 British Production Car Trial Championship along with his daughter Jo in her first year in motorsport.

Garry won the Championship outright in 196 in a Fiat Uno Diesel, becoming the only person to have won a British Championship in a diesel powered car.
Winning the British Trial and Rally Drivers Allrounders Championship in 1996 was another major achievement.

Between 1985 and 1991 Garry competed in the BTRDA Stage rally championship, co-driving for local rally driver Will Clarke. They won the 1600cc championship in 1986, followed by the two-litre championship the following year. This was accomplished in a self-prepared Mk2 Ford Escort.

They then built and prepared a Mk3 rear wheel drive Escort fitted with a Sierra Cosworth engine. With this car they won the championship outright in 1991.

This was followed by building a Peugeot 205 gti rallycar from a written off vehicle. They competed on The RAC Rally of Great Britain in 1995 and 1996. Finishing 42nd o/a on their first attempt from 180 starters. The second attempt saw them hit bad weather on the event but they finished 56th despite rolling the car in Wales.

Garry decided to change seats for future events and in a Mini 1275GT competed on the 1997 Le Jog Rally. This is reputedly the hardest event in the UK lasting 4 days and 3 nights starting from Lands End and Finishing in John’o’Groats. With the very experienced Mike Sones navigating the crew Finished 1st in class 2nd overall and won the concours award for the best period car and crew.

After this they have had many good results together on Road and Historic Rallies throughout the UK and Ireland. They also competed abroad on the Rally of the Tulips in Belgium finishing 5th o/a 1st in class. Finishing the 2004 inaugaral Roger Albert Clark, despite a roll in Scotland netted them the Spirit of the Rally Award.

For more information on local and National Events have a look at the links to Owen Motoring Club and British Trials and Rally Drivers Association.