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Name: Gordon Noble |
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Favourite food: Well-done steak
Favourite drink: Tea or Guinness
Favourite motorsport paper / magazine: Motoring News / Carsport
Favourite sports person (other than rallying): Joey Dunlop
Favourite film star: Clint Eastwood
Favourite holiday destination: Disneyworld ( big child’s playground)
Which TV sports programmes do you watch: RPM. World Motorsport, any motorsport programme I find
How did you start out: Competing in navigation rallies after being a member of the Ulster Polytechnic motor club while a student.
First driver you sat with: Kenneth Murray
First event: North Armagh navigation rally in Sept 84 driving a TR7
Type of licence held: International
Which motor club do you belong to: Omagh and Donegal
Do you contribute towards your rallying: Time, blood, sweat and tears
Have you ever driven on a rally:
Yes, in navigation and stage events Navigation events in various cars, represented Northern Ireland on inter-association events in UK.
Some stage rallies in an Avenger and a Sunbeam, but never finished higher than 3rd in class
Did you ever marshal on events?
When and where?: Yes, I am a licensed Clerk of the Course and organise at least one event per year (Bushwhacker)
I also marshal, time, results, act as steward or generally assist at a few others
How many events do you get to watch? (eg. per year): About 1 or 2
How many rallies do you take part in? (eg. per year): About 10
Have you competed abroad?
Where and when?: In Spain, Gran Canaria, Hungary, Belgium, Greece, France
Favourite rally car: Escort BDA or Lancia Stratos
Favourite rally drivers: Ari Vatanen / Markku Alen / Henri Toivenen
Favourite rally co-driver: Apart from me? Rory Kennedy
Favourite bit of road or forest: Kindrum / Fanad / Knockalla loop ( Donegal) on a sunny day
Do you prefer pace notes or map reading events?: Either, maps for Co-driver input, notes are safer and faster
Things you dislike about rallying?: Cost, Apathy amongst competitors and spectators towards organising and assisting in the running of the sport. If you get something out of the sport you should put something back in
Who do you think will win this year’s World Rally Championship?: Gronholm again
Drivers you have sat with: 51 so far are - Roy Alcorn, Herby Blackburn, Sam Bowden, Derek Boyd, Gavin Campbell, Trevor Cathers, Daniel Conaghan, Anthony Donnelly, Robert Drysdale, George Elliott, Neil Fletcher, Mark Fisher, Stanley Gordon, Ian Giboney, Rory Galligan, Ken Graham, Kevin Harley, Eamon Harvey, Paul Harris, Mervyn Hill, Angus Hunter, Garry Jennings, Mervyn Johnston, Tony Kearns, Rory Kennedy, John Leinster, Robin Lyons, Niall Maguire, Stephen Mawhinney, Kris Meeke, Gary Milligan, Jimmy Mills, Des Moore, Kenny Murray, Ronnie McCartney, Peter McCullagh, Derek McGarrity, Robbie McGurk, Denzil McKimmon, Kenny McKinstry, Sam McKinstry, Niall McShea, Hugh O’Brien, Kevin O’Kane, Eric Patterson, Kevin Shaw, Jeremy Shields, Richard Smyth, Philip Young.
Best driver you have ever sat with?: Who knows?
Best result: The first win on a navigation rally, which gave me the confidence to continue.
Worst result: Failing to finish Acropolis 2000, retired on SS3……
Championships contested: Navigation and stage championships in N Ireland 1980’s. Tarmac Championship in Ireland, 1989 to 2000. British Rally Championship 1991, 1995, 1996. Seat super six 1998. Peugeot Super 106 1999
Best Championship result: Group N victory in both British Championship and Irish Tarmac Championship in 1995
Best rally memory: First sight of Walter Rohrl in a "short Quattro " on Ulster in 1985. The speed, sound, braking capacity were awesome, and beyond what I had comprehended was possible, up to that point in time
Strangest incident on a rally: Hitching a lift with 2 Australian tourists in a hire car (who were lost) while trying to book into a stage arrival without the rally car in Killarney 1992.
They had no idea what was happening, but they quickly drove me a mile and a bit and left me where I wanted to be. I abandoned them amongst traffic chaos on a closed road and never saw them afterwards!!
I succeeded in clocking in at the correct time, nearly 30 minutes before the rally car arrived!!!
Biggest accident: Ulster 1998, Trevor Cathers in Evo 5 went off whilst flat in 5th over a small bump…. Etc..
Achievements gained from rallying: Many good friends, lots of memories, hours of adrenaline rush
How could you improve your ‘own’ current performance?: Get fitter, learn more, do more events to gain more experience. Have the time available to devote to more effort
How could you improve your current driver’s performance?: Get him as many miles as possible in a rally car in competitive conditions. Add to his experience and confidence behind the wheel.
If you had £50,000 to spend on rallying, what would you do?: Waste it on a car for myself, and rally until the funds were done. I probably would not win anything, but I’d have lots of fun
Where would you most like to compete (in the world): On a WRC stage past my front door. Or anywhere I have not been before
Which rally would you most like to compete in?: Safari
Which driver(s) would you most like to co-drive for?: Anyone who is fast, committed, professional in their approach, and will take me with them. The next World Champion would be a good start
Ambition in rallying for the future: 1 Compete in WRC, 2 Compete in events at the highest level possible, both status of event and driver combination, 3 Be competitive
What would you like to put back into rallying?: I already have run navigation classes for Omagh MC, and will do some again in the future.
Which up-and-coming rally driver can you recommend?: Rory Galligan, Kris Meeke, Garry Jennings are all fast
Which up-and-coming rally co-driver can you recommend?: Me, Rory Kennedy or Stella Boyles (we have not reached the top yet)
What would be the best tip you could give to other co-drivers?: Make sure the driver gets at least the result he deserves. Keep focused, be organised, think ahead, don’t relax, Know your objectives, stay within reasonable limits of your capabilities, be polite if you can, remember it’s a sport.
These questions are based upon the profile in www.rallycodriver.co.uk