Inside line

Mark Higgins

‘RAC’ Rally Winner

How did you feel before the start?

The last time I drove a rear-wheel-drive car on a forest rally was back in 1988, so it was a bit of a culture shock for me!

What was the rally like?

The atmosphere has been brilliant. It’s been tough with the conditions we’ve had. We never had one consistent stage. The ice was tricky, but the fog was horrible. The ice was bad on Monday morning, but it got better as the day went on. We built up more of a lead during Monday and were able to look after the car.

How was Kielder forest?

I like it in Kidder and the condition of the roads was very good. The stages were smooth and suited the cars. You’ve got to drive these cars with reliability in mind. But the Escort was absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t fault it at all. We beat the bogey on the long Pundershaw stage by 56secs. We actually caught Stig Blomqvist over the finish line.

Did you encounter any problems during the rally?

We went down a firebreak in the second run through Bewshaugh. Fortunately there were plenty of spectators there and without them we wouldn’t have got back on.

Would you do it again?

Definitely, without a doubt. I’d love to do this again next year. I’ve really enjoyed driving the car and I just hope that one day we end up having rear-wheel drive back again at the top of the sport. It’s been an amazing event and made me realise again why! started rallying.