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email : dave@davehemingway.net
 
   
Dave Hemingway : Driver
I’ve been rallying now since 1989 when we used to compete in night events on the public roads. In 1990 I started hillclimbing in my self built Dutton Phaeton and sort of fell into rallying in 1993 when a spate of bad news encouraged me to blow all my life savings on converting the road rally car into a stage rally car. It all happened in the space of three weeks and by the end of June we were celebrating last overall on the Dukeries Forest Rally.
I’m a civil engineer by trade but currently work as a beauty therapist’s assistant. Karen my partner is a beauty therapist and I assist her. We actually run a quite successful specialist cosmetics company selling permanent make up and eyelash extensions. Karen and I are both directors of the company, which takes up much of our time and spare time to run. In my spare time, I like to race or rally. In Karen’s spare time, she likes to do more work.
My best rallying result was to win the RAC Rally in 2008 and I have also enjoyed a handful of podiums in national and clubman’s rallies for both two wheel drive and open categories.
   
Navigators
There’s no permanent navigator in the team. I suppose it all depends who’s free and who has a bit of cash spare. If you’re wanting to get into the sport and have some cash to flash, why not get in touch and we may be slithering round a forest or an airfield together before you know it.
   
Simon Ashton : Navigator
Assumes the most important supporting role of the season by sitting in the car for the RAC Rally. Simon and I go back years to our road rallying days when we shared the duties behind the wheel and behind the maps. Our best result together prior to the 2008 AC win was to win the 1993 Three Swans rally with the roles reversed. Simon driving his Peugeot 205 XS and me in charge of a map 106.
Simon lives in Vaxjo with his Swedish Nymphomaniac girlfriend and commutes to the UK for rallying, as well as enjoying a bit of Volvo bashing over there. Simon is always pleased to come over to do the RAC as it’s often the only event of the year where he gets past stage 2. (cough)
   
Pud
Chris Wood, Paul Wood, Pud. Call him what you will. It’s him that makes it possible to do what we do today. Pud’s mechanical skills are excellent and he certainly knows how to screw a car together. We know how to screw them up, Pud knows how to screw them together.
Pud is the technical genius at Woodfield Garage and ably assisted by brother Stu in the customer services department and Fatha Graham in accounts and administration, we have a perfect team for building and looking after rally cars. Despite it’s advancing years and the inset of tinworm, my car is a credit to them and although Pud is not proud of the car in it’s current rippled form, he certainly made a good job of the preparation and its readiness for every eventuality.
Pud is also by far the best driver in our team and club and possibly in one of the fastest privateers in the North of England and pedals his own Astra to many a podium position against far superior opposition.
   
Steve Carter
After a couple of decades of involvement in motorsport, Steve has finally succumbed and is now on the lookout for a rally car of his own. He claims to have never driven a rear wheel drive car in his life so will unfortunately be opting for a front scratter but nobody’s perfect. Steve is usually kept busy as chase car driver or service crew but has on one occasion jumped into the navigator’s seat but unfortunately, a standard sized rally car is too small to carry his lunch box so he prefers to opt for the van or the estate car. Steve acts as chase car driver and service crew on the RAC rally.

 
   
Simon Law
We share Simon with other teams but his dedication to ours on the RAC and other events during the year has been wonderful. His ability on the maps is legendary and dates back to days of old when he used to co-drive a V6 two door Cortina in the 1970s. Simon’s role is usually one of chase car navigation but is always more than willing to get on his back in the mud, not that our car ever needs that sort of treatment, of course. Simon still reminisces about the days of the proper RAC in the early 80s where typically, the service crew would be lucky to get more than a half a dozen hours sleep throughout the duration of the event. The six hours a day when they brought in “office hours” rallying was simply luxury.
   

Mick Yeomans
Another team member to be building his own rally car but Mick has been on with this for at least ten years and is still on with the shell so we shouldn’t be too worried about losing a team member or gaining any competition in the immediate future. Mick has been in the team since the first RAC back in 2004 when one of his roles was rear jack man. He was later relieved of this role following conflict with “front jack man” as when both roles were operated simultaneously, some pretty precarious feats of car balancing were required. Mick navigates the auxiliary management car on the RAC
   
Guy Waddington
No longer the silver fox thanks mainly to Silvergon Hair Products. Guy is known as sticker maker man as he developed and maintained the Rothmans stripes on the infamous car. Surprise surprise but Guy is building a rally car. Another Mk 2 Escort to join the throng in the not too sudden future but with Guy’s current booming business success in the printing world, he’ll soon have the work on the rally car farmed out to a professional outfit and just visit it in his RS2000 road car. Guy normally supplies and drives the auxiliary management car on the RAC
   
Rob From Watsons
New for 2009 is Rob from Watsons. We don’t think he will be able to fill the gap left by Bob Yeomans who’s been in the service van with Pud for the last few years so we’re going to call him Bob as well. Rob is actually a seasoned veteran on the RAC (well he did it last year servicing for Ray Barnes and Geoff Watson who did it in a Mini) so getting up at Stupid o’clock and freezing your chads off in Kielder Forest will come as no surprise to him. More dirt on the new Bob when we have uncovered it.
   

Jim Plevey
Jim is the retired navigator who used to do every single event in the co-driver’s seat but following an injury to his back in 2006 has opted for an easier life redeveloping his home and spending time with his young family. Jim stands in as navigator on occasions just to keep his hand in and the adrenaline flowing and also comes out to help disrupt the servicing plans on rallies due to his piss poor sense of direction and timing.
   

Matt Coggins
 Matt’s major role is in the MR2 roundy roundy department. It’s his fault that I’m circuit racing as he lent me his car for one race and I caught the bug. Matt has navigated for me a few times in the last year or so and was on the maps during the inversion on the Riponian in March 2009. Matt is also building an Escort for rallying but his is a Mk 1.
   

Graham Wood
 Not Pud’s dad from Woodfield Garage. Another Graham Wood. Graham Wood the joiner. He rallies a Chevette and is quite rapid and is often on hand to help out with the rallies or to offer the services of the Transporter GTI which is the fastest van in the world but won’t fit a ladder in it.
   
Mark Sayer
Mark joined the team in 2005, being the bloke who works with computers he builds and maintains the website. If you get any photos of us out on events then send them to Mark and he'll get them online.

Mark also runs MPPIX Photography