Rio - Lima - Ushuaia - Rio
6 October - 29 November 2001
Born in North Wales, John now lives on the Isle of Man. While at university he had his first taste of rallying, and formed the university motor club. He gave up rallying in 1965, but finally returned - to stage rallying - in 1990, and later moved into historics. He has competed on five Monte Carlo Challenges and five LE JOGs, and last year carried off outright victory on the 2000 Mile Trial. He's always wanted to visit South America, and the Inca Trail seems to be an ideal opportunity. Co-driver Colin Francis - a retired Welsh Office civil servant - recollects a story that one of the ministers from the Welsh Office was amazed to find the hotels in Patagonia stocked Ty Nant Welsh water (the most expensive water anywhere, he claims). Colin is particularly looking forward to Patagonia - and, he says, to beating John Blanckley/Tony Davies: he has navigated for both within the past 12 months. The RS 2000 was bought virtually unseen about a year ago - and it turned out to be a real rust heap. One new floor and an overhauled chassis and engine later, it's ready for the Inca Trail. Though John didn't know when he bought it, the Escort happens to be an ex stage rally car, previously used on many Manx national, international, and club rallies.