Shanghai success

TQ driver David Higgins and his co-driver Ieuan Thomas got their 2007 season off to the best possible start by winning the Shanghai Rally in China last weekend.

The event is part of the Chinese Rally Championship which the duo will contest in a Mitsubishi Lancer E9 this year, alongside an assault on the British Rally Championship in their TQ RED Toyota.

After the first leg of the event Higgins and Thomas were second overall, just one second behind fellow Brit Martin Rowe, but on the second leg they took the lead and Martin fell down the order to finish fourth.

"Leg one went really well," said David. "We only dropped to second behind Martin on the last loop of stages because we took the wrong tyre. But it was only one second so we didn't worry."

"Leg two went like a dream. We had a plan, we stuck to it, and it was the perfect day with no problems. We backed off a bit on the last two stages, and won by 18 seconds. The Hankook tyres performed well under difficult conditions."

Local Chinese driver Xu Lang finished the event in second place.

Because David is British he cannot score drivers points in the championship, but does take top points for the WY Rally Team in their battle for the teams title.