New car, new image, same goal

They might look slightly different this time round, but the TQ-sponsored team are back for the Trackrod Rally Yorkshire next month gunning for points.

Since parting company from RED’s Toyota S2000R after the Ulster International Rally at the start of September, David Higgins and Ieuan Thomas have been inundated with offers of cars to compete in on the Trackrod – and they have finally made their decision on which one to use.

“We have entered the rally in a Subaru Impreza,” says David. “It’s the one Nasser Al-Attiyah used in the Production World Rally Championship round in Greece this year.

“The Autotek Motorsport team are keen to run the car on a British event, and we are keen to continue the year with a good car and a professional team set up. I’ve already had a seat fitting for the car, and we will test both my Subaru and my team mate Hugh’s Mitsubishi again ahead of the rally.”

David is unsure if this will be a one off drive in the Autotek Motorsport car or if he will use it again on Wales Rally GB, which forms the final two rounds of the British Rally Championship, in December. “Either way we hope to finish the year in a Subaru Impreza,” says David.

The team, consisting of David and Ieuan, and TQ Education and Training boss Hugh Evans and Iestyn Williams in their Mitsubishi Lancer E9, will run under the team name TQ.com for the rest of the season. They carry forward the points they gained earlier this year as the TQ RED team and currently lie third in the BRC teams championship.

Trackrod Rally Yorkshire takes place on 6th October, based at the Pickering Showground.

Toyota S2000R withdrawn from the BRC

In today's Motorsport News you will have read that RED are withdrawing the Toyota S2000R from the British Rally Championship. It was an amicable agreement between RED, David and Hugh.

David and Hugh will continue to contest the rest of the BRC as a two car TQ team. Hugh will continue to drive his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo9 while David is yet to confirm what car he will contest the Trackrod Rally and Wales Rally GB in.

More news to follow soon.

The Ulster ends early

The Ulster Rally dealt David Higgins another blow last weekend when he had to use superally regulations to finish the event in the TQ RED Toyota S2000R.

Before the rally David had said it was an event he liked but it had never been very good to him, this year was no different. After losing their intercom connection in the first stage, David and his co-driver Ieuan Thomas suffered from steering lock problems and overshot a junction in stage six.

“It all made for a hectic opening night,” said David. “When I turned left, then turned right the steering locked completely.”

The TQ RED team changed David’s steering rack in the Friday night service leaving things looking more positive for the Saturday stages. But on the way to the first stage of the day they lost power steering fluid leaving them with no power steering. Then on the second stage the car stopped.

“At junction 12 of stage eight the engine cut out,” said David. “We got on the phone to the team to ask advice and tried everything they told us but the car wouldn’t start. A mechanic came out to us and was able to start the car. Something he did made a fuse pop out and when it was replaced the car started. But it popped out again on our way back to service. It could have been a wiring problem.”

“This was our last chance to go for the championship," said David. "But we’ve had three non finishes now.”

David’s TQ team mate Hugh Evans also used superally rules to finish after he rolled in the same stage David stopped. They took team points off Mitsubishi’s Guy Wilks who had retired earlier in the event with transmission problems. The TQ RED team lie third in the points, just 14 points behind Mitsubishi. In the drivers championship David lies 11th and Hugh is 14th.

Ulster Rally update: the rally ends early

Unfortunately David and Ieuan's battle for BRC points has ended in stage eight of the Ulster Rally.

Mid way through the stage electrical problems led to the engine cutting out. They were still fourth in the BRC points when it happened, but only five seconds behind third placed Philip Morrow.

It was a bad stage for the TQ RED team as David's team mate Hugh Evans and co-driver Iestyn Williams rolled in the same stage.

More news later...