Mintex Rally Special Time
Mintex Rally Special Time
Table of Contents
Mintex Rally Special Time
My Days Supporting Rally Cars with Goodyear Tyres
Looking back over more than sixty years in the tyre trade, there have been many memorable moments. Some have involved customers, some have involved unusual vehicles, and some have involved opportunities that taught me lessons which I still use today.
One of those opportunities came during the mid-1970s when I was working as a depot manager for Tyreservices in Huddersfield.
At the time, Tyreservices was owned by Goodyear Tyres, one of the biggest names in the tyre industry. I had recently returned to work following my serious fire service accident and was determined to get on with life and build a successful career in the motor trade.
Little did I know that my interest in tyres was about to take me into the exciting world of rallying.
A Chance Introduction to Rallying: Mintex Rally Special Time
My involvement started quite by accident.
One of our customers was involved in local rallying and would regularly call at our depot with rally wheels and tyres. He would ask us to swap tyres around, repair wheels and help with various tyre-related jobs.
In return, he offered to place our company stickers on his rally car.
Many rally drivers in those days were self-funded enthusiasts. They paid for their cars, fuel, repairs and competition entries from their own pockets. There were no huge budgets and very little glamour. Most competitors simply loved the sport.
The rally driver would often leave his wheels and tyres with us, allowing us to work on them when we had spare time.
As a result, I gradually became interested in rallying.
Not so much the driving side of it, but the tyre side.
I found it fascinating how different tyres could completely transform a vehicle’s performance depending on the weather, the road surface and the conditions.
Goodyear Becomes Involved
Word soon got around within the company that I was taking an interest in rally tyres.
One day my area manager told me about a rally team that Goodyear was supporting.
The driver was one of Britain’s leading female rally competitors, Krissy Ashford.
Krissy was competing in a Ford Escort Mk2, one of the most successful rally cars ever built.
Like many people involved in motorsport during that era, she was highly respected throughout the rallying community. Sadly, Krissy passed away a few years ago, which was very sad news. She was not only a talented rally driver but also a genuinely nice person.
When the opportunity arose to help support the team, I immediately volunteered.
The Famous Mintex Rally: Mintex Rally Special Time
The biggest event I became involved with was the famous Mintex Rally.
At the time, it was one of the major events on the British rally calendar.
The rally was held in North Yorkshire, not too far from where I lived, and attracted many of the country’s top competitors.
The conditions were often extremely demanding.
I particularly remember the snow and ice.
Many of the events took place during winter, and the weather could be brutal. Competitors would tackle forest stages, country roads and challenging terrain whilst battling freezing temperatures and slippery conditions.
For tyre engineers and tyre fitters, it was the perfect environment to learn.
The Goodyear Support Truck
One of the most impressive sights was the enormous Goodyear support truck.
This was not a small service van.
It was a huge articulated vehicle loaded with spare tyres and wheels.
The side of the truck folded down to create a working area where several tyre-fitting machines were mounted.
I seem to remember there being around four tyre-fitting machines available for use.
The overnight service stops were often held on Scarborough seafront, where teams would gather after a long day of competition.
Whilst most people were heading off for food and a warm bed, we were preparing tyres.
The atmosphere was incredible.
There would be rally cars arriving covered in mud, snow and grime. Mechanics would be carrying out repairs whilst tyre crews prepared wheels and tyres ready for the next day’s stages.
Learning About Rally Tyres: Mintex Rally Special Time
What amazed me most was the variety of tyres available.
Goodyear produced specialist tyres for different conditions.
There were heavily treaded winter tyres designed to bite into snow and mud.
There were tyres for loose gravel stages.
There were tyres for wet conditions.
There were even tyres that looked almost bald compared to ordinary road tyres, designed for dry tarmac special stages where maximum grip was required.
This was long before the internet and YouTube.
The only way to learn about these products was to see them being used in real-world conditions.
I learned a tremendous amount.
Built Like Nothing Else
One thing that still stands out in my memory is how heavily built the rally tyres were.
Compared with modern tyres, they seemed incredibly heavy.
The sidewalls were exceptionally strong and designed to withstand punishment that would quickly destroy an ordinary road tyre.
Fuel economy was not the priority.
Survival was.
The tyres needed to cope with rocks, potholes, forest tracks, rough ground and freezing conditions.
Many of today’s tyres are far lighter and more efficient, but those old rally tyres were built to take a tremendous amount of punishment.
Lessons That Stayed With Me: Mintex Rally Special Time
The experience taught me lessons that I still use today.
I learned how tyre compounds affect grip.
I learned how tread patterns influence performance.
I learned why selecting the correct tyre for the conditions is so important.
Most importantly, I learned that tyres are far more than simple black rubber circles.
They are highly engineered products designed to perform a specific task.
Whether it is a rally car tackling a snowy forest stage or a family car driving through Halifax on a wet winter morning, tyre choice matters.
A Great Talking Point
When I returned to my depot in Huddersfield, the rally experience became a great talking point with customers.
People were fascinated by the stories.
They wanted to know about the cars, the drivers, the tyres and the conditions.
In many ways, those experiences helped shape my future career in the tyre industry.
Even today, many years later, I still find myself talking about those days.
They were exciting times for a young man working in the tyre trade.
Looking Back: Mintex Rally Special Time
When I look back now, I realise how fortunate I was.
Not many tyre depot managers had the opportunity to work alongside a major manufacturer such as Goodyear at one of Britain’s leading rally events.
The experience gave me knowledge that could never be learned from a textbook.
It also gave me memories that have stayed with me for the rest of my life.
The Mintex Rally may have been many years ago, but whenever I see an old Ford Escort rally car or hear people discussing rally tyres, my mind immediately returns to snowy nights on Scarborough seafront, a giant Goodyear support truck and the excitement of helping keep a rally team on the road.
Those truly were great days in the tyre trade. Also, we became well known at Tyreservices Huddersfield for helping young and amateur rally drivers to fit and repair their rally tyres free of charge.