Driver John Harrison and Co-Driver Simon Wallis take their 1974 Saab 99 EMS to 26th place out of 90 on the Ypres Classic Rally in Belgium in June 1999, despite losing a couple of minutes after going backwards into a cabbage field on the second leg.

 

Driver Mike Fewings and Co-Driver Simon Wallis on the Mid Wales Stages in 1998 in their Saab 96 V4. Differential failure on the second stage led to an early retirement.

Driver Mike Fewings and Co-Driver Simon Wallis on their way to 1st Overall on the Astra Historic Stages in Clocaenog, North Wales in April 1998 in their Saab 96 V4. The wintry conditions were ideal for the Saab, and after passing two cars on the opening stage, they were never seriously troubled for the rest of the day. Their maiden victory was nearly ruined when a marshall's car stuck in the snow blocked the stage.

Back to Killarney again for the Rally of the Lakes, Driver Chris de Fortis and co-driver Simon Wallis won 1st Mainland European Crew as well as class N2 in their 1600cc Honda Civic VTi.

 

A low-flying group N Skoda Favorit on the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, Ireland in May 1996. Co-driver Stuart Leach and driver Simon Wallis took 3rd place in class against much more powerful opposition.

Photo by Robert O'Mahony
 

Driver Simon Wallis and Co-Driver Melanie Sadler at Snetterton racing circuit in Norfolk, in the pouring wet Old Oak Stages in 1996.

 

July 1995 saw Driver Simon Wallis and Co-driver Kath Woodman take 36th overall out of 71 on the Rallye Bohemia, a co-efficient 5 round of the European Rally Championship based near the Skoda factory in Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. Also competing in a Skoda on this event was former World Champion Stig Blomqvist, who finished 2nd in his Felicia Kit Car.


video of finish ramp (2400kb)

Driver Simon Wallis and Co-Driver Melanie Sadler at Sculthorpe Airfield, Norfolk on the Midsummer Stages in 1995. On the penultimate stage, we spun on the first corner. Not realising that we had a rear puncture, we continued, to spin on the second and third corners too. Stopping to change the wheel lost us 3 minutes, and we finished 43rd out of 76.

Driver Simon Wallis and Co-Driver Neil Arnold on the 1995 Pirelli Cumbria Rally in Kielder Forest. At the pre-event weigh-in, we found that at 1010 kg we had the heaviest Skoda on the event. However, the car became significantly lighter when the sumpguard was ripped off on the opening pass through Pundershaw. On the last two stages, there were deep ruts left by previous competitors. Predictably, we holed the sump and the gearbox, but continued, to finish the 57 mile event in 20th overall.

Driver Simon Wallis and Co-Driver Mike Fewings on the Kall-Kwik Stages, the opening round of the 1995 Skoda Trophy. This was Simon's first drive on a special stage rally. On the final corner of the first stage, the Favorit ran wide on a fast left-hander, before clipping a tree stump which destroyed the driveshaft and suspension arm as well as the wheel and tyre.

Driver Gavin Rogers and Co-Driver Simon Wallis are caught out on slicks by a freak snow storm on the 1994 Circuit of Ireland Rally. On this, the longest tarmac rally in the world, a half-shaft failed at the start of the third day, causing instant retirement.

The Road Rally days: Driver Simon Wallis and Navigator Gavin Rogers take their Citroen Visa to 11th place overall on the Kent and Sussex Tour in 1991.

 

Driver Simon Wallis and Navigator Stuart Leach take their Citroen Visa to 2nd place in class and 12th place overall on the Aquae Sulis Rally, on their way to 4th place overall in the National Students Motorsport Championship.

 

At the end of the 1996 rally season, after two years with the group N Skoda, it was replaced with a 1988 Lotus Excel SE, the car Autocar described as "the best-handling front-engined car of the decade".

The rally team's recce/chase car is a Subaru Impreza Turbo.
Another favourite toy is this Honda CBR900RR FireBlade.