Paul prepares to take on UK's toughest road rally

40-YEAR-OLD FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HULL HERO

- By TOM KEIGHLEY

A MOTORSPORT fanatic from South Cave is preparing to tackle the UK's largest road rally, following in the footsteps of a Hull hero more than 50 years before him.

Paul Woodford, who is well known in the world of rallying as a presenter and champion of the sport, says it is a "dream come true" to compete in Rali Cilwendeg - a gruelling and highly technical event which pits drivers and their navigators against special tests on private roads and farm tracks as well as navigational sections on public roads.

The overnight competition sees crews traverse miles in West Wales and is known to draw big crowds in scenes reminiscent of the sport's heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. And Paul, 40, is thought to be the first East Yorkshire driver to take on the revered event since driver Ron Shipp secured fourth place in 1974.

"It's been a bucket list item for such a long time and I never thought it would quite happen," Paul said. "It's really a lot of local Welsh crews that do it, because it's so specialised."

Paul thinks he'll have his work cut out to match Ron's top five place in his Vauxhall Firenza, which was sponsored by Thompsons of Hull. The former sales director at caravan company Swift Group, who died seven years ago, was a talented driver.

"The rallying was only part of his expertise," explained Alan Shipp, Ron's brother. "He was rallying from the early 60s until the mid-70s when he started to do caravan rallying - he was one of the best in the country."