click to enlarge photo

co-driver; Jim Kerr

co-driver; Jim Kerr

co-driver; Jim Kerr

co-driver; Alan Clark

co-driver; Donald MacKinnon

co-driver; Alan Clark

co-driver, Dave Cabena

co-driver; Dave Cabena

Driver name -                  Chris Paton

Driver home town -         Lanark

Co-Driver name -            Dave Cabena

Co-driver home town -    Buckingham

Current rally car -            Vauxhall Nova 1600 GpA+

First rally car -                 Mini Van

Club History –  Joined Coltness Car Club in 1979. Elected (coerced) to committee in 1980. President of club for two years in 1984/5. Clerk of Course for Strathclyde Park Hillclimb from 1985 to 1989.

How many years have you been rallying –  First road rally as co-driver for my father (John Paton) in a Humber Sceptre was 1965. First road rally as driver in Mini van was 1967. First Stage rally in Mini Cooper 998 was the "Hackle" in 1970.

Best Result - Had a number of Scottish Championship class wins in the 1970's in a Mini Cooper and then a Cooper 'S' but my best result overall was 4th on the 1977 Tour of Mull. Came close to equalling this in 1997 on the Jim Clark Clubmans event finishing 5th overall and first in class in a Nova 1300.

Most embarrassing rally incident -  The Valantine Rally 1975. Co-driver Jim Kerr arrived without the maps so we proceeded to do the rally by following other competitors on the road sections (no such thing as a route book then). About half way through the rally we somehow arrived at the end of a stage instead of the start and had to turn and head off back down a single track public road to try to find the start. We came round a corner rather quickly to see a brand new Ford Capri coming towards us. Result; wing arch ripped off the Mini and a bare metal score for the full length of the Capri. Ouch.

Best excuse for a non finish - There is quite a long list that I would rather not re-visit, but the accidents are outnumbered by the mechanical breakdowns.