THIS Christmas marks the end of a highly successful year for Macclesfield rally duo Simon Tuckman and Shaun Hughes.
The Autolink Motorsport team have just completed a memorable season, in which they overcame blizzards, burned-out pistons and emergency surgery to finish as runners-up in the ten-event British Trial and Rally Drivers Association (BTRDA) Forest Series.
Their campaign was a battle from start to finish, with their 16-valve MkII Ford Escort suffering early petrol loss after a broken plate in the fuel tank.
The pair, with Tuckman driving and Hughes navigating, also had to contend with an exhaust setting alight partway through a stage, a damaged distributor, broken gearbox, snapped rotor arm and burnt pistons.
All of these culminated in them having to completely rebuild the engine.
Tuckman’s cable-tie expertise was called into action on several occasions and they would have been out of the running without his handiwork.
Two days before the Woodpecker rally in September, Hughes was rushed to hospital and went under the knife for an emergency appendectomy.
The team’s former co-driver, Rick Ekin, stepped in and, just hours after being discharged from hospital, Hughes was determined not to miss the event altogether and navigated in the chase car instead.
Despite their many obstacles, the Autolink team ended the season in second spot.
The team is supported by a loyal service crew, also from Macclesfield and backed by sponsorship from Protec, Autofactors and The Valvoline Oil Company.
The team is hoping for better fortunes as they challenge for the title again next year.
