Welsh Driver Wins Six Year Disability Fight to Rally at Top Level

Grant Rees and Micra he can now use internationally

  

An amateur rally driver who has risen to the top of the sport despite having only one eye is celebrating after winning a six year fight for his international competition licence.

Grant Rees, aged 23, of Llanybydder, had cancer in his left eye at age 3 but he has won British autograss and rallycross championship titles, and holds a national rally licence.

Grant Rees and Micra he can now use internationally

  

An amateur rally driver who has risen to the top of the sport despite having only one eye is celebrating after winning a six year fight for his international competition licence.
Grant Rees, aged 23, of Llanybydder, had cancer in his left eye at age 3 but he has won British autograss and rallycross championship titles, and holds a national rally licence.

 

 In 2002 he was asked by the world governing body of motor sport, the FIA,  to demonstrate junior rallycross cars and the following year went on to win his class when the series started in Britain, but in 2004 Grant was stopped from getting his international licence by the FIA. They told him he did not meet the vision requirements for international competition and later refused his entry on the final round of the World Rally Championship, Rally GB, although it used the same stages he has rallied on over many years in national events. Off the rally and race tracks, Grant passed his UK driving test and the test for trailer driving at the first attempts in 2004. Grant's case was taken up by racing Lord Drayson, who is also partially sighted like Grant, and supported by the UK's Motor Sports Association, and their combined pressure and continuous lobbying by Grant meant his international rally licence has been awarded. Now he is planning what international series he will be doing in his Nissan Micra, which he and father Gary Rees have built in their garage business in West Wales. Grant said, "I am well chuffed. It is the kind of break you think will never come because everyone has been telling me I couldn't get the international licence right up to the point a few weeks ago when they conceded I could get an international licence. "Now I will be looking at my options for international rallying next year and want to pull together a sponsorship package." 

The Micra has been designed by father Gary Rees with the thought of running it as a 4 wheel drive machine, depending on the regulations regarding rallies in the near future. Gary said, "The car is ready for 4 wheel drive if we decide to go down that road, but for now it will stay as a 2 wheel drive car, Grant has just had his FIA International licence which may change our plans, we are in talks on possibly entering a few rounds of the IRC in a S2000 car, but I cannot say more than that at the moment". The Micra boasts a 2.0 Litre Nissan Primera touring car engine developing 280 bhp and hopefully the car will be in action in the Llandovery based forest's of Crychan and Halfway in January. Rees Racing are no strangers to building race cars having built and run Rallycross cars for the likes of George Tracy in his Metro 6R4 and the Mini cars for the Nesbitt's out in Ireland.  Grant himself won the Junior Autograss championship back in 2001 and then claimed the 2004 Rallycross junior championship in Rees Racing run cars.

© Image Gary Jones Rally Pics

Article Source - WheelsWithinWales.co.uk