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This page contains what other people say about Billy. This page is probably the most interesting of the whole site to the casual observer. That
year with Billy the Kid! Then the last one. Circuit of Munster 1974, 'First Overall'. Of all the years, 1974 is the year to remember. You may ask why? Easy really! I spent a year full time looking after 'the Kid'. I returned from a spell in the USA and awaiting a visa for Canada when Billy Coleman wanted someone to take his car to Spain to the Firestone, a round of the European championship. Next
thing I was collecting ex-works Ford Escort in Manchester, a load of spares,
wheels, arranging insurance, and heading for Spain.
Dan Sullivan and Billy met me at boat in Bilbao, with the service/recce
car, and I was the service crew! A
one-man service crew against the European Works teams and some well financed and
well shod privateers. Sixth
place overall was the result, and Billy wanted me to stay to do the RAC
Championship for the year, and in his words, "we could win".
What a challenge? With
such an invitation who would argue? So
with the combined efforts of Dan O'Sullivan, Evan Hughes (who The car was brought back to Milstreet for the 'Munster' on the June holiday weekend to keep interest in the car and a possible Irish sponsorship deal, which never eventuated. I sat in the 'hot seat' with Billy Coleman and we cruised around Munster for two days. Dan and Evan, the 'Bacardi Brothers', had taken off to Spain for the weekend for break from the championship and left us with the Milstreet 'tweakers' to provide service, headed by 'Autie' O'Keeffe. The governing body of Motorsport in Ireland were having difficulty coming to terms with Pace Notes. At that time they were illegal. But needless to say there were those who knew we were on notes. As the navigator, 1 was enjoying the fastest ride of my life - down the Tim Healy Pass, and over other well worked stages, in one of Coleman's Escorts, with 'the Kid' at the wheel. Really everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime. Who was this Coleman anyway? I first came across him driving an Anglia 1200 in the Cork '20' with Dan O'Sullivan from Ballyvourney as his mentor. It was his first foray into the sport. At that time they were both in Cork University 'studying'? Mind
you the rallying was only part of the story.
Serious drinking was probably more important.
Anyone who doubts this should have a word with 'Dan the Man', who was
team leader in that part of any 'event'. Many
an early hour was spent at the Club Headquarters at Vernon Mount, and a few
events won and lost around the fire. I remember a few panels being bent after
these events. But I digress. Billy was hard to find, if ever, after an event.
Gone like a shot, back to farm the land he loved, and still loves around
Milstreet and Mallow. Or was it really that he knew he would be defeated by Dan,
in the after event challenge? Later in the distant sixties, Billy appeared in a
Cortina GT with
a 1600 engine. Then a Twin-Cam engine was used, which ended up in his first
Escort - the famous TIU 250. The
first of Coleman's Escorts started as a wreck from Patrickswell, Co. Limerick,
when a new front was put on and the Twin-Cam installed. It appeared in a rather
unfinished state, but not withstanding, gave Roger Clark a run for his money in
the Circuit before attacking the scenery (because of driver exhaust inhalation)
prior to the finish. But the word
was out, no longer a secret. Coleman
from Milstreet was one
of the quickest drivers around and the shy man had the potential to become the
best. In 1973 he bought his first ex-works Ford Escort from Chris Sciater, VVX
958L, which proceeded a ‘new’ ex-works Ford France MEV 36J with two litre
alloy block BDA, which 1 took delivery of the day the Welsh Rally started in May
1974. I still have the receipt! Evan
Hughes and I collect-ed the car from the Ford Competition Department at Boreham.
It was on a trailer and we were to take it directly to the rally start at
Cardiff. As luck would have it the
trailer burst a couple of tyres on the motorway to Cardiff and in order to get
to the start before it was too late. I had to take the car off the trailer and
drive it to the start.1 can’t remember objecting, but 1 can remember the drive
to Cardiff!! Evan arrived later
and, with a brand new car, which he had never seen prior to the start; Billy
Coleman came away with a second place to Markku Alen in a works Escort.
That was the class of ‘the Kid’. The entire RAC championship was just
that - a full season of events that required consistent application to the task
on hand by all concerned. The
objective was to take the title out of England.
Travelling through Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Ireland and England
honed the four of us into a unique nucleus.
We completed the task as required and competed in a number of other
events beside. The car was constantly being re-built after each event, or at
least as much as time permitted. One
thing that stands out in my memory from that year is the fact that 1 was the
only one to put a mark on the car. 1 chipped the paint with the jack handle in
Wales on the first event. Apart
from that there was not a scratch put on the car throughout the season. At the
end of that year, after the final event the RAC Rally in November, and the
coveted title in the bag for Billy and Dan, 1 got the first available plane out
to Australia to get way from the weather. Evan
Hughes decided to come out as well, and at the last minute his brother Gordon
joined us for the flight. We are
still here! And, there are few
regrets. To keep the hand in 1 go for an odd blast on the track, having been a
karter for some time. My most recent day out was in a Formula Ford. That trophy
does not yet require polishing. I am glad to say I can still beat the best on
the day. Day to day 1 drive a Subaru lmpreza 4WD Turbo 2000, registration number
TIU 250. That lights the fire now and On return trips to Europe 1 like to have a
look at a few of the old stage routes in France, Spain and Italy and of course
Ireland. I may not have travelled as far as Keats in his sonnet, but I have had
many more memorable times with the best mates’ that only a fabulous year of
rallying could bring together. ‘Many goodly mates and kingdoms seen’! Stephen Mills Mosman, Sydney, Australia
BILLY COLEMAN The
Main Attraction (Printed
in 1977 - 1978) If
you are not convinced that rallying is popular and pulling in the crowds in
their thousands, head off the next time you see that there is an International
taking place within our shores and see for yourself.
They are there in droves literally, waiting to catch a glimpse of the
cars screaming by. On mountain
sides, at cross roads and certainly in the villages they are out, reminding one
of Galway races, a Munster Final or Mass time on a Sunday morning at the parish
church! Let
me add that this is realty a recent happening.
Rally men and their cars and their fantastic performances on closed roads
special stages is a sight to behold. But even more so when there is a driver of
the standard of Billy Coleman to give it local and human interest. Yes indeed,
Billy the farmer from Millstreet, has added a whole new dimension to Irish
rallying since he first gained notoriety with his home-built Escortina in the
Circuit of Ireland 1969. There
are sad and joyous aspects to Billy's career in the rally world.
It can be justifiably claimed that he wasted time following that Easter
showing against the might of works pilots like Roger Clark and Paddy Hopkirk.
That drive, great and all as it was, got the young Coleman nowhere.
He still wanted the amateur game principally becau3e he wanted to - and
it was four years later before he struck out to utilise his rare talents to the
fullest by equipping himself with the same type of arsenal as the big bays. Even
then there was sadness in the story because few here in Ireland, perhaps with
the exception of Irish Shell and Irish Dunlop wanted to help.
Billy had to set his own targets, reach his own goals and finance his own
efforts in order to make the headlines for Millstreet, Cork, and Ireland.
That is where the joy of it all came in.
He made it without outside help. He
went on to become the British champion in 1974 and establish himself as one of
the best rally men in the business. He
was accepted as "Britain's Billy Coleman" time and oft across the
water, which was, proof positive that the garsun
from North-West Cork was something out of the ordinary. Since that British
championship win, there has been a Texaco award bestowed on him by the Sports
Editors of the National Press. One
year earlier they would have asked 'who is Billy Coleman? When he won two Benson
and Hedges Circuits and the Henly Forklift Galway International he was home and
dried - a national motor sport here and the greatest crowd puller since his
fellow county-man Christy Ring was wielding a caman.
In a nutshell, Billy Coleman, quiet, unassuming' fellow really, revolutionized
the entire Irish rally scene. He is
responsible mostly for getting -the 'enthusiasts' to Galway, Donegal, Killarney
and wherever he appears with his rally car.
That is by no means a slur, on other great drivers like Cahal Curley,
Dessie McCartney, Brian Nelson, Adrian Boyd, Ronnie McCartney and even the crack
car handlers from overseas. Billy
Coleman has been good for the sport because he has brought. to it flair and
general interest by his delightfully rare and charming personality.
After doubts, frustrations, setbacks, disappointments and that lack of
interest outside of a small circle, Billy has put. it all behind him, He is at
the moment a sought after individual with tug-o-sponsors, surrounding him and
his allegiance for the season ahead. Except
for a short period at the wheel of a Renault Alpine and two drives in the
futuristic Lancia Stratos, Billy has always been him since the well run family
business in Millstreet has centered around the Ford agency since 1946.
But now there may be a parting of the ways for Billy at least. To get the entire position into perspective one has to 90 back to that British championship of 1974. The Coleman success was achieved as a privately operated team. What finance there was came from the Coleman account for the greater part' Success leads to success so last year Billy did his driving as a Ford of Britain Competition Department contracted driver assigned to Thomas Motors of Blackpool. He won the Circuit for them as well as other great drives and he finished second in the British series to Roger Clark. He was retained in his position for 1976., This
year despite repeating the Circuit victory and strolling home in Galway, the
Thomas Motors - Billy Coleman arrangement turned a little sour.
Their new car promised for Scotland was not ready in lime.
Billy was given a left-hand-drive car (a proper works car, mind you) for
Donegal, because the new machine was still not ready and some people saw the
writing on the wall for Billy's contract. It
looked as if Boreham was giving him the push where the competition peers
operate. That may have been indeed correct but there were two other interested
parties Chequered Flag Garages of London who run the only privately operated
Lancia Stratos in the world and Ford of Ireland who had grown to believe in the
promotional potential of a Cork farmer driving a winning Ford Escort.
They even arranged sponsorship for next year from the Motorcraft end of
the Ford Empire. All of Cork, or
those with the car wholesale franchise at least, wanted Billy to carry their
flag with an Escort RS1800 that they could supply for all three Irish
International rallies and perhaps a few minor ones besides. Graham
Warner on the other hand has his Lancia Stratos without a proper driver. The original car was pranged, stuffed, burned and battered by
a succession of drivers and after a vast outlay a 'new one was acquired.
Warner over a period of time had noticed Billy Coleman's kindness to a
car and so he sent out feelers to see if the Corkman would be interested in
driving the most futuristic rally car in these Islands.
Even though Cahal Curley from Derry was a Chequered Flag driver with the
3-litre Porsche. Warner did not
mind making it an all Irish team and passing over a regiment of his own
'locals'. Billy
got a temporary 'free transfer' from Ford and Thomas Motors and so took the Flag
Stratos to the Ulster last August. He
should have been utterly disappointed with- the car because there were many many
problems during the two days. But
he was not. In fact, he enjoyed the
experience. He realized what the
full potential of the Lancia could be when it was sorted properly and even
though he only finished sixth overall with Curley winning, that weekend left
Graham Warner convinced that Coleman and the Stratos could be a winning and
successful combination before very long. So Billy Coleman now finds himself with
a decision to make in the very near future.
Will he stay with Ford and Thomas Motors and carry out the Motorcraft
plans next year or drive the Stratos for Chequered Flag?
It is entirely his decision. In
the short term whatever decision he makes will be the right one.
However, in the long term he may be better off nurturing the Ford
connection, particularly the Ford of Ireland end of things.
One imagines if he goes to Chequered Flag he will be let stay there and
it is likely that the current interest rising from the banks of the Lee may
dissipate and die. If he drive's
Warner's car, how long will it all last? A lot less, I would imagine than Ford's
resources. Perhaps there is a
compromise. Whatever happens and
whatever way Billy turns, all of us interested in rallying hope that the
exceptional "Cork Farmer" stays in the front ranks and continues to
thrill and excite and bring out the crowds to Irish events.
You are needed Billy, that's for sure, and even Joe Malone knows that! Billy by Sammy
Hamill This
was printed just before the 1986 Rothmans Circuit of Ireland Billy
confesses he has a few he regrets. Perhaps he even wishes he could turn back the
clock. But he believes there is still time. Time in which to re-establish the
professional rally career he had within his grasp and then dropped nearly 10
years ago. 0nly
now, he says, is he giving 100 per commitment to the sport.
Not just to his driving, for there has never been anything short of
Coleman's own special brand of commitment, there, but to the peripheral
requirements which are almost as important in the top echelons of rallying. Think
back to the Circuit of Ireland 10 years ago when Billy, forever known as the
Cork - or Milstreet - farmer, had completed his second successive victory on the
event. He was a Ford driver, a past
British national champion and, some said, the natural successor to Roger Clerk. But
gradually over the next two years an uneasy relationship with Ford faded and he
drifted not so much downwards as sideways to the Chequered Flag team and back to
Ford of Ireland - but never seemingly with precise purpose in mind. Indeed,
it was difficult to know what he' bed In mind for Billy was rarely the most
communicative of drivers but now he admits that in those days, rallying was not
the beginning and end of everything for him.
He loved the driving but he hated the fuss. And
he says, "I loved the land maybe more than I loved rallying". A
major win under his belt, he could retreat happily to the farm where if anyone
wanted to talk to him they had to travel down the road to Mallow.
He hated telephones then and wouldn't have one about the place.
A conversation with Billy was only possible via a relay service routed
through his brother John at the family Ford dealership in Millstreet. Now
he tolerates them and acknowledges that communication is part and parcel of the
life of a professional driver. But
in those days he could stay cocooned on the farm until the next rally, out of
reach @ I feet. out of the minds of those who might have given specific
direction to his career. He
was, remember. the greatest natural talent that Ireland had presented to the
rally world since Paddy Hopkirk. He
might have be 1 an as successful as Hopkirk too.
But he lacked Paddy's drive and ambition.
And he lacked, too, the awareness of what was expected of him - from his
team, from the Press and from the public relations man.
Hopkirk was a master of this side of the business, just as he was a
master of the Mini Cooper. Billy never quite understood that it wasn't enough to
be a superb driver. If a team like
Ford landed an historic 1-2-3 like they did on the 1975 Scottish Rally with
Clark, Brookes and Coleman, the first for their new Escort RS1800, they saw it
as much m a publicity coup as a victory and wore enraged when Billy failed to
show up for the prize-giving. Even
Walter Rohrl cannot get away with that and today Peugeot, for instance, will
allow a driver, if he retires early from a rally, to fly home so long as he
returns in time for their post-rally Press conference.
It always was - and is - a serious business, a lesson; Billy now
understands. But
he feels it is not too late to pick up the pieces.
"Hannu Mikkola is 43 and still at the top, Jimmy McRae is over 40
and most of the rest of the top drivers are in their mid-to-late 30's. I'm 38 so maybe there is, still time" he says" Maybe.
But now as he enjoys the challenge of a new career with the, Rothmans
Porsche team he can reflect on, the lost opportunities with Ford., the
possibilities of an introduction to Fiat through the folly team and, frankly the
waste of an extraordinary talent. Even
when he cut most of his ties with rallying concentrate on farming for a time, he
never completely severed the link and even the occasional re-appearance from
semi-retirement could still net him Rally of the Lakes win or a top six Circuit
place. It
isn't completely clear what prompted his comeback in 1983 with Dealer Opel Team
Ireland. -It started with a request Sydney Meeke for the hire of Bertie
Fisher’s Opel Ascona for the 1982 Rally of the Lakes, which he won - and
continued on, over Christmas in negotiations with DOTI, outcome was a Meeke-run
Manta in DC colours which captured four Irish International wins including his
third Circuit win and the STP Tarmac championship. Has
there ever been a comeback like He earned a great admirer in Sydney Meeke who
had nothing but praise for Coleman's sensitive handling of the Manta,
"Sometimes you couldn't be sure if Billy’s car was coming in from a rally
or just going out to start" Meeke has said on more than one occasion. But there was one subtle change in Billy. He wasn't afraid, or unwilling, to talk anyone but his closest friends. He did hide anymore or wind up the window unwelcome enquiries from Pressmen. He accepted it was part of the game. And
he earned new admirers in the Rothmans camp.
The Dublin-based arm, the international cigarette company could see the
promotional benefits of a tie-in with the Coleman success train and a deal which
would take him away from DOTI was concluded.
For Billy there was much more to it than the desire to drive a Porsche, a
t he had long admired. It marked a
sign cant step on the road to a profession career. If
the 1985 season wasn't a total success it had its high points.
Like that drama one-second Donegal win, where Billy A forced to throw
aside his naturally cunning tactical approach for tenth-tenths driving to beat
Austin McHale on the last stage, and a well-judged fourth place on the World
Championship Tour do Corse. The low points were a struggling troubled fifth
place on the Circuit of Ireland and a controversial defeat by McHale on Cork
'20. ( See reports section ) But
he learned a lesson from that too crunched the opposition on the Galway
international to begin the 1986 season with a decisive win. But
highs or lows, co-driver Ronan Morgan points out that since they tear up
together at DOTI over two years ago they have never failed to finish a rally and
have shared in seven victories. An
amazing record. And Ronan points out too; that Billy's Galway win completed a
sequence of at least three wins on every Irish international with the exception
of the Ulster international, which, oddly, he has never won. "But I did win
it when it was the Texaco Rally" corrects Coleman. But ask him how many
major Irish internationals, he has to his credit and he shakes his head. I don't
honestly know,” he says. But I
maybe the tally of some 19 international victories, a fourth Circuit win would
round off ' the score' very nicely, thank you. Unfortunley,
Billy crashed on the final night of the Circuit, when he hit a bridge on the
wrong tires Dave Richards - Pacenotes A chat with Dave Richards boss of Prodrive and navigator with Billy on rallying in the late 70s In 1977
the Manx International Rally represented one of the few opportunities for
British rally crews to use pace-notes. In
Europe at the time the art of making and using these 'descriptions’ of a rally
route was highly developed Just
before the 1977 Manx, an interview with Dave Richards for a few minutes, to
explain some of the basic principles of making and using pace-notes. With
some interesting results!!!! Q:
What are pace notes? Dave: There are many different definitions based on the various systems used,
but the most general one that I can give is that pace notes are precise
descriptions of a road by a specific driver. They enable him to drive to his
ultimate ability on that particular stretch of road. It is important to
emphasise the specific driver because notes are one man’s view of the road. Q: How do you set out making the pace-notes? Dave: The first and most
important point is to sit down and work out your own formula for notes, your own
terminology that will actually mean something to you. It is no good at all
calling ends by terms which don’t mean anything to your driver. Many, many
mistakes are mad by adopting a system, which doesn’t mean anything to a crew,
and it really is vital that each term describes exactly what the bend is going
to look like. If a bend is driven ‘fast’ then call it fast; if bend is
driven ‘slow’ then call it slow. I’ve used systems which appear to be
suicidal but which work for the driver concerned so don’t just accept the
system that you come across first. There is certainly no harm in starting with
the road rally terms that most crews use on club events. At least it’s a
terminology that they are used to and which they understand even if there can be
problems over distances and degrees in bends. With most drivers used to road
rally bend calling they shouldn’t have too much trouble switching over to a
pace note system and developing it form there on. In fact I would suggest that,
if you are going to do a pace note event then you go down a familiar piece of
road rally route and try making notes for it. Use the notes the next time you go
out on a road event so that you don’t get too violent a transition into the
other world of pace notes. Above all get used to the terminology. Q: Is it possible for one
crewmember to make pace-notes? Dave: Yes the driver. But
once again it would be most unadvisable if he doesn’t know the system very
well, certainly if you are going to use notes to the full advantage. Once a crew
has established themselves then things become much easier because each knows how
the other will think. I have no doubt Henry Liddon makes notes for Timo Makinen
and Jim Porter can make notes for Rodger Clark. One very important point is to
never do a rally with notes you haven’t checked. Never rely 100 per cent on
another person’s reading of the road. For this reason I try to deter people
from using sets of other driver’s notes unless I know that they are going to
check them over first. Q: How important is it that
the crew should be a regular team together? Dave: The team must practise
together but on the other hand you shouldn’t be afraid to change if things
aren’t working out. The policy should be one of constant improvement to get
the system right. For instance, I think the John Davenport system is very good,
particularly for the beginner, but there are some very fundamental points where
I disagree with it. Q: What different types of notation are there? Dave: Well there are two basic different types and I'll describe both to let people the make up their own minds. The first describes the road in terms of speed and seems to be popular in Eastern Europe. It uses terms like 'fast, 'flat' or even gear ratios like 'fast, third' the second method uses a more geographical system, much more like bend calling in road rallying. You describe the road as you see it in front of you with every bend being described by angle rather than speed. I find that the first system suffers from several disadvantages, particularly if you do a rally one year in a, Mini in the wet and the next year in a Stratos in the dry. You simply can't use the notes twice. On the second system even a series of bends won’t change with the weather conditions. The driver just selects his speed to suit the information he has; severity of bend, speed of car, power of Car, weather and road conditions, I prefer not to have such matters predetermined. Q: How much recceing is necessary for an event like the Manx? Dave: This is really related to experience and how much you are going to depend on the notes. Bernard Darniche, who must he about the world number one on notes, claims that he just needs to drive a stage once to make the notes, once more to check them and then maybe once more for a final check on some of the particularly tricky points. But then he is very experienced and must have very highly developed system. There is a tendency to practice a stage maybe dozen of times, but then you are relying on memory rather than the notes so you have probably achieved little. Billy Coleman is probably as good, if not better than most in Britain on notes and we recce a stage about five time. Mind you, it is very rare that he changes the notes ,after the second time through. RS, How do you plan a recce? Dave: Well you have
to bear in, mind economy and ease of access. In the Isle of Man Man
I split the stages into north and south and we do one day in the north and one
day in the south. The geographical point is important so that you know where you
are on the map. You can relate the stages to the rest of the rally and driver is
much happier if he feels that you know where you are. One little trick I have is
that, after recceing each stage, I write a couple of notes about the tricky bits
at the top of the page. Then at the start of the stage I can say something like:
‘You remember this one. It’s got the farm halfway through'. It gives the
driver a bit of confidence.
Q:
Is over complication a problem? Dave:
Possibly in the early stages, yes. In end though, in fact with not much
experience, you'll find that drivers aren’t as stupid as you might expect.
They can take in quite a lot of information all in one go; and a co -driver can
read quite a lot of information in one go.
Mind you I’ve have seen notes
which are impossible to read. At first you will only understand each individual
bend, then you start to anticipate the next bend, finally the distances between
the bends will start to mean something. I would say by the third or fourth rally
on notes you should be using them to the full, but you won’t do that in the
first instance. Q; Do you, find that drivers rely more on memory than the notes Dave: It's difficult to say, but you can usually sense it; feel it , in the seat of your pants. Also if you hiccup, and the car leaves the road then the driver was relying on the notes! When the notes are working well. It’s a tremendous feeling but also a hell of a responsibility. Q: What’s the most difficult part of pace notes? Dave: It’s very difficult to say. We don’t have many pace-note events in the UK and so we don't have enough practice. There is only the Manx and one or two others and, if you are inexperienced, then the first time that you do the Manx you are going to waste a couple of days. I would recommend that try making notes nearer home and learn your system before going out onto an event like the Manx. One other tip is to go round the stages one at a time rather than do one stages several times over. As you meet different situations on different stages then your system will have to be adapted accordingly. You may be perfect on the one stage but on the others useless unless you have seen what the other stages are like. Q: What is the biggest pitfall? Dave: It may seam very obvious, but the biggest mistake, is to write the notes in such a way that you can’t read them in a moving rally car. Use big writing and space the notes out. Use a ring backed exercise book, so theat you can turn pages easily. And don't write a bad bend as the first instruction on a new page. One
other problem is, intercoms. The best notes in the world are useless if you
can't hear them properly. Intercoms needn’t be very expensive electronic jobs.
I still carry an old tube and funnel in my rally bag, just in case. In fact we
had to use it on the Manx two years ago. It was just as good and there was
nothing to go wrong.
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