JOHN CARROLL
RALLYING R55WAM
I started stage rallying in 1986, with an ex EARS Opel Manta which was basically a road rally car with a1900 cc engine running on race tyres doing ANWCC rounds.
The engines went through various capacities changes till I had Peter Maiden build me an 8 valve 2 litre Vauxhall Astra engine (with twin 48 Dellorto carbs) to run longitudinally mated to a Tran-x type 9 gearbox through to an Opel diff.
With this combination I ventured out into the Motoring News Stage Rally Championship rounds, including the races at Oulton. During this time I had various outings in Mk 1 and Mk 2 Escorts and also Vauxhall Chevettes. My main co-driver was Ron Wells from Frodsham. Our best result was 3rd Overall in 1987 Cestrian stages with various class wins on the ANWCC rounds.
With the Manta shell getting tired, and a young family to look after, I took a break from 1992 till 2016.
I came back to rallying in 2016, doing the MSN Stage Rally Championship in a TSALTA hired Escort co-driven by Linda Thomas, one of the owners of TSALTA.
Linda and her husband Gary had done the Barbados Rally on numerous occasions and that had also been one of my ambitions, so in 2018 a Honda Civic EP3 Type R was purchased, to continue doing MSN events, but also to do Rally Barbados.
In 2018 we came 3rd in class with Kareem Gaskin, a local co-driver and in 2019 came 4th in Class with Trevor Mapp, a local rally driver who co-drove for me.
We have continued with the MSN series primarily with Chris Cooper as my co-driver but other co-drivers have been Rob Ginn, Paul Gorge, Lauren Hewitt, Martin Young, Callum Young, Calvin Woods, Jade Parr, Bruce Lindsay, Rob Brook, Adrian Lloyd and Lorraine Nixon. Without these people and others mentioned in previous paragraph I could not have taken part so a big thank you to them.
I am a Chartered Civil Engineer and up to 2015 I worked as a Project Director for major UK Civils contractors both in UK and around the world. In 2015 I decided to form JJ Carroll Associates Limited (JJCAL) to provide construction consultancy services to large organisations.
I am married to Ann and have a daughter, Sarah, son-in-law Michael, and a son Ian.
This year we plan to continue with the MSN series and also have an entry for Barbados 2022.
NEXT EVENT
RALLY BARBADOS
KING OF THE HILL
GALLERY
PICTURES & VIDEOS
R55WAM
Honda Civic EP3 type R
The car started rallying with Sara Williams and then her father, Jon. I bought it in February 2018, with 235 bhp, Proflex suspension and 6 pot AP brakes on the front.
With the aid of tdi-North at Warrington we've increased the engine output to 265 bhp and have modified the handling, whilst still running Proflex and AP brakes.
The car weighs in with a half tank of fuel at 1160 kgs which puts it at a disadvantage compared to other cars in the class, so we are working on making the car and driver lighter! The car runs on 17” rims and is shod with Michelin tyres.
rally results
2021
The MAXUS Dukeries Rally
with Chris Cooper
68 o/all 20. class C
Neil Howard Memorial Stages
with Rob Brook
63 o/all 16. class C
Adgespeed Stages
with Chris Cooper
34 o/all 14. class C
AGBO Stages
with Chris Cooper
58 o/all 12. ANWCC 21. class C
SMC Stages
with Chris Cooper
55 o/all 8. class 4
Lee Holland Memorial Stages
with Chris Cooper
51 o/all 9. class C
Neil Howard Memorial Stages
with Rob Brook
116 o/all 79. MN Circuit
16. ANWCC 19. class C
CompBrake Stages Rally
with Chris Cooper
41 o/all 9. ANWCC 15. class C
2020
Rainworth Škoda Dukeries Rally
with Chris Cooper
74 o/all 61. MN Circuit 15. class 3
Donington Park Rally
with Chris Cooper
Retired radiator
Lee Holland Memorial Stages
with Adrian Lloyd
Retired Codriver ill
Snetterton Stages
with Chris Cooper
50 o/all 15. class C
Alan Healy Memorial Stages
with Chris Cooper
47 o/all 13. class C
2019
Promenade Stages
with Paul Gorge
48 o/all 10. ANWCC 15. class 3
Sol Rally Barbados
with Trevor Mapp
49 o/all 4. class M2
Flow King of the Hill
with Joshua Plaza
77 o/all 3. class M2
Alan Healy Memorial Stages
with Chris Cooper
52 o/all 18. class C
Legend Fires North West Stages
with Lauren Hewitt
74 o/all 6. ANWCC 9. class C
Lee Holland Memorial Stages
with Martin Young
36 o/all 8. ANWCC
8. ANWCC North Wales 10. class C
Snetterton Stages
with Robert Ginn
39 o/all 20. MN Circuit 15. class C
2018
In the Honda Civic Type-R
R55WAM
Knockhill Stages Rally
with Calvin Woods
34 o/all 13. MN Circuit 10. class C
Cadwell Park Stages
with Martin Young
Retired suspension
Neil Howard Memorial Stages
with Martin Young
54 o/all 30. MN Circuit 13. class C
Adgespeed Stages
with Lorraine Nixon
28 o/all 8. class D
Promenade Stages
with Robert Ginn
52 o/all 21. class 3
Pendragon Stages
with Bruce Lindsay
Retired
Gareth Hall Memorial Rally
with Jade Phillips
Retired
Sol Rally Barbados
with Kareem Gaskin
49 o/all 3. class M2
Flow King of the Hill
with Kareem Gaskin
81 o/all 6. class M2
SMC Stages
with Lauren Hewitt
43 o/all 13. class 4
2017
In the Honda Civic Type-R
R55WAM
Alan Healy Memorial Rally
with Lauren Hewitt
62 o/all 7. MN Circuit 19. class C
Lee Holland Memorial Stages
with Linda Thomas
33 o/all 16. MN Circuit 8. class C
In the Ford Escort MK2
VWB 950S
Knockhill Stages
with Linda Thomas
28 o/all 18. MN Circuit 8. class D1
Cadwell Park Stages
with Roy Bell
57 o/all 32. MN Circuit 16. class 5
Neil Howard Memorial Stages
with Linda Thomas
55 o/all 36. MN Circuit 14. class D1
Promenade Stages
with Linda Thomas
69 o/all 33. class 4
2016
In the Ford Escort MK2
VWB 950S
Lee Holland Memorial Stages
with Linda Thomas
40 o/all 18. MN Circuit 13. class D1
Donington Park Rally
with Linda Thomas
46 o/all 22. MN Circuit 11. class 4
Snetterton Stages2016
with Linda Thomas
50 o/all 27. MN Circuit 17. class D
Rockingham Stages2016
with Linda Thomas
48 o/all 24. MN Circuit 14. class 4
Cadwell Park Stages2016
with Linda Thomas
49 o/all 32. MN Circuit 12. class 5
Neil Howard Memorial Stages
with Linda Thomas
60 o/all 38. MN Circuit 13. class D1