Another VIP visitor to Acespeed HQ today Oliver Fall, son of Rally Ace Tony Fall popped in to see one of the cars previously driven by his dad. 

Tony was born in Bradford and began his rallying career as a club rally driver in a Mini. He was soon spotted by the BMC team; this led to a drive in their works team alongside Paddy Hopkirk, Timo Mäkinen and Rauno Aaltonen. His first major international victory in the Mini was the 1966 Circuit of Ireland.

In the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, he participated with a celebrity co-driver, the footballer Jimmy Greaves – they finished 6th overall. He also won the famous Peruvian Rally “Caminos del Inca”, in 1969, driving a Ford Escort.

After he stopped driving, he founded the British Dealer Opel Team and was the director of the Opel Motorsport Team in Germany, for which Walter Röhrl won the World Rally Championship in 1982 with an Opel Ascona 400. Tony continued rallying to the end and his last major outing was the 2003 Historic Rally Championship with co-driver Jonathan Hall-Smith, where he competed with his Datsun 240Z.

Olivers dad was not just a rallying legend but an inspiration to many of us in Yorkshire as we could see success at the highest level was possible.