Crash.net:
Of course you won the Jim Clark Rally last year - do you think you can do it again?
MH:
It will be difficult. We won it really last year because Guy [Wilks] went off. We were having quite a good dice. But we have always been just that little bit off the pace of the Mitsubishis. We proved that last year when we went to the Rally GB in the same car and we were having a real good ding-dong battle - second for second. We have however made some improvements to the car. We think this car is stronger on the current fuel than maybe what the Mitsubishi is. We have actually gained, where they have maybe lost. It will be close and you never know in rallying.
Crash.net:
Looking back on the first round in the BRC, where you used an MG S2000 Sport, what did you make of that car?
MH:
It was absolutely fantastic. It was really good fun to drive and you had to drive it absolutely on the door handles. We were improving it all the time and it was just a big blow for the whole team what actually happened. We haven't quite got down to the bottom of it. The team did a great job in preparing the car though and running it and I did enjoy the rally. I was happy to be where I was and I didn't expect to go there and be competitive on that type of rally, which is so fast. It doesn't really suit that type of car. But we were right up there and as I say we were really enjoying it. We hope to be out in that car later on this year and try it on tarmac.
Crash.net:
The Pirelli looked very promising - didn't it, because you were on course for a podium?
MH:
Yeah, I think that was better than we actually hoped. We did the Border Counties Rally and one of the problems we had there was that we were on the organisers pace-notes. With the little Super 2000 car you have to be 110 per cent committed and if you haven't had a recce it is very hard to do that. As soon as we went to the Pirelli I think we were second quickest on the first stage and we had a good run.
Crash.net:
Have you got any regrets that you won't be continuing with the MG in the BRC?
MH:
I have. It would have been very nice to have done that for the whole championship. But I am very happy to be with TEG Sport as well again. Times are very hard for everybody in rallying at the moment. I think if you are out there driving you have to be very, very grateful for it. We have still got a very good chance of having a very good run in this year's BRC. OK we haven't scored on the first round, but you can drop two rounds and there is a long way to go yet.
Crash.net:
You have been doing the Global Group Irish Tarmac Rally Championship this year too - and won the first round, the Galway International Rally. I believe though that that programme has come to a premature end. Is that right?
MH:
It is not all over yet. We have got these three rallies now in a Group N car
[the Jim Clark, Isle of Man and the Ulster qualify as rounds in the BRC and the ITRC – ed]. Budgets are tight and when we retired on the Circuit of Ireland early on it didn't help matters and I was away for the Killarney - although it was always planned that I would miss that. But we will see. We are still involved with Global and they are going to be involved with us for a long time yet - hopefully. It is not like the sponsor has pulled out. It is all looking quite good for the future and maybe we will go out and do some selected rounds. I think everybody has got to take a look back at their finances and prioritise. We are just being a bit careful at the moment.
Crash.net:
Have you got any other things line-up for this season - IRC or WRC?
