2004 British Rally champion David Higgins got his Chinese Rally Championship campaign off to the best possible start last weekend by dominating the opening round, the Shanghai Rally.
With the Chinese earthquake disaster at the forefront of everyone's minds, no celebratory champagne was sprayed on the finish ramp, and Higgins opted to donate his prize money to the earthquake victims' fund.
The 35-year-old, who is also competing in the Tesco 99 Octane MSA British Rally Championship this year with his own team, also encouraged his mechanics to wear blue armbands in memory of the earthquake victims.
"What happened in China before we got here was horrific," said David. "We felt a tribute had to be paid to the victims of such a random and unpredictable event."
During the rally, Higgins and co-driver Ieuan Thomas put in an almost perfect display in their Mitsubishi, winning all the stages bar one.
"It didn't all go to plan though," David added, "especially not when Ieuan and myself found ourselves pushing the car for a kilometre in 35 degree heat after we suffered transmission problems on the road back to service at one point. My legs certainly hurt the next day!"
Last year Higgins won all five of the Chinese Rally Championship events to ensure the WY Rally Team took the teams' title and having set a record by doing that, he wants to do it again in '08.
"Last year we were the first crew to win all of the events in one year, this year we hope to repeat that so winning in Shanghai takes us one step closer to that goal," he summed-up.
