Jade and Dave Paveley and our Food Department’s Nick Blakemore and Damien Murphy with samples of cheese which we are donating for rally hospitality
Motor vehicle students have had the privilege of meeting rally driver Jade Paveley, who vroomed onto campus with her Mitsubishi Evo 3 during the run-up to Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (October 26 – 29).
Jade’s visit was a ‘thank you’ for the support we are giving the rally, which is the British round of the FIA World Rally Championship and the biggest in the country, covering a total of 300 kilometres in Wales and Cheshire. During its local stages on Friday 27th (Chester) and Saturday 28th (Cholmondeley Castle) we are providing a team of ralleymakers, made up of staff and students, to welcome and inform the thousands of spectators. Our dairy technology staff are also providing Reaseheath cheese for the hospitality marquee.
Jade, who is a member of the Group B Motorsport rally team, chatted to our Level 1 Diploma students, motor vehicle apprentices and HGV parts, sales and marketing apprentices while her father David, himself a successful rally driver and automotive businessman, pointed out the differences between a highly tuned rally car and a road car.
As the vehicle was on our new MOT ramp, the students were able to fully appreciate the reinforcement required to the shell and suspension, and the technology which allowed the car to perform to its optimum level.
Said Motor Vehicle Programme Leader Simon Bishop: “This has been an exciting opportunity for our students to get involved in world class sport.
Reaseheath ralleymakers Gareth Baister, Wayne Dyson, Simon Bishop, Lisa Boardman and Sam Straker join rally driver Jade Paveley
They’ve been able to get hands-on with a highly tuned rally car and to ask questions of the driver, and they’ve really enjoyed the experience. We very much appreciate Jade and David’s visit, and are looking forward to actively supporting the rally later this month.”
Jade, 24, began karting at the age of 15 and within two years had progressed onto circuit racing as a manufacturer driver for Mazda. She then moved into rallying and hopes in the future to compete in Wales Rally GB.
Jade is Assistant Sales Manager for North Wales Honda – the family dealership of which her father is Managing Director – and would like to encourage more females to enter the industry.
She explained: “Girls are really good at understanding car mechanics and how the parts in a system work together. Technical knowledge has become as important as workshop skills in our industry, and there are many careers which girls could excel in.
“On a competitive level, rallying is one of the few sports where we can compete on an equal footing with male drivers. It’s really exciting and I highly recommend having a go at club level.”
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