Grouptyre/Pirelli promotion winners get close to rally action

“Brilliant, awesome, it was a trip you could never pay to organise for yourself,” was how Martin Thomas, owner of Halesworth Tyre and Exhaust in Halesworth, Suffolk, described a recent trip to the World Rally Championships. Thomas and his wife Lisa were VIP guests at the Rally of Spain (October 1-3) after winning the top prize in a national promotion organised by Grouptyre, the UK’s leading independent wholesaler, and premium tyre manufacturer Pirelli. The Grouptyre/Pirelli incentive ran from 1 May to 30 June. For every Pirelli car, van and 4×4 tyre that independent tyre retailers bought during the promotion period, they were credited with an entry into a draw, the top prize of which was the Spanish rally excursion.

After flying to Barcelona, the couple was welcomed by Frazer Graham from the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team and then enjoyed dinner at their hotel in Salou. The following day they spent the morning at the PortAventura service park, where they were granted exclusive access to the Pirelli and Ford M Sport technical areas. Although the itinerary allowed for a visit to PortAventura theme park, located next door to the service park, they preferred to spend their time having a good look around the service area. They observed as each team’s support crew worked on its cars to ensure everything was ready for the next phase of the rally before enjoying lunch in the
M-Sport Ford Team’s hospitality area.  

“The Ford team drivers came in for lunch and we were seated at the next table.  It was fantastic to be so close to the team and so involved in everything,” adds Thomas, who buys his tyres from Grouptyre member We Sell Tyres (Wholesale).

After lunch the Thomases took a special helicopter transfer to rally stages five and six, flying over the wide sweeping asphalt roads – the fastest sealed-surface stages in the 2009 World Rally Championship calendar – for a unique view of the action and once in a lifetime experience. 

“At first Lisa was a bit nervous about going up in the helicopter, but once we were in the air she loved it,” joked Thomas. “The whole trip was amazing, you just couldn’t fault anything. The weather was fantastic, the organisation was spot on and we were looked after really well – the two women hosting on behalf of Pirelli were brilliant and Ford M-Sport’s Frazer Graham was excellent too – he had the answers to all our questions!”

Wayne Moxon from M&S Tyre Services in Stourton, Leeds, and Derek Stewart from Westhill Service Station in Westhill, Aberdeenshire – the two runners up in the Grouptyre/Pirelli promotion – will enjoy a VIP day out at the Rally GB, the final round of the 2009 World Rally Championships, while a further five prize winners have received Pirelli rally jackets.

“We are working proactively with key manufacturers to meet the needs of tyre retailers by giving them the chance to take part in a series of national incentives and, once again, the Pirelli promotion was very well received by the trade.  With feedback like Martin’s we certainly hope to develop something along similar lines, with another top prize, in 2010,” says Grouptyre Sales Director Paul Hollows.

Andy Marfleet, Marketing Manager Key Accounts at Pirelli, commented: “We’re delighted that Martin and Lisa had such a great time at the Rally of Spain, and are sure Wayne and Derek will enjoy the action in Wales. 

“The BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team and Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team have had a superb season and are currently lying second and third in the table respectively.  M-Sport Ford Team driver Mikko Hirvonen takes a single point lead in the driver’s championship to the Rally GB and will be bidding to prevent Sebastien Loeb from claiming a sixth consecutive title.”