Bridgestone-shod “banger” completes “gruelling” Crumball Rally

Jon Powell has completed the epic Crumball Rally across Europe on a set of Bridgestone Turanza tyres, raising £2,000 for the Friends of Kennel Lane School in Berkshire, where his son is a pupil. Designed to be a low cost event, encouraging drivers to complete the course in a £200 ‘banger’, the Rally ran over three days from 10-12 May. In addition to supplying Powell with the rubber that would see him through the event, Bridgestone also made a £250 donation to his fund.

Powell and co-driver Ryan Pike completed the 2,000-mile tour – themed on the 1967 Formula One movie ‘Grand Prix’ – visiting historic racing circuits at Reims and Monza on the way to the finish line in Monaco.

Powell said: “The Friends of Kennel Lane School is a charity made up of parents and carers at the school and we aim to raise funds for items that would be of benefit to the students but tend to fall outside of the Local Education Agency’s budget such as mini-buses and computing equipment for wet weather breaks. This year the school is undergoing a considerable expansion so there will no doubt be a wish-list of items for the new buildings that the funds raised can go towards.”

Andy Dingley, communications manager, at Bridgestone said: “This Crumball Rally is a gruelling challenge to complete so when Mr Powell approached us prior to taking part we were more than happy to not only a monetary donation to his cause but also to supply him with a set of Turanzas to carry him on his way around the continent. Hopefully the students at Kennel Lane School will enjoy the equipment for their new building.”

Kennel Lane School is an OFSTED acclaimed school in Bracknell, operating within the Special Educational Needs field. It provides a tailored environment for students whose difficulties range from the Autistic spectrum and learning delay to physical disability and beyond.