HI, I’m Rally Ali, Welcome to my website. Brought up on a farm in Morayshire, Scotland I have always been “car daft” and started driving solo around the farm at about the age of 8. I joined the army as soon as I turned 15 and did my basic training at the Army Apprentices College in Carlisle where I trained as a vehicle mechanic specialising on Stalwart Amphibians & Chieftain tanks. On leaving the army I was a welder for a while until I managed to get a job offshore working my way up from roustabout to roughneck, derrick-man and finally into drilling. In the mid 70s I went to work for an oil service crew running casing and worked extensively in Europe and the Middle East with 2 years in Iran, 2 years Dubai, 1 year Norway, 1 year Holland and 2 years in Abu Dhabi before returning to my native Scotland in 1985 and setting up Tough Packaging Ltd.

In my young days it was bikes and I have no idea why I never got into rallying sooner. I was heading to the factory one Saturday and I saw all these rally cars. When I arrived at the office I asked my production manager what it was all about and he said it was The Snowman rally and started telling me all about it as he had once navigated. So, we locked up and went spectating. I swear to god I had NEVER, not even on telly seen or heard a rally car before. When the first 3 or 4 cars came through I was gob smacked, the speed, the control and the noise was awesome !! It reminded me of what I used to do with my dads Morris Pickup round the farm. So I went home and gibbered on about rally cars to my wife who thought I had spent the day in the pub. Now fate is a funny thing. At that time I lived 5 doors away from Jimmy Christies wife's parents. About a week later whilst having our tea my wife's says “Oh, I see your pal is selling his rally car” Who? What? I didn’t even know Jimmy had a rally car, so I phoned him. “Aye” you want a run in it ?? We went for a run and I drove the car thinking it wasn’t very fast or comfortable (I was just driving it - shopping style) Jimmy says right swap seats and I’ll show you how she goes.

He drove like me along the main road but just before we reached a side road he popped her down 2 gears, chucked it sideways and shot up this side road like a bat out of hell. He was revving the nuts off it and by the time we got round the second corner I had my cheque book out. I arrived back at the house grinning from ear to ear and all my wife said was “You bought it” So at the tender age of 37 I became the proud owner of a Mk11 Escort with a 2.1 pinto and rallying has been my passion ever since. Any regrets ?? YES - Why Oh Why did I not discover this when I was 15 ?? Anyway, enjoy the site, if you wish to comment or add anything please feel free to either post on the forum (Coming soon) or send me an E Mail. If you see me at a rally come and say Hello.