Mike Nicholson, who sadly passed yesterday, was one of Britain’s very best co-drivers, but he was a man who had his eye and his heart set on team management.
Having worked in-car with some of the greats including Jimmy McRae, Tony Pond, Pentti Airikkala, Terry Kaby, Andrew Wood and Derek Bell, Mike made the move to team management at the top of the 1990s. From there, he steered Vauxhall to its greatest motorsport glories both on stage and on track.
A former team-mate and fellow co-driver, Mike Broad remembers the life of his close friend of 55 years.
“That sounds like a long time, 55 years. In all that time, I don’t think I ever saw Mike get angry – that just wasn’t who he was. He was always that sunny kind of guy, always positive and looking forwards.
“That’s not to say his patience wasn’t tested from time to time; I’m sure we all remember his time co-driving Derek Bell and that famous – or maybe infamous – ‘Oh, Derek, just listen to me!’ clip from when they did the 1988 RAC Rally together in an Astra. I had such admiration for Mike in the way he stuck to that program with Derek, it wasn’t an easy ride with a couple of crashes along the way. But that was Mike: he could see the value in the project and he wanted to get him to the end.
Five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell was one of many drivers Mike sat with over the years
“I first met Michael in 1971, when we ran a round of the Motoring News Road Rally Championship together. The Shenstone Rally started from my hometown of Lichfield and ended in near in Buxton, Derbyshire. Rallying in the British midlands was huge in the 1970s, with the midlands mafia made up of names like Russell Brookes and John Bloxham.
“We ran that event together for a few years, but then I went to work for Tony Fall at Dealer Opel Team and he started work for Vauxhall. Mike was the fleet sales manager for the north-east. He moved up to live in the area, which was when he got involved with the Yorkshire mafia, names like Phil Short and David ‘Piggy’ Thompson – of course the Thompson association came full circle when Piggy’s son James drove for Vauxhall in British Touring Cars years later.
“Mike co-drove for Russell [Brookes] and Piggy early in his career, but probably the bigger break for him came with Tony Drummond, the year after Tony had won the BTRDA (British national series) title with David Richards co-driving for him.
“Through the mid-70s he competed with Pat Ryan and Pondy (Tony Pond) in Triumphs, then the chance arrived to work with Pentti [Airikkala] in the Dealer Team Vauxhall Chevette. That was the start of something. From then on, I think he only did one event which wasn’t in a Vauxhall or Opel (when he co-drove Darryl Weidner in his Audi quattro on the 1983 Border Counties).
The 1984 season alongside Jimmy McRae netted Mike a British Rally Championship title
“Mike was Vauxhall through and through. He switched from fleet sales and eventually moved south to be closer to the factory in Luton, but he was always a Vauxhall employee and the rallying fitted in around his work. He wasn’t a fully professional co-driver, who only did that as his job. I don’t think Mike ever wanted to be that, he was all about the brand and looking towards management.
“He moved from Pentti to Jimmy [McRae] in 1979 and would win the British championship with him in 1984 in a Manta 400. They were great years. I was working with Russell through that time and, while we were fierce rivals on the stage, we were the best of friends off it. There was such a great band of co-drivers at that time, with Mike, Grinners (Ian Grindrod), Rob Arthur, Fred Gallagher and the like. It was a fantastic time to be part of the sport.
“Another thing that really made Mike tick was helping young drivers along. He worked with Andrew Wood and, of course, latterly with Dave Metcalfe. He loved his time with both of them – his final ever rally was with Dave in the Nova in 1990.
“After that, there was the chance for him to run Vauxhall’s team in the British Rally Championship. This was an internal move in the company, but something he’d always been aiming for. And he was absolutely brilliant at it. There are some people who sometimes can’t believe they’re paid to do what they love – that was Mike’s attitude.
Mike was always keen on team management, and was particularly successful with Vauxhall in touring cars
“When rallying became a bit tougher in Britain, Mike spearheaded Vauxhall’s move to BTCC and made a real success of that too.
“He was a great friend to me and to so many people out there. My condolences go to his wife Marie, his daughters and all of his family and friends around the world. He was a great character and competitor who will be much missed.”
Broady, DirtFish can only echo those words.
RIP, Mike.
