BANGOR’S Terry Harryman has spoken of his pride at being inducted into his local council’s sporting Hall of Fame, describing it as “wonderful recognition” for his achievements as a retired rally co-driver.
Close friends, family members and fellow competitors attended the Ards and North Down Borough Council-organised event to see the honour bestowed upon the 85-year-old.
Harryman is one of the North’s most decorated motorsport figures having made and called pace notes for some of the most successful drivers in history, including the late, great Paddy Hopkirk and French lady, Michelle Mouton with whom he conquered the German Championship with Peugeot’s in 1986.
His most successful spell, however, came with Finland’s Ari Vatanen in the World Rally Championship during the Group B era in Peugeot’s 205 T16. They scored victories on Safari Rally in Kenya, Finland’s Rally of the 1000 Lakes, Rally San Remo in Italy, Rally Sweden, and the RAC Rally in Great Britain.
Arguably their biggest triumph came at Rallye Monte-Carlo in 1985, one of motorsport’s oldest and most iconic competitions.
Their purple patch that came to a sudden end on Rally Argentina when a serious accident left the pair in hospital with serious injuries. While Harryman escaped the high-speed crash with a broken back, shoulder, ribs, and knee, Vatanen was less fortunate.
As a result of the car hitting a mud hole in fifth gear at close to 120mph, and being launched into multiple rolls, he fractured his lumbar vertebrae and also broke his tibia.
Both would go on to make a full recovery and appeared on the entry list together for one final time at the 1987 Rally of the 1000 Lakes, coming home second overall behind the Lancia Delta Marrku Allen and Ilkka Kivimaki.
En route to the World Rally Championship, Harryman enjoyed victories at many events in the UK and Ireland, including the Galway International, the Donegal International and the Circuit of Ireland rallies.
Before announcing his retirement, he capped off a career that spanned almost 60 years by co-driving a Race Truck in the Dakar and appearing at the Syrian International Rally with Mohammed Hamsho.
Outside of the car, Harryman held the position of Team Manager for the Renault Dealer Team, and would go on to set up various motorsport ventures, including the Mobil 1 Rally Challenge.
”Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is wonderful recognition from what has been my home town since 1968,” said Harryman. “Hopefully, I have helped to bring rallying to a wider audience and if one young person sees my career as an inspiration and follows the sport, then it will have been a success.”
Northern Ireland has a great history in the sport of rallying, so hopefully this will continue. I am very proud of where I live and is even more now as my life – and dedication – to the sport of which I only got into through my interest in maps, has been recognised by the town and county as a whole.”
Harryman joins fellow sporting greats from the Ards and North Down Borough Council area to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, including British Open winner and four-time major golf champion Rory McIlroy, ex-British racing driver John Watson and former Formula One star Eddie Irvine.
