Rally driver inspired by 'fastest milkman' dad
Elliot Payne was inspired by his father working as a milkman while he was growing up
- Published
A rally driver who is on course to win a championship title for the third year in a row has said he learned his craft from his dad being the "fastest milkman in Yorkshire".
Elliot Payne, 21, from Harrogate, will compete in the penultimate round of the Trackrod Forest Stages in the British Trial and Rally Drivers Association’s Gold Star Rally Championship in Filey on Saturday.
He will be the first to leave the starting point after winning the 2023 event and if he wins, will become the first driver to claim title three years running in the competition's 71-year history.
Mr Payne said driving was “in his blood” and he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as he also competed in the championship before swapping to milk floats.
'We put our foot down'
He told the BBC: “I got into this from my dad, as we’ve been a motorsports family for as long as I can remember, so the driving stuff has been in my blood from a young age.
“I would always have a spin in the milk float and helped with a lot of deliveries when I was young.
“We didn’t crash it, we put our foot down and it was the fastest milk delivery float in Yorkshire at one point.”
Mr Payne added it had not “sunk in properly yet” that he was close to achieving a record as he has just been focusing on getting through the competition, along with his co-driver Patrick Walsh.
Mr Payne said: “When you’re in the car, there’s a lot going on, as you’ve got to focus on what your co-driver is saying constantly as he’s giving you directions on how tight the corner is that’s coming up and you’ve also got the handling of the car and keeping it on the road.
“But depending on what the result is on Saturday, if we win or are second, it means we have the championship, so that will mean we don’t have to go to the last round.
“I’m still young and have a lot more to give, so will see what happens.”
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