Fred Gallagher (co-driver)
Encyclopedia
Fred Gallagher is a World Rally Championship
winning co-driver
and motorsport personality.
driver John Haugland
in a Škoda 120. From the 1977 season until the end of 1980 he partnered Tony Pond
in the Triumph TR7
with varying success, mostly in British Rally Championship
events. 1981 saw the start of a highly successful pairing with legendary Finnish
driver, Henri Toivonen
first in the Talbot Sunbeam before they switched to the Opel Ascona 400. The two parted company in 1984
when Toivonen signed for Lancia
and Gallagher joined the Toyota team with another Finn, Juha Kankkunen
. At the start of the 1986 season
they parted company, with Kankkunen going to Peugeot
. It was at this time that Gallagher embarked on a long and successful partnership with Björn Waldegård
, mainly specialising in the Safari Rally
for Toyota Team Europe. Their last rally together was the 1992 Safari during which they retired from the event due to an engine fire. Gallagher was absent from the WRC until 1998 when he started competing sporadically and without a steady driver. During this period he sat alongside Ari Vatanen
, Thomas Rådström
and Petter Solberg
among others.
After retiring from co-driving, Gallagher became involved as a consultant or clerk of the course on various events including the WRC rallies in Corsica
and Cyprus
but also in events like Race of Champions
. He worked with the FIA Rally Safety Group in 2001-2005. Gallagher is still active today as a consultant within the WRC. In 2008 he was awarded the Finnish Automobile Sport Federation's Gold Medal for his services to the nation.
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
winning co-driver
Co-driver
Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rally racing, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car...
and motorsport personality.
Career
Gallagher's first WRC rally was the 1975 RAC Rally alongside NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
driver John Haugland
John Haugland
John Haugland is a Norwegian former rally driver. He competed in 27 world rally championship events, more often than not at the wheel of a Škoda. He had four Top 10 finishes in his career...
in a Škoda 120. From the 1977 season until the end of 1980 he partnered Tony Pond
Tony Pond
Tony Pond was a well-known British rally driver.-Career:His first outings in a rally car were on the then regular Saturday night road rallies in the home counties around London, driving a Mini Cooper S...
in the Triumph TR7
Triumph TR7
The Triumph TR7 is a sports car manufactured from September 1974 to October 1981 by the Triumph Motor Company in the United Kingdom. It was initially produced at the Speke, Liverpool factory, moving to Canley, Coventry in 1978 and then finally to the Rover plant in Solihull in 1980...
with varying success, mostly in British Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
The Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is a yearly rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It comprises seven events with eight scoring opportunities throughout the British Isles. The first championship was run in 1958 and it has been licensed by the MSA Motor Sports Association since...
events. 1981 saw the start of a highly successful pairing with legendary Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
driver, Henri Toivonen
Henri Toivonen
Henri Pauli Toivonen was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli Toivonen, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri Toivonen, became a professional circuit racer.Toivonen's first World Rally Championship victory came...
first in the Talbot Sunbeam before they switched to the Opel Ascona 400. The two parted company in 1984
1984 World Rally Championship season
The 1984 World Rally Championship season was the 12th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 12 rallies following the same schedule as the previous season. Stig Blomqvist beat the defending world champion and Audi teammate Hannu...
when Toivonen signed for Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
and Gallagher joined the Toyota team with another Finn, Juha Kankkunen
Juha Kankkunen
Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series...
. At the start of the 1986 season
1986 World Rally Championship season
The 1986 World Rally Championship season was the 14th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile World Rally Championship . The season consisted of 13 rallies, including all twelve venues of the previous season as well as the addition of the Olympus Rally...
they parted company, with Kankkunen going to Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
. It was at this time that Gallagher embarked on a long and successful partnership with Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979...
, mainly specialising in the Safari Rally
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
for Toyota Team Europe. Their last rally together was the 1992 Safari during which they retired from the event due to an engine fire. Gallagher was absent from the WRC until 1998 when he started competing sporadically and without a steady driver. During this period he sat alongside Ari Vatanen
Ari Vatanen
Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament 1999–2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times....
, Thomas Rådström
Thomas Rådström
Thomas Rådström , nicknamed "Rådis", is a rally and rallycross driver from Sweden. He was one of the leading drivers of the National Swedish Rallycross Championship series during the second half of the 1980s...
and Petter Solberg
Petter Solberg
Petter "Hollywood" Solberg , from Spydeberg in Østfold, Norway, is a professional rally driver. He debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1998 and was signed by the Ford factory team in 1999...
among others.
After retiring from co-driving, Gallagher became involved as a consultant or clerk of the course on various events including the WRC rallies in Corsica
Tour de Corse
The Tour de Corse - Rallye de France is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was part of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season to 2008. The name "Tour de Corse" refers to the fact that in the early days it was run around the island; nowadays it only features...
and Cyprus
Cyprus Rally
The Cyprus Rally is a rallying competition held yearly in Cyprus since 1970. The event is run by the Cyprus Automobile Association and is based in the city of Limassol . It is run on the winding roads of the nearby mountains of Troödos. It was part of the FIA's World Rally Championship from 2000...
but also in events like Race of Champions
Race of Champions
The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers...
. He worked with the FIA Rally Safety Group in 2001-2005. Gallagher is still active today as a consultant within the WRC. In 2008 he was awarded the Finnish Automobile Sport Federation's Gold Medal for his services to the nation.