A parade of cars once driven by former world rally champion Richard Burns helped to raise approximately £2000 for the Richard Burns Foundation during Wales Rally GB in Cardiff last month.
Established in memory of the English rallying hero following his death from a brain tumour in November 2005, the Richard Burns Foundation aims to help people who are affected by brain cancer and other neurological disorders, giving them the means to face the future with confidence.
On Rally GB, the final round of the 2010 World Rally Championship and an event Burns won on three occasions in the past, the rally organisers gave the Richard Burns Foundation permission for six cars belonging to the Richard Burns Collection to be driven through the Cardiff Bay stage on the evening of Saturday 13 November.
The cars were driven by some of Richard's friends and supporters and the passenger seats in all cars were auctioned on the eBay website.
Guy Wilks, a Richard Burns Foundation patron who was handed the keys to Richard's Peugeot 309 GTI for the parade, said: "It was an honour. Not only was it for a very worthwhile cause but I'm just about old enough to remember watching Richard driving this car to win his class on Rally GB in 1991 so it brought back some great memories."
Chris Daykin, who was inspired to go rallying by Richard and helped to create the annual Richard Burns Memorial Rally at RAF Marham in Norfolk, was at the wheel of Richard's Group N Subaru Legacy. "To go from being a club rally driver to being asked to do this was such a privilege and left me speechless. It was just an amazing experience to drive a car with so much history in front of all those people."
David Mitchell, who bid online to secure the seat alongside Kevin Furber in Richard's Peugeot 205 GTI, said: "It was a once in a lifetime chance. But not only was it a great experience, it was so great to be able to help such a good cause."
Zoe Scott, Richard's long-term girlfriend, concluded: "We are so grateful to everybody who submitted bids on eBay, to the Wales Rally GB organisers for all their help and co-operation and to our six drivers who took part in the parade. Rally GB was a very important rally for Richard so to be able to remember him in this way and raise vital funds for the Richard Burns Foundation was fantastic."
The full line-up of drivers and cars is as follows:
Kevin Furber: Peugeot 205 GTI Guy Wilks: Peugeot 309 GTI Chris Daykin: Subaru Legacy Group N Alex Poston: Subaru Legacy Group A Olly Clark: Subaru Impreza WRC Mark Higgins: Peugeot 206 WRC
