Prodrive

Type	Private
Industry	Motorsport Automotive engineering
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Banbury, England
Key people	David Richards (founder and chairman)
Products	race and rally car engineering, automotive engineering
Website	Prodrive.com

Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford. Its automotive technology division provides road car design and engineering consultation for various car manufacturers as well as businesses in the defence, aerospace and marine industries.^[1]

Prodrive is perhaps best known for its involvement in the World Rally Championship with the Subaru World Rally Team. While the Subaru World Rally programme ended in 2008, today its motorsport manufacturer programmes include Aston Martin Racing in world sportscar racing, Ford Performance Racing in the Australian V8 Supercar Series and the new Mini WRC Team.

In Australia the company has an interest in Ford Performance Vehicles, a joint venture with Ford Australia which produces automobiles under the FPV brand.

The group is also involved in activities in China.

Globally, the company employs around 600 people and has a turnover of around £100 million.

History[link]

Prodrive was founded in 1984 by Ian Parry and David Richards, the latter is now the chairman of the group. Their first involvement in motorsport was with the Rothmans Porsche Rally Team running a Porsche 911 SC RS for Saed Al Hajri in the Middle East Rally Championship. In 1986, in addition to the Rothman's programme, Prodrive ran a MG Metro 6R4 in British and Irish rally championships. In 1987, they expanded into touring cars, running BMWs M3 in the British Touring Car Championship. They were the outright 1988 champions, and class champions in 1989 and 1990. Since then, Prodrive has run touring car programmes for Alfa Romeo (BTCC champions 1994) for Honda, for Ford (BTCC champions in 2000) and with Volvo in FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC). It currently runs the Ford Performance Racing team in Australia's equivalent touring car championship, the V8 Supercar Series.^[2]

In 1990, Prodrive started rallying with Subaru, a relationship which lasted until December 2008, when the global economic downturn forced their withdrawal from World Rallying. During the near 20 year partnership, the team won three drivers' WRC titles for Colin McRae (1995), Richard Burns (2001) and Petter Solberg (2003), as well as three manufacturers' titles (1995,96,97).

In 1999, investment group Apax Partners bought 49% of the company. In 2007 Apax sold their investment in the business and in 2008, The Investment Dar company, based in Kuwait, acquired a share of the business.

In 2000 Prodrive expanded out of its base in Banbury, UK and bought a private proving ground in Warwickshire to house its automotive technology business. In 2001 the company acquired Tickford and merged this automotive engineering business into its own operations. With Tickford came subsidiary businesses in North America and Australia. The businesses in North America were subsequently sold, while in Australia, the Tickford brand was replaced by the new Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) brand. FPV now designs and manufactures around 2000 high performance cars for the local market.

In 2001, Prodrive entered sports car racing with its own privately-developed Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello. Prodrive raced the car until 2004 winning numerous races in the FIA GT and American Le Mans Series. The highlight for the programme was GTS class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003. The success of this project led to a full works programme with Aston Martin and the creation of Aston Martin Racing in late 2004, a partnership between Prodrive and the British motor manufacturer. The team won on its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2005 with its new DBR9 GT1 car. Aston Martin Racing subsequently competed in the American Le Mans Series and at Le Mans with the highlights of the programme being two GT1 class victories at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the team developed a new LMP1 car and won the 2009 Le Mans Series and was fourth at Le Mans and the fastest petrol powered car. This programme continues today.

In December 2001 Prodrive was brought in to manage the unsuccessful Formula One constructor BAR. Richards was appointed as team principal of BAR. Under Prodrive management the team's fortunes were turned around and by the end of the 2004 season, the BAR Honda F1 team was second in the F1 manufacturers' championship. At that point the owners, BAT (British American Tobacco), sold the team to Honda. The Prodrive management contract was ended and Prodrive's managing director Nick Fry assumed the role of team principal. Prodrive has subsequently been linked with Formula One on a number of occasions since (see below for details).

In March 2007 a consortium led by Prodrive chairman David Richards bought British sports car firm Aston Martin from Ford, bringing Aston Martin back into British control. Prodrive has no financial involvement in the deal.^[3] Richards himself is a long-time Aston Martin enthusiast, and owns an extensive collection of both modern and historic models.

World Rally Championship[link]

Atkinson's WRC Impreza being prepped for Rally Cyprus 2006

The first Prodrive WRC Car from 1997

In 1990, Prodrive began a long standing and highly successful relationship with Subaru, forming the Subaru World Rally Team. Prodrive was tasked with running Subaru's rallying campaigns, helping them to three Drivers' and three Manufacturers' World Rally Championships (WRC). Starting out with the Subaru Legacy, they achieved minor success in the WRC with regular drivers Colin McRae and Ari Vatanen. The first Subaru victory in the WRC was by McRae in a Legacy during the 1993 Rally New Zealand. The smaller and more agile Impreza became the platform which Prodrive would be most successful within rally. Scotland’s Colin McRae won the 1995 World Rally Championship for drivers, followed later by England’s Richard Burns in 2001 and Norwegian Petter Solberg in 2003. All three championship Subarus were prepared and run by Prodrive.

The distinctive blue with yellow colour scheme was a throwback to the early 1990s sponsorship deal with 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia.

After a number of years of poor performances, Subaru announced their withdrawal from the WRC at the end of the 2008 season.

On 27 July 2010, it was announced that Prodrive would re-entry the WRC with a limited program in 2011 with BMW using the MINI Countryman. A full season in 2012 is planned with the car which will be powered by a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport.^[4]

Formula One[link]

On 28 April 2006, Prodrive were officially granted entry to F1 when the FIA announced the list of entrants to the 2008 Formula One World Championship.^[5]

FIA president Max Mosley was impressed by Prodrive's bid, which beat off stiff competition from the likes of Carlin Motorsport, the Jean Alesi-led McLaren-supported Direxiv outfit, BAR co-founder Craig Pollock, former Minardi owner Paul Stoddart and ex-Jordan Grand Prix team principal, Eddie Jordan.

He revealed that Prodrive have found the finances to support their bid, adding: "Prodrive has the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motorsport experience. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, has experience as a Formula One team principal".

Following a legal challenge by Williams to Prodrive's proposed use of a customer car David Richards announced on 23 November 2007 that Prodrive would not be entering Formula One for the 2008 season. Richards made it clear that it was still the intention of Prodrive to enter Formula One. However, following further clarifications of the rules surrounding the use of customer cars, and the resulting ban on the use of customer chassis from the beginning of the 2009 F1 season, the pursuit of an entry via the customer car route has been abandoned. Richards has previously stated that entry as an independent constructor would be prohibitively expensive.

On 23 April 2009, Prodrive issued a press release stating that they were considering an F1 entry for the 2010 season.^[6]

On 29 May 2009, it was reported that Prodrive had submitted a formal application for the 2010 season.

Prodrive was one of two potential buyers considered by the Renault F1 Team to take-over the team prior to the 2010 season.^[7]

In April 2010 Prodrive announced it would not apply for the 2011 Formula One season. The slot became available after US F1 Team collapsed.^[8]

The Fulcrum[link]

Prodrive already had a facility at the former RAF Honiley airfield and LucasVarity proving ground near Wroxall, Warwickshire, together with Marcos and TRW.^[9]

In March 2006, Prodrive announced its intent to build a £200million, 200-acre (0.8 km²) motorsport facility called The Fulcrum.^[10][11] Prodrive's statement in the planning application for the facility – which could house as many as 1,000 staff – boasted of "a motorsport complex which could eventually house Prodrive's new British Prodrive F1 team", further cementing Managing Director Richards' intention to return to F1 in 2008. Until the Honiley factory is operational, Prodrive will remain at their existing Banbury headquarters.

As of 3 August 2006, Prodrive has won the support of the Warwick District Council planning committee for development of The Fulcrum.^[12] The permission covers a highly advanced engineering research and development campus, a conference facility called the Catalyst Centre and new access road, a roundabout, infrastructure, parking and landscaping. The plans still have to be presented and agreed by the British government's Department for Communities and Local Government, and there is local opposition via the Fulcrum Prodrive Action Group (FPAG) to protect the rural nature of the community and the safety of the people that live within it.^[9]

Notes[link]

See also[link]

• History of Banbury, Oxfordshire
• Automotive industry

References[link]

• Cropley, S (November. 9, 2004). Beauty and the beast. Autocar pp. 44–51.
• Cropley, S (November. 30, 2004). Out, but not down. Autocar pp. 72–73.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Prodrive vehicles

• Prodrive's website
• Subaru World Rally Team Homepage
• Aston Martin Racing Homepage
• American Le Mans Series Homepage

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Sam Rayburn
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office January 3, 1955 – November 16, 1961
President	Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
Preceded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Succeeded by	John William McCormack
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Succeeded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
In office September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1947
President	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	William B. Bankhead
Succeeded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
House Minority Leader
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Deputy	John William McCormack
Preceded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Succeeded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Deputy	John William McCormack
Preceded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Succeeded by	Joseph William Martin, Jr.
House Majority Leader
In office January 3, 1937 – September 16, 1940
Deputy	Patrick J. Boland
Preceded by	William B. Bankhead
Succeeded by	John William McCormack
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 4th district
In office March 4, 1913 – November 16, 1961
Preceded by	Choice B. Randell
Succeeded by	Ray Roberts
Personal details
Born	Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (1882-01-06)January 6, 1882 Kingston, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	November 16, 1961(1961-11-16) (aged 79) Bonham, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Texas A&M University–Commerce
Profession	Law
Religion	Primitive Baptist

Samuel Taliaferro "Sam" Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was a Democratic lawmaker from Bonham, Texas, who served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for 17 years, the longest tenure in U.S. history.

Background[link]

Rayburn was born in Roane County, Tennessee, and was baptized by Elder H.G. Ball in the Primitive Baptist Church, also known as Old Line Baptist or Hard Shell Baptist Church. Rayburn graduated from Mayo College (now Texas A&M University-Commerce) in Commerce, which was located in northeast Texas. He attended the University of Texas School of Law while teaching school, and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1908. Just after being admitted to the bar, he won election to the Texas House of Representatives, beginning his first term in 1909. During his second two-year term in the Texas House, he was elected Speaker of the House at the age of twenty-nine. The next year, he won election to the United States House of Representatives in District 4. He entered Congress in 1913 at the beginning of Woodrow Wilson's presidency and served in office for almost 49 years (more than 24 terms), until the beginning of John F. Kennedy's presidency.

Personal life[link]

Rayburn had married once, to Metze Jones (1897–1982), sister of Texas Congressman Marvin Jones and Rayburn's colleague, but the marriage ended quickly. Biographer D.B. Hardeman guessed that Rayburn's work schedule and long bachelorhood, combined with the couple's differing views on alcohol, contributed to the rift. The court's divorce file in Bonham, Texas, has never been located, and Rayburn avoided speaking of his brief marriage. One of his greatest, most painful regrets was that he did not have a son, or as he put it in Master of the Senate, Robert Caro's biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, "a towheaded boy to take fishing."

Rayburn died of pancreatic cancer in 1961 at the age of 79 and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. By the time of his death, he had served as Speaker for twice as long as any of his predecessors.

Speaker of the House[link]

A statue of Rayburn in the Rayburn House Office Building

On September 16, 1940 at the age of 58, and while serving as Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, Rayburn became Speaker of the House upon the sudden death of Speaker William Bankhead. Rayburn's career as Speaker was interrupted twice: 1947–1949 and 1953–1955, when Republicans controlled the House. During those periods of Republican rule, Rayburn served as Minority Leader. However, he so disliked the term "minority leader" that he asked to be referred to as the "Democratic Leader" during those interim four years when the office of Speaker was held by the Republican Joseph W. Martin, Jr. of Massachusetts, actually a close personal friend of Rayburn's.^[1]

Himself a protege of Vice President of the United States John Nance Garner, Rayburn was a close friend and mentor of Lyndon B. Johnson and knew Johnson's father Sam from their days in the Texas Legislature. Rayburn was instrumental to LBJ's ascent to power, particularly his unusual and rapid rise to the position of Minority Leader; Johnson had been in the Senate for a mere four years when he assumed the role. Johnson also owed his subsequent elevation to Majority Leader to Rayburn. Like Johnson, Rayburn did not sign the Southern Manifesto.^[2]

Also, as Speaker of the House, in the interest of the United States of America, Rayburn forged close friendships and partnerships with legislatures of emerging independent countries and democracies on the continent of Africa, especially Nigeria, a rising political power on that continent. Rayburn was a good friend of The Honorable Jaja Wachuku, who was the first indigenous Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, from 1959 to 1960.

Personal integrity[link]

Although many Texas legislators were on the payroll of public service corporations, Rayburn refused to do so. As he recounted in a speech during his congressional campaign:

"When I became a member of the law firm of Steger, Thurmond and Rayburn, Messrs. Thurmond and Steger were representing the Santa Fe Railroad Company, receiving pay monthly. When the first check came after I entered the firm, Mr. Thurmond brought to my desk one-third of the amount of the check, explaining what it was for. I said to him that I was a member of the Legislature, representing the people of Fannin County, and that my experience had taught me that men who represent the people should be as far removed as possible from concerns whose interests he was liable to be called on to legislate concerning, and that on that ground I would not accept a dollar of the railroad's money, though I was legally entitled to it. I never did take a dollar of it. I have been guided by the principle in all my dealings."^[3]

This practice of refusing to accept fees from clients who had interests before the Legislature was "virtually unheard-of" at the time.^[4] Later, while serving in Congress, a wealthy oil man had a very expensive horse delivered to Rayburn's farm in Bonham. No one apparently knew the oil man delivered the horse except him, Rayburn, and a Rayburn staffer. Rayburn returned the horse.^[5]

Legacy[link]

Sam Rayburn

In shaping legislation, Rayburn preferred working quietly in the background to being in the public spotlight. As Speaker, he won a reputation for fairness and integrity. In his years in Congress, Rayburn always insisted on paying his own expenses, even going so far as to pay for his own travel expenses when inspecting the Panama Canal when his committee was considering legislation concerning it, rather than exercising his right to have the government pay for it. When he died, his personal savings totaled only $15,000, and most of his holdings were in his family ranch.

Rayburn was well known among his colleagues for his after business hours "Board of Education" meetings in hideaway offices in the House. During these off-the-record sessions, the Speaker and powerful committee chairmen would gather for poker, bourbon, and a frank discussion of politics. Rayburn alone determined who received an invitation to these gatherings; to be invited to a "Board of Education" gathering was a high honor.

He coined the term "Sun Belt" while strongly supporting the construction of Route 66. It originally ran south from Chicago, through Oklahoma, and then turned westward from Texas to New Mexico and Arizona before ending at the beach in Santa Monica, California. Arguing in favor of the project, he stated famously that America absolutely must connect "the Frost Belt with the Sun Belt."

Rayburn also had a knack for dressing to suit his occasion. While in Washington, D.C., he would sport expensive suits, starched shirts, and perfectly shined shoes. However, while back in his poorer district in Texas, Rayburn would wear simple shirts, blue jeans, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. Several politicians have imitated this pattern, including Ronald Reagan's famous example of clearing brush when at home in California, while wearing fine suits in Washington.

The phrase "A jackass can kick a barn down, but it takes a carpenter to build one," is attributed to Rayburn.^[6]

James Roosevelt, a U.S. representative from California and a son of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, once called Rayburn "the most impressive person in Congress." Rayburn had urged James not to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Representative Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., of New York, whom Rayburn considered not to have taken seriously his duties of office. Thomas Abernethy of Mississippi said that Rayburn was the most influential Speaker in history because he could "work with liberals and conservatives, ran the House with a firm hand but was generous."^[1] William Colmer, another Mississippian and the mentor of later Representative and U.S. Senator Trent Lott, described Rayburn as a "very strong parliamentarian" who was far more effective than his successor, John McCormack of Massachusetts, whom Colmer found "wanted to be liked" by his colleagues.^[1]

Speaker Rayburn is seated at right behind President John F. Kennedy in this May 25, 1961 photograph showing Kennedy announcing the Apollo program.

Asked why he never sought the presidency, Rayburn said that he was "born in the wrong place at the wrong time" to undertake a national campaign.^[1] Rayburn was Speaker at a time that the greater power in the House rested with committee chairmen. He was himself readily accessible to members; historian Anthony Champagne of the University of Texas at Dallas, a Rayburn scholar, views the Speaker as a "bridge between the northern and southern members" of the Democratic Party. Champagne recalled a report that Rayburn so understood the House that he was "married" to the body and could "feel the sentiment of the members" by merely being in their presence. He was careful to fight his own battles, Champagne said. Rayburn was a mentor to such younger members as Richard Bolling of Missouri, Wilbur D. Mills of Arkansas, Carl Albert of Oklahoma, and Homer Thornberry and Jack Brooks, both of Texas.^[1] He was also readily accessible to constituents, who were invited to come to his home in Bonham and visit without prior notice.^[1]

His home in Texas, now known as the Sam Rayburn House Museum, was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Tributes[link]

Stamp issued by the United States Postal Service commemorating Sam Rayburn.

• The Rayburn House Office Building, which contains offices of House members adjacent to the United States Capitol.
• The ballistic missile submarine USS Sam Rayburn.
• The Sam Rayburn Reservoir in East Texas was named after him in 1963, and is a popular destination for bass fishing and professional fishing tournaments.
• Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena, Texas, also bears his name and houses the desk he used as Speaker of the House.
• The Sam Rayburn Independent School District was named for him in 1964.
• A documentary tentatively titled "Rayburn: Mr. Speaker" is currently in production from filmmaker Reed Penney, according to a report by the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus newspaper The East Texan.
• Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M University-Commerce is named after Mr. Rayburn.
• Sam Rayburn Middle School in Bryan, Texas is named in his honor.
• Sam Rayburn Middle School in San Antonio, Texas was named in his honor.
• Sam Rayburn Parkway is a portion of U.S. Highway 75 that runs through Sherman, TX.
• Sam Rayburn Tollway is a toll road that goes through Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties in northeast Texas.^[7]
• Sam Rayburn Memorial Highway, roughly a forty mile section of Texas State Highway 121 that begins at Texas State Highway 78, two miles north of Bonham, Texas, and ends at its terminus with the Sam Rayburn Tollway in McKinney, Texas, was named in his honor.
• Choco Tacos were Sam Rayburn's favorite snack during his time in Congress, as a reminder of his southwestern roots. There is a statute of Speaker Rayburn in the Capitol Complex holding a Choco Taco.
• Sam Rayburn Elementary School in McAllen, Texas is named in his honor.
• Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center in Bonham, Texas was named in his honor.
• The Rayburn Room at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia was named in his honor, as he was Speaker of the House during the decision to build the Bunker.

Portrayals[link]

• Pat Hingle played Rayburn in LBJ: The Early Years
• James Gammon played Rayburn in Truman

See also[link]

• Wahrenberger House

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Robert A. Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power (1982).
• Anthony Champagne and Floyd F. Ewing, "RAYBURN, SAMUEL TALIAFERRO (1882-1961)." Handbook of Texas Online (2005) online version
• Anthony Champagne, Congressman Sam Rayburn (Rutgers University Press, 1984).
• Anthony Champagne, Sam Rayburn: A Bio-Bibliography (Greenwood, 1988).
• C. Dwight Dorough, Mr. Sam (1962).
• Lewis L. Gould and Nancy Beck Young, "The Speaker and the Presidents: Sam Rayburn, the White House, and the Legislative Process, 1941–1961" in Raymond W. Smock and Susan W. Hammond, eds. Masters of the House: Congressional Leadership Over Two Centuries (1998). online version
• D. B. Hardeman and Donald C. Bacon, Rayburn: A Biography (Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1987).
• Alfred Steinberg, Sam Rayburn (Hawthorn, 1975)

External links[link]

• Obituary, NY Times, November 16, 1961, Rayburn Is Dead; Served 17 Years As House Speaker
• The leadership of Speaker Sam Rayburn published 1961, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
• Sam Rayburn at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn from the Handbook of Texas Online
• "Mister Speaker", Time Magazine, September 27, 1943
• Rayburn: Mr Speaker Documentary Website
• The Friends of Sam Rayburn Website
• Sam Rayburn House Museum Website
• Sam Rayburn at Find a Grave
• Address Delivered by The Honorable Sam Rayburn at the Dedication of the Marker over the Graves of His Great-Great Grandfather Col. George Waller and his wife Ann Winston Carr, Oakwood Cemetery, Martinsville, Virginia, May 6, 1951

v t e Speakers of the United States House of Representatives Muhlenberg Trumbull Muhlenberg Dayton Sedgwick Macon Varnum Clay Cheves Clay Taylor Barbour Clay Taylor Stevenson Bell Polk Hunter White Jones Davis Winthrop Cobb Boyd Banks Orr Pennington Grow Colfax Pomeroy Blaine Kerr Randall Keifer Carlisle Reed Crisp Reed Henderson Cannon Clark Gillett Longworth Garner Rainey Byrns Bankhead Rayburn Martin Rayburn Martin Rayburn McCormack Albert O'Neill Wright Foley Gingrich Hastert Pelosi Boehner

v t e Majority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives Payne Underwood Kitchin Mondell Longworth Tilson Rainey Byrns Bankhead Rayburn McCormack Halleck McCormack Halleck McCormack Albert Boggs O'Neill Wright Foley Gephardt Armey DeLay Blunt (acting) Boehner Hoyer Cantor

v t e Minority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives Bailey Richardson Williams Clark Mann Clark Kitchin Garrett Garner Snell Martin Rayburn Martin Rayburn Martin Halleck Ford Rhodes Michel Gephardt Pelosi Boehner Pelosi

v t e Democratic Party Leaders in the United States House of Representatives Bailey Richardson Williams Clark Underwood Kitchin Clark Kitchin Garrett Garner Rainey Byrns Bankhead Rayburn McCormack Rayburn McCormack Rayburn McCormack Albert Boggs O'Neill Wright Foley Gephardt Pelosi Hoyer Pelosi

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Dani Sordo

Sordo at the 2011 Cornberry-Park rally show.
Personal information
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1983-05-02) May 2, 1983 (age 29) Torrelavega, Cantabria
World Rally Championship record
Active years	2003–present
Teams	Citroën, Mini
Rallies	90
Championships	0
Rally wins	0
Podiums	31
Stage wins	107
Total points	452
First rally	2003 Rally Catalunya

Daniel "Dani" Sordo Castillo (born May 2, 1983 in Torrelavega, Cantabria) is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for the Mini WRC Team. He has yet to claim his maiden victory in the WRC despite having raced in one of the best teams for four years.

Career[link]

Sordo began in motocross when he was 12 years old, but also experienced success with hillclimbing, karting and touring cars. He first drove in a World Rally Championship event at the Rally Catalunya, the Spanish round of the series, in 2003 in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII, finishing 18th overall. He won the Spanish Junior Championship that year, and retained the title in 2004, while also accumulating further international experience at the WRC events in Argentina (retired), France (13th) and Spain (20th).

In this last event, he switched from the Lancer Evo to a Citroën C2 S1600, and for 2005 he committed to a full season driving the C2 in the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC) with Belgium's Kronos Racing team. He also switched co-drivers, now being paired with Marc Martí, the former co-driver of double World Champion Carlos Sainz. Victories in Sardinia, Finland, Germany and Spain brought him the junior world title.

Sordo driving a Citroën Xsara WRC at the 2006 Rally Japan.

These showings earned Sordo a subsequent drive in a Kronos Total Citroën-prepared Xsara World Rally Car as the team's third driver in the 2006 season, although the initial plan - latterly dropped - was for the Spaniard to combine a piecemeal World Rally Car programme with a simultaneous defence of the JWRC title in the C2.

His early results though, including successive podiums at the Rally Catalunya and the Rallye de France, proved sufficient to not only expand his complement of contested events, but also ensure promotion to the second driver berth from the Rallye Deutschland onwards, alongside Sébastien Loeb and ahead of team-mate Xavier Pons. Sordo finished the 2006 season with four podium places, 49 points and a fifth overall in the drivers' world championship.

Sordo driving a Citroën C4 WRC at the 2010 Rally Finland.

Citroën Sport then announced that Sordo will be their second driver for their 2007 season works team return. Sébastien Loeb would lead the team's push to win another title, this time using the C4 instead of Xsara.^[1] Sordo started the season with a second place at the 2007 Monte Carlo Rally and went on to finish on the podium six more times; in Portugal, Italy, Spain, where he also led a WRC event for the first time in his career, France, Japan and Ireland. With 65 points, he placed fourth overall in the drivers' championship, behind his teammate Loeb and BP Ford World Rally Team's Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen.

In the 2008 season, after only three points in the first three events, Sordo finished third in Argentina and second in Jordan. On July 12, Sordo won the SM O.K. Auto-Ralli, the fifth round of the Finnish Rally Championship. Initially, he only planned to use the event as a test session when Citroën decided to competitively enroll him in the event to build confidence in preparation for the 2008 Rally Finland. Sordo's win marks his first in a WRC car.^[2] Citroën is also believed to have been testing out new parts at this event as a few slight modifications could be noticed in a few cars.

Back in the World Rally Championship, Sordo took fourth place in Finland and went on to drive his C4 WRC to three consecutive runner-up finishes behind his teammate Loeb; in Germany, New Zealand and Spain. With these results, Citroën passed Ford and took a 27-point lead in the manufacturers' world championship. At the season-ending Wales Rally GB, Loeb and Sordo secured the team their fourth manufacturers' crown by finishing first and third, respectively. Sordo finished a career-best third in the drivers' standings. In the 2010 WRC season Dani Sordo scored a 4th place in the opening round Rally Sweden, while he scored no points in the following round in Rally Mexico. In the third round in Rally Jordan he scored another 4th place, in the Turkish Rally he was forced to retire, while in Rally New Zealand he scored 5th place and in the Rally of Portugal he scored his first podium finish of the year, while in Rally Bulgaria, Sordo finished in second place behind his team leader Loeb, giving his Citroen team their first one-two finish of the season. However, he will be replaced by Sebastien Ogier for the remaining gravel events of the season in the works team, and will be demoted to the Citroen Junior Team alongside Kimi Räikkönen. In Rally Finland Sordo finished 4th and from Rally Deutschland onwards Dani Sordo swapped his co-driver to Diego Vallejo. In Rally Deutschland itself Dani Scored another 2nd place podium. In the following Rally in Japan he finished 4th and in Rally Alsace 2nd again. He is currently 5th in the standings and has 53 points if using the old scoring system with 2 rounds remaining until the end of the season. At the end of the season he has 63 points using the old scoring system in 5th place. For the 2011 season Dani Sordo had joined MINI in there first year in the WRC securing 2 podiums in Germany and France 3rd and 2nd place respectively and 4th place in Spain and 6th in the first round for MINI in Sardegnia. For 2012 he continues his partnership with MINI for their first full season beginning in Monte-Carlo Rally. In Monte-Carlo he took his first podium for 2012 finnishing in second place. Round 2 in Sweden he went off road scoring no points. Rally Mexico Sordo did not compete due to MINI separating from Prodrive. A round later however after some more than 100 modifications for the MINI, Sordo won 6 stages including the power stage. Sordo is set to replace Ford's number one in argentina, after the finn was injured in practice for the upcomming event, for now that is the only event he will replace Ford's Finn afterwhich he will compete in New-Zealand,Germany and Wales GB. Besides competing in the WRC for 2012, Dani Sordo is to participate in the IRC in the Tour De-Course in a MINI. Took his maiden win in the 2012-Tour de-Course in the IRC championship.

Complete WRC results[link]

* Season in progress.

JWRC results[link]

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

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