Michael Park

Michael Park (Newent, England, United Kingdom; June 22, 1966-Bryn, Wales, United Kingdom; September 18, 2005) was a British rally co-driver. Hailing from Newent, Gloucestershire, he had two children, William and Victoria, with his wife Marie.

Biography

A rally fan since he was ten years old, he gained experience with some of the best British drivers. He worked with former world champions Richard Burns and Colin McRae as a gravel expert, while co-driving for David and Mark Higgins in the British National Series. However, he made his name with emerging driver Markko Märtin in the Toyota Corolla in the 2000 World Rally Championship season.

The pair signed with Subaru for the 2001 season, before signing for Ford, where they became one of the leading combinations in the WRC. In 2003, the couple achieved two victories, in Greece and Finland, and in 2004 they improved these results by adding one more. In the 2005 season they drove for Peugeot and placed fourth in the standings, after obtaining four podiums in a season dominated by Citroën's Sébastien Loeb. His performances were vital for Peugeot in its challenge to reach the brands title, being second, six points behind Citroën.

Park died as a result of injuries caused by an accident on the Margam Park stage of the 2005 Rally of Great Britain. In this way, the team withdrew from the event and the organization ended it with two stages remaining.

Michael Park Trophy

After his death, the Michael Park Trophy was created, an honorary award given to the best co-driver in the Rally of Great Britain in memory of Park.