Ford Abu Dhabi Word Rally Team co-driver Michael Orr is set*to start*his 100th WRC event on this week's Rally de Portugal.

Michael Orr told WRC.com: “It’s a huge honour to reach 100 events at the sport’s highest level and it’s always interesting working with Khalid [Al Qassimi]. We’ve got better with every round and every season since we linked up in the WRC and we’re hoping to maintain that on what is always hard, rocky and punishing terrain. These Portugal stages push teams and cars to the max, but they are similar to surfaces and passes you find in the Middle East - they are not new to either of us.”

PROFILE

Date Of Birth: 17 January 1974
Lives: Bangor, Northern Ireland
Marital Status: Married to Angie
First World Rally: 1993 RAC Rally
World Rallies Started: 99
Team: Ford Abu Dhabi WRT

Michael Orr brings more than 20 years' experience to his role as co-driver to Khalid Al Qassimi.* He was a 15-year-old schoolboy when he first navigated on a small road rally in his native Northern Ireland in 1989.* He quickly developed a liking for the sport and the following year competed in the Northern Ireland Road Rally Championship.

His move to stage rallying came in 1992 when he joined forces with Drew Wylie.* The pair spent two seasons competing in the historic category of the Irish Tarmac Championship in a Hillman Imp, winning their class and finishing fourth overall on their debut on the legendary Circuit of Ireland.* Orr made his WRC debut on the RAC Rally in Britain in 1993, co-driving for Andrew Wheatley in a Skoda Favorit.* Wheatley later became a work colleague in the co-ordination department at M-Sport and is still a key member of the team.

Orr also tackled the national championship in Ireland in 1993 and 1994 in a Ford Sierra Cosworth with Willie John Dolan.* He then took time out of co-driving to join M-Sport's co-ordination department, where he worked alongside current co-ordination manager John Millington and Phil Mills, co-driver to Petter Solberg.

It provided valuable behind the scenes experience which he put to further use when he co-ordinated Ukrainian driver Vasyl Rostotsky in 1999.* But the lure of co-driving was too strong and Orr returned to the ****pit to partner Rostotsky to the Ukrainian national title the same year.

Orr joined forces with Niall McShea for the British Rally Championship the following season, before moving up to the Junior World Rally Championship in 2001 and 2002, finishing third in their first year in a Ford Puma and a Citroen Saxo.* In 2003 Orr contested the SCCA Pro Rally Championship in the United States in a works open class Subaru alongside Ramana Lagemann.

In 2004 he rejoined McShea for four events in the Production Car World Championship, guiding his fellow countryman to the title on the final round in Australia.* He also partnered Al Qassimi for the first time in the Middle East Rally Championship and the pair claimed victory in Bahrain and Syria en route to the title.

Orr stepped up to a full WRC programme in 2005 in a Focus RS World Rally Car alongside Antony Warmbold, their best results being seventh in Mexico, Italy and Spain.* He also partnered Matthew Wilson to victory on the inaugural Rally Ireland, an outing that led to a two-year partnership in the WRC in 2006 and 2007.* Their best result was fourth in Japan in 2007.

In 2008 Orr rejoined Al Qassimi in the Ford Abu Dhabi line-up, and his experience has been invaluable in the Emirati's development.

photo: worldrallypics.com








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