A driver is only as good as his co-driver….ok well not always….but in this case having a fantastic co-driver doesn’t hurt. Michael “Beef” Park also grew up with rally racing all around him in his native England. After learning how to be a navigator on local roads he drove with Steve Bennett, David Williams and David Higgins. In 1994-1998 he worked on the gravel note crew for Richard Burns. In 1997 Park left his job as a metal fabricator to join the world of rallying full time. In 1999 he made a name for himself when he partnered Abdullah Bakhashab in a Toyota Corolla WRC and came in fourth in the FIA Teams Cup. In 2000 Park teamed up with Markko Martin. They’ve been together through Toyota and Subaru and they are devastating the competition at Ford. Beef and Markko are pals outside of the car too and Beef does an excellent job at helping Markko keep a cool head in some of their more adventurous stages.
There are not many online resources for the esteemed Michael “Beef” Park, but Jaak Saarepuu from Estonia has taken a long time to translate this interview from his native Estonian to English. What a FANTASTIC job, Jaak! Here is the interview that tells us a lot more about Michael “Beef” Park and Markko Martin.
Mis sulle Markko juures ei meeldi?
What do you not like about Markko?
Midagi sellist ei ole. Saan temaga väga hästi läbi. Temast on saanud minu hea sõber. Veedame väga palju aega koos, räägime paljudest asjadest. Me lihtsalt peame läbi saama. See on nagu abielu.
There isn’t something like that. We have no problems. He has become a very good friend of mine. We spend a lot of time together, talk about lots of things. We just have to be friends. It is like a marriage.
Kas võiksid Markkoga sõita kuni karjääri lõpuni?
Could you drive with Markko until the end of your career?
Ei tea. Hetkel ei näe põhjust laeva peatada, kui see nii hästi sõidab.
I don’t know. There is no point stopping the ship while it’s running so good.
Eesti ajakirjanduses kujutatakse Markkot mehena, kes peaaegu üldse ei räägi, on väga tõsine. Kuidas tegelikult on?
Markko is often pictured as a quiet man who doesn’t speak much and is very severe. How is it really?
Ta on tõesti üsna vaikne. Ei hakka iga inimesega niisama juttu ajama. Aga ta saab rallimaailmas kõigiga hästi läbi ja suudab iga inimesega igal teemal juttu ajada.
He is pretty quiet, yes. He doesn’t start to chat with random people. But he gets by very well with everyone in the rallying world and can speak of any subject with them.
Kas Markko nalja mõistab?
Does Markko have a sense of humor?
Tal on imeline huumorimeel. Mis eriti imelik, tal on ka hea inglise huumorimeel. Markko teeb vabalt inglise nalju, mis ajab paljusid segadusse. Mullu vaatasime Inglismaal Fordi tehast ja käisime ka mööda poode. Ühes jäi Markko müüjaga telekatest rääkima. Müüja otsustas viia teleka Markkole koju, et näidata, kuidas see töötab. Markko ütles, et maa on natuke liiga pikk. Müüja omakorda, et pole midagi, meil on ju kojutoimetamise teenus. Seepeale teatas Markko, et ta elab Eestis. Müüja pidi pikali kukkuma. Minu meelest on Markko keeleoskus fantastiline.
He has a wonderful sense of humor and what’s strange he also has a good sense of English humor. We were visiting the Ford factory in England and shopping one time. In a shop Markko stopped and started to talk to the shopkeeper about television sets. The shopkeeper decided to take the TV to Markko’s home to show how it works. Markko said that the distance is a bit too long. The salesman replied that it’s not a problem, we have home transport service. After that Markko announced that he lives in Estonia. The seller was about to fall down. I think that Markko’s English is fantastic.
Ü kskord pani Markko sulle 10 palli skaalal hindeks 9. Kas tead, mis sul 10st puudu jäi?
One time Markko gave you 9 points out of 10. Do you know what took the last point away?
Ei tea. Keegi pole täiuslik. Mina kindlasti mitte.
No, I don’t. Nobody’s perfect. Surely not me.
Markko sõnul läheb punkt selle arvele, et sa ei oska eesti keelt. Miks sa pole seda õppinud?
Markko says that the last point is lost because you don’t know Estonian? Why haven’t you learned that?
Hee… nii see on. Ma arvan, et ei saaks selle keele selgeksõppimisega hakkama.
Heehee… That’s the way it is. I think I could never speak Estonian. It’s too hard for me.
Kuidas tähistate edukaid esinemisi?
How do you celebrate successful rallies?
Ausalt öeldes ei tähistagi. Kui üks ralli saab läbi, hakkame järgmisele mõtlema. Monte Carlo tulemus, neljas koht oli meie jaoks fantastiline, kuid hakkasime kohe valmistuma Rootsi ralliks. Ja mulluse RAC-ralli järel, kus saime oma kõigi aegade parima, teise koha, ei olnud ka mingit tähistamist. Markko läks magama ja mina sõitsin kohe koju.
To be honest we don’t. When one rally ends we start to think about the next one. Monte Carlo’s fourth place was fantastic for us but right after that we started to get ready for Sweden. And after last year’s RAC-rally where we got our best result ever, second place, there was no celebrating either. Markko went to sleep and I drove home.
Kuidas sinust sai rallimees?
How did you became interested in rallying?
Tõtt öelda ise ka imestan. Meie peres keegi ralli- ega motospordiga ei tegelnud. Kohas, kust ma pärit olen (Inglismaa ja Walesi piiril Herefordshire’i maakonnas – toim) sõideti öösiti rallit. Alguses ma ei mõistnud, miks käib hilisel tunnil maja lähedal kõva kihutamine. Suuremaks saades hakkasin ralli vaatamiseks öösel välja hiilima.
To tell the truth it makes me wonder. Before me, nobody in my family did motor sports or rallying. The place where I come from (Between England and Wales in the county of Herefordshire) they did rallies at night. In the beginning I didn’t understand why they were racing at such late hour. When I got older I started to sneak out at nights to see the rally.
Millega su vennad tegelevad?
What do your brothers do?
Keegi neist ei tegele motospordiga. Kahest on saanud fännid, üks tuleb ka Rootsi rallit vaatama. Nad on kõik normaalsed ärimehed, teevad tõsist tööd. Keegi ei ela kerget elu nagu mina.
None of them do motor sports. Two of them have become fans; one is coming to see the rally of Sweden. They are all normal businessmen who are doing hard work. None of them lives an easy life like I do.
Aga sinu abikaasa ja lapsed käivad rallit vaatamas?
But do your wife and children come to watch the rally sometimes?
Vahel puhkame kohas, kust mõni ralli algab. Kuid enne võistluse algust läheb naine alati koju. Minust poleks viisakas tööd rabada, kui naine on minu lähedal.
Sometimes we stay in a place where a rally begins but before the rally starts my wife always goes home. It’s not polite of me to work hard when she is around.
On ta rahul, et sa pidevalt ümber ilma ringi tiirutad?
Is she happy that you travel all the time?
Meie kohtudes ma juba tiirutasin mööda Euroopat. Küllap ta on rahul. Ümber veenda ei ole püüdnud. Kui lapsed olid väga väikesed, oli naine küll üksi kodus õnnetu, meil olid väikesed pinged. See aeg on möödas.
When we met I was already traveling a lot. I think she’s happy. She hasn’t tried to talk me out of it. When our children were little she was a bit sad alone. We had some stresses but that is over now.
Jääb sul ralli kõrvalt aega vaatamisväärsustega tutvuda?
Do you have spare time between the rallies to see the sights?
Mullu näiteks jäi Austraalia ja Uus-Meremaa rallide vahel kolm nädalat, mille oleks võinud vabalt veeta eksootilist puhkust nautides. Kuid eelistasin olla koos perega. Tänavu lähen ilmselt varem kohale, sest ajavahega harjumine võtab palju energiat. Mängin sõpradega Aucklandis golfi jne.
Last year we had a three-week break between Australia and New-Zealand where I could easily have enjoyed an exotic vacation but I preferred to be with my family. This year I’ll probably go a lot sooner because the time difference is exhausting. I’ll play golf in Auckland with my friends etc.
Vahel asendatakse teleklippides osa juhi ja kaardilugeja jutust piiksudega. Kas mõtled sõidu ajal, mida öelda?
Sometimes the words of drivers are beeped out. Do you think during rallying what to say?
Olen selle koha pealt halb näide. Kui midagi valesti läheb, siis ma… ma just ei vihasta, aga ma lähen närvi. Kipun vanduma. Linte tuleb kärpida. Mulle ei meeldi vaadata ennast vandumas, aga teravatel hetkedel seda kahjuks juhtub.
I’m a bad example at that. When something goes wrong then I don’t get mad but I get nervous. Sometimes I swear. Tapes must be cut. I don’t like to see myself swearing but in tough times these thing happen.
Autost väljaspool pole ma kunagi kellegi peal ennast välja elanud.
Outside the car I have never been angry with someone.
Millised olukorrad panevad vanduma?
In which situation do you swear?
Monte Carlos tegime viimasel katsel spinni (auto keeras tagumise otsa ette – toim). Erakordselt pingeline võistlus poodiumikoha pärast ja äkki – spinn. No see ajas vihale.
In Monte Carlo when we spinned on the last stage. We had an extremely intense competition for a podium place and suddenly – a spin. Well that made me mad.
Mis keeles Markko vannub?
In what language does Markko swear?
Ta ei vannu tegelikult üldse. Ükskord, kui avarii tegime, kuulsin teda vandumas. Ta vannub inglise keeles. See tuleb ilmselt sellest, et ta on hakanud inglisekeelset legendi kuulates inglise keeles mõtlema.
Actually, he doesn’t swear at all. We crashed one time and I heard him swearing. He was doing it in English. That is because he is starting to think in English listening to the legend.
Oled sa hea autojuht?
Are you a good driver?
Keskmine (naerab). Avariisid pole juhtunud, aga ma ei sõida ka väga kiiresti.
Average (smiles). I have never had any accidents and I never drive too fast.
Kiirust ületad?
Do you sometimes go over the speed limit?
Ilmselt väga sageli. Inglismaal suhtutakse kiiruseületamisse leebemalt. Kui piirang on näiteks 70 miili tunnis (ca 110 km/h), aga sõidad 80ga (ca 130 km/h), siis politsei sind ei peata.
I do probably pretty often. In England they don’t take it hard on you. When the speed limit is 70 miles per hour but you are driving 80 miles per hour the police won’t stop you.
Piloodiks ei ole tahtnud saada?
Haven’t you ever wanted to become a driver?
Ei, seda mitte. Kunagi tahan talvel Eestis proovida järvejääl sõita. Ühel Markko sõbral on Yarise võidusõiduvariant, sellega jääl sõita oleks ilmselt väga vahva.
No not that. I wanted to try driving an ice circuit in Estonia. One of Markko’s friends has a sport version of Toyota Yaris. It would probably be pretty exciting to do that.
Aga WRC-autoga oled sõitnud?
But have you ever driven a WRC car?
Juhtub. Mullu Soomes kiiruskatsete vahelisel lõigul Markko puhkas ja mina sõitsin. Aga WRC-auto kiirusomadusi tõeliselt proovile pannud ei ole ma kunagi.
Yes, sometimes. Last year in Finland I had to drive between the stages when Markko was resting but I have never tried to race with a WRC car.
Kui kiiresti julgeksid kihutada?
How fast would you dare to go?
Kui rallile läheksin, oleksin ilmselt pagana aeglane.
If I entered a rally I would probably be very slow.
Kas hea rallimees on ka tavaliikluses hea juht?
Is a good rally driver a good driver in an ordinary traffic?
Arvan küll. Mingit vajadust tavalisel teel hullumeelselt kihutada või riskeerida ei tohiks rallisõitjal olla.
Yes, I think so. There is no point to speed or take risks on a regular road for a rally driver.
Kas ohtlik ei tundu?
Doesn’t rallying feel dangerous to you?
Tegelikult mitte. Olen nüüdseks kiirusega nii harjunud, et ei tunne suurt midagi. Tajun, et sõit on väga kiire, aga mitte selles mõttes, et see tunduks ohtlik. Kui Markko on roolis, tundub kõik nii tavaline, kontrollitud, kerge, ohutu. Küllap peaks auto kiirem olema, et kiirust tõeliselt tunnetada saaks.
No, actually. I’m used to the speed by now and I basically don’t feel anything. I sense that the car is going very fast but not that it would be dangerous. It all seems so regular when Markko is driving; controlled, easy, safe. The car should be faster to feel the speed.
Mõnikord, kui tundub, et me ei liigu piisavalt kiiresti, ütlen Markkole: pane juurde.
Sometimes when I feel that we’re not going fast enough I say to Markko: add some speed!
Kord ise kaardilugejana rallil osaledes panin tähele, et aknast välja vaatamiseks polnud üldse mahti. Kuidas sina aru saad, et midagi on valesti?
When I once took part in a rally as a co-driver I noticed that there is no time to look out of the window. How do you realize that something is wrong?
Ma pean kehaga tajuma, kuidas me liigume ja kas kõik klapib. Kui midagi on valesti, taipan seda ikka sellest, et Markko juba karjub.
I have to feel it with my body. If there’s something wrong I usually get it after Markko starts to scream.
Kas sul legend on maha pudenenud?
Have you ever dropped your legend?
Ei.
No.
Mis saab, kui legendis on viga?
What happens when there is a mistake in the legend?
Seda juhtub üliharva. Aastal 2000 Soomes näiteks. Kuid nagu juht võib valesti rooli keerata ja spinnida, võib ka kaardilugeja eksida.
That rarely happens. But in the year 2000 in Finland it happened. But as any driver can turn the wheel in the wrong direction so can the co-driver make a mistake.
Kui tihti sa eksid?
How often do you make a mistake?
Tahaks öelda, et mitte eriti. Võibolla ütleks Markko teisiti.
I would say not often. Maybe Markko would say otherwise.
Kas sinu vea pärast avariisse olete sattunud?
Have you ever crashed because of your mistake?
Minu teada küll mitte.
Not that I know.
Sinu kõige hullem avarii?
Your worst accident ever?
See oli 2001. aastal San Remos, kui Subaruga sõitsime. Päris hull mats oli. Sõitsime vastu kaljuseina ja libisesime katusel mööda mäekülge alla, kuni puud meid peatasid.
In San Remo 2001 when we were driving in Subaru. It was a bloody hard crash. We hit a rock wall and slid down the mountain until the trees stopped us.
Kas sa avariihetkel hirmu tunned?
Are you scared when you crash?
Ei. Võibolla sekundiks, aga kõik sünnib nii kiiresti, et karta ei jää aega. Päeval, mil tunnen, et tunnen avarii ees kartust, pean selle spordiga lõpparve tegema. Siis ei saa ma enam oma tööd korralikult teha.
No. Maybe for a second but it all happens so fast that there isn’t much time to be scared. On the day that I feel that I’m scared I’ll have to stop rallying. After that I couldn’t possibly do my work correctly.
Kui teelt välja sõidate, ei haara sa vaistlikult rooli järele?
If you go out of the road don’t you instinctually try to take the wheel?
Ei. Kui Markko jamast välja ei tule, ei suuda seda keegi.
No. If Markko can’t get us out of it then nobody can.
Mis sinuga mullu Austraalias juhtus? Kuuldavasti hammustasid keelde?
What happened to you last year in Australia? I’ve heard that you bit you tongue?
Oo jaa… Tegime hüppe, kõva hüppe. Legendis seda aga ei olnud. Kuna ma aknast välja ei vaata, tuli see kõva maandumine nii ootamatult, et hammustasin keelde suure augu. Lisaks lõi see hinge kinni. Hingata ei saanud, suust aga voolas verd. Aga Markko leidis, et see on väga naljakas ja hirnus nagu kurivaim.
Oh yeah… We went over a crest and became airborne but that wasn’t on the legend. As I didn’t look out of the window the hard landing came as a surprise and I bit a hole in my tongue. Plus, it took my breath away. I couldn’t breathe and there was blood coming out of my mouth. But Markko found it very funny and laughed hard as hell.
Kes on sinu lemmikud – juht ja kaardilugeja?
Who are your favorites – driver and co-driver?
Henri Toivonen. Ta küll ei kestnud kaua, ta hukkus 1986 Korsika rallil, kuid oli noorusele vaatamata fantastiliselt kiire. Kaardilugejatest Fred Gallagher. Ta oli imehea, sõitis koos Vataneni, Toivoneni, hiljem Solbergi ja Radströmiga.
Henri Toivonen. He didn’t last long, passing away on the 1986 Corsica rally, but he was fantastically fast despite his youth. Fred Gallagher… He was fantastic. He drove with Vatanen, Toivonen, later with Solberg and Radström.
Oled tippkaardilugeja. Kas mõni teine tiim ei ole üritanud sind üle osta?
You are a top co-driver. Haven’t any of the teams tried to buy you?
Vanasti käisid asjad nii, et kaardilugejad liikusid ühe juhi juurest teise juurde. Praegu on iseloomulikud püsisuhted, juht ja kaardilugeja on rohkem kokku kasvanud. Mulle see sobib, pidevalt uute inimeste tundmaõppimine poleks hea.
In the old times co-drivers traveled from a driver to a driver. Nowadays there are long-term relationships. The driver and the co-driver are more grown together. I like that. Getting to know people all the time isn’t so good.
Kas see, et 95 protsenti kiitusest teenib juht, sina aga jääd varju, ei häiri?
Does that bother you that 95 percent of the credit goes to the driver and you always stand in the shade?
Ei. Minule piisab sellest, kui teen oma tööd hästi ja tunnen tulemusest rõõmu. Kui annan parima ja meil läheb hästi, küllap ma tean, kui oluline oli minu panus.
No. I don’t need more than that I know that I’m doing my job well and enjoy it. If I do my best and we are doing great I probably know my contribution.
Kas palgast räägime?
Shall we talk about your salary?
Parem mitte.
Better not.
Aga kas Fordil on preemiarahad?
But does Ford have bonus payments?
Ei. Rallidel on eraldi auhinnarahad. Aga need on nii väikesed, et me ei hakka preemiat isegi omavahel jagama, vaid anname mehaanikutele.
No. There are prizes in rallies but they are so small that we give them to the mechanics.
Mõnes rallipaaris maksvat juht kaardilugejale palka. Kas teil on ka sedasi?
In some rally-pairs the driver pays the co-driver. Are things the same with you?
Ma ei tohi sel teemal midagi öelda.
I’m not allowed to talk about that.
Miks rallipaarid lahku lähevad?
Why do rally-pairs break up?
Ollakse kohutavalt palju aega koos. Kui ei ole väga head klappi, siis kaua vastu ei pea. Vahel ei viitsi kaardilugeja nii palju tõmmelda – osaleda aasta jooksul 14 rallil. Minagi olen lastega ja abielus. Mõni otsustav muudatus abielus võib rallipaari lahku viia küll.
You spend a lot of time together. If you don’t have a perfect match then you won’t last long. Sometimes the co-driver doesn’t want to work so hard – to participate in 14 rallies during one year. I am married with kids also. Some deciding change could break a rally-pair up.
Mullu läksid lahku McRae ja Grist. Miks?
Last year McRae and Grist broke up? Why?
Arvan, et neil olid isiklikud probleemid. Nad ei saanud piisavalt hästi läbi. Kui omavahel hakkama ei saa, on võimatu keskenduda heade tulemuste saavutamisele.
I think they had individual problems. They couldn’t cope with each other well enough and if you can not do that then it’s impossible to concentrate on good results.
Kui palju teie rallinädalal koos olete?
How much time do you spend together on a rally week?
Näiteks täna (esmaspäeva) hommikul kella seitsmest hommikul pärastlõunal viieni. Nii kolm rajaga tutvumise päeva. Kolmel rallipäeval samamoodi. Rallinädalal on ainus eraldi veedetud aeg uneaeg.
Like today (Monday); from 7 am until 5 pm and like that for 3 days of the recce. Also, on the three days of the rally. In the rally week the only time you get to be alone is the time you sleep.
Ei saa ju panna kaht meest kokku ja öelda: nii, nüüd saage sõpradeks. Kuidas ikkagi tõeliseks tiimiks saadakse?
You can’t put two people together and say: Now become friends. How do you really become a team?
Selle kallal tuleb vaeva näha. Kindlasti on asju, mis Markkole minu puhul ei meeldi. Neist tuleb üle olla.
You have to work on that. Surely there are things which Markko doesn’t like about me. He just has to be over them.
Näiteks?
For an example?
Võimalik, et talle ei meeldi minu hommikumeeleolud. Olen hommikuti väga tujukas, ei mingit lobisemist. Õnneks ei meeldi ka talle vara ärgata.
Maybe he doesn’t like my morning moods. I’m very moody in the morning. No chatting. Luckily he doesn’t like to get up too early also.
Kuidas sind ja Markkot mõjutab asjaolu, et olete maailma suuruselt teise autotootja esiekipaaž?
How does the situation that you’re the front drivers of the second world’s largest car maker affect you?
See pole meid veel mõjutanud. Asjaolu, et oleme Fordi esisõitjad, paneb meid küll suurema surve alla. Mitte niivõrd Fordi, vaid meie endi pärast. Tahame enda, mitte Fordi jaoks hästi sõita.
It haven’t affected us yet. It puts us under a bigger pressure. Not for Ford but for ourselves. We want to drive well for ourselves not for Ford.
Keda ennustad maailmameistriks?
Who do you think will become the world champion this year?
Markust (Grönholmi – toim). Keegi peab midagi erakordset korda saatma, et teda võita.
I think Grönholm. Someone has to do something unbelievable to beat him. [Jaak: Like Markko :D]
Kui tihti Eestisse satud?
How often do you come to Estonia?
Olen Eestis olnud kuus-seitse korda. Osalesin paaril rallil, ka muudel põhjustel. Tänavu veel mitte, kuid märtsis on kavas tulla. Võimalik, et osaleme EOS rallil.
I have been to Estonia about six or seven times. I participated in some rallies and I’ve been here for some other reasons. I haven’t been there this year but I’m planning to in March. It’s possible that we will take part in the EOS Rally.
Muljed?
Any impressions?
Tore maa. Olen käinud Tallinnas, Tartus, Võrus. Otepää on väga armas ja tahan millalgi perega sinna puhkama minna. Pärnusse pole veel jõudnud, kuigi Markko räägib, et see on lahe koht.
It’s a nice country. I’ve been to Tallinn, Tartu, Võru. Otepää is a very sweet place and I want to go on a vacation there with my family sometimes. I haven’t yet found the time to go to Pärnu but Markko says that it’s a cool place.
Mida tahaksid öelda Eesti lugejatele ja fännidele?
What would you like to say to Estonian readers and fans?
Tänan kõiki toetuse eest! Kindlasti tuleb väga palju fänne ka Rootsi rallile lippe lehvitama. Monte Carlo oli muide viimase aasta jooksul esimene, kus ma ei märganud Eesti lippe. Ilmselt oli sinna kallis ja keeruline tulla. Igal pool mujal Euroopas näen alati Eesti lippe ja see on fantastiline tunne. Eesti lipu nägemine ralli ajal rõõmustab mind eriliselt, isegi rohkem kui Inglise lipu nägemine. See annab Markkole silmnähtavalt hoogu juurde.
I thank you all for your support! I bet there is going to be a lot of fans in Sweden to wave our flags. Monte Carlo was the first event where I didn’t see an Estonian flag during the last year. Probably the trip to Monte was expensive and complicated. Everywhere else in Europe I always see Estonian flags and that is a fantastic feeling. Seeing an Estonian flag during the rally delights me even more than seeing an English flag. It gives Markko noticeably more speed.
Naljakas – ma pole eestlane, aga teadmine, et fännid elavad kaasa mitte ainult Markkole, vaid ka mulle, paneb mind ennast eestlasena tundma ja see on tõeliselt fantastiline.
Funny – I’m not Estonian but the knowledge that the fans are not cheering only for Markko but for me too makes me feel like an Estonian and that is a truly fantastic feeling.