About Derek
Name: Derek Tohill
Age: 34
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Career: Completed a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree (BBS)
Fully Qualified Stockbroker. Worked in the stockbroking industry for 5 years before joining my Family’s business. Part qualified accountant.
Current Occupation: Supplier of car parts & supplies to the motor industry.
Marital Status: Lives with gorgeous Girlfriend Treasa. Father to young son Jack aged 1, the next generation of champion!
Motorsport History:
2010 – FIA European Rallycross Champion - Touring Cars - Ford Fiesta Mk.7 RWD.
1/10th Scale off Road Model Car Racing between 1987 & 1994
Competed in the Irish National Championships, winner of National Champs and numerous club championships.
Competed successfully in the British Grand Prix (Southport) and the European Championships (Salzburg, Austria).
Karts between 1994 & 1999
Numerous victories. Represented Ireland in the winning team of the 1997 Inter Nations Cup. This was the first time Ireland won the Inter Nations Cup in any class of Karting.
Rallycross
Started Rallycross in 2004 after watching his father compete for over 10 years. Won his first ever Rallycross heat in a Citroen Saxo VTR. Went on to dominate Stock Hatch in Ireland for the next 5 years. In 2007 Derek also won every round of the British stock hatch championship he competed in.
2008 – Competed in a full FIA European Rallycross Championship (ERC) driving a Group N Honda Civic Type R EP3. Became the first Irishman to win a round outright of the European Rallycross Championship at Slomzcyn in Poland. Finished 4th overall in the final championship standings at first attempt of the ERC.
2009 – Preparation for 2010 ERC. Derek competed in the Irish Rallycross Championship. The Rallycross rebels team built a left hand drive Peugeot 106 Stock Hatch. The donor car was Derek’s partner Treasa’s road car of 8 years! The car was put to good use when Tohill won both the Stock Hatch championship and Stock Hatch Class.
Derek also sits on the Motorsport Ireland Irish Rallycross Committee. His position is as drivers representative.
2010 – Full FIA European Rallycross Championship Campaign in RWD Fiesta. Please see latest news for updates!
An interview with Derek:
What is your Favourite Food? Soup & Sausages!
What is your Favourite Tipple Alcoholic? A pint of Heineken
Favourite Tipple Non Alcoholic? A Mug of Tea! (Lyons)
Who is your Favourite Rallycross Driver? Kenneth Hansen, what a legend!
Favourite Rally Driver? Colin McRae RIP. A true hero, his legend lives on…. I stood on the stage in Rally GB when he lost the championship to Richard Burns. He never made it to where we were standing. Fond memories of him in the circuit of Ireland Rally in the Rothmans Subaru Legacy. So sadly missed.
Favourite Racing Driver? Michael Schumacher. A true inspiration to anybody who competes in Motorsport. He has everything in abundance. The Maestro!
Favourite Rally Car? Group B Audi Quattro S1 or a Ford Escort Mk2 with far too much power at the rear!
Favourite Rallycross Car? Lancia Delta S4, lots of noise coming from the Turbo wastegate! Also loved Jean Luc Pallier’s Citroen BX T16, serious power!
Favourite Road Car? Audi Quattro RS4
Favourite Band? The Killers, Goldfrapp, Black Eyed Peas, Johnny Cash!
What do you do to relax? Go out for a meal and a have a few beers!
Favourite Website? www.erc24.com, www.rallycross.com, www.rallycross.hu
Current Ambition in Rallycross? First Irish Driver to win an ERC Championship!
What was your first road car? We spent a year restoring an old Mini into a Paddy Hopkirk Cooper S replica. It was mint and handled like a Kart! It was eventually written off at an Autotest around Christopher Evans home!
Worst Memory in Rallycross? Rolling the Honda Civic Type R in 2008 & then loosing the engine a couple of weeks later. A month to forget…
Best Memory in Rallycross? Regaining the Irish Rallycross title in 2006 after finishing runner-up to Eoin Murray in 2005. There was only 1 point between myself & Julian Godfrey going into the final round, winner took all! I won the A Final lights to flag. I also have very fond memories watching the ERC in Mondello as a kid, I will never forget seeing my first Group B ERC A Final, wow!
This has probably all now been superceeded by winning my first ERC round in Poland, September 2008!
What is your most frustrating memory in Rallycross? Taking the chequered flag and outright victory in the A final in the British Championship, Pembrey, 2007. Only for the race to be red flagged while on my way back to the paddock. The race was re-run??? I was leading the A final again when the red flag came out. Results were decided on qualifying which placed me 3rd. Robbed, but life goes on…
What drive are you most proud of to date? Winning the British ERC round in Lydden Hill 2010. Beating the current FIA European Champion Knut Ove Borseth in a straight fight not to mention overtaking him on the last lap to take victory!
I was also proud to win the Novice award for the fastest novice up the legendary hill at the Ballyvaughan Hillclimb driving a MK 2 Escort!
What is your favourite event? I really like Lousada in Portugal, great people make great events! Holjes in Sweden is the benchmark for all to match as a complete package. Lydden for its amphitheatre style and Mondello for the craic!
Outside of Rallycross I love competing annually in the Christmas Autotest in Dermot Carnegies quarry. This event offers the best value for money Motorsport anywhere in the world!
What is your Road car? BMW 3 Series E30 (The Smoker), Mercedes Sprinter Van & Skoda Octavia VRS Turbo
Tip for 2010? Liam Doran to take his first ERC win and Sverre Isachsen to do the double!
