You could hardly get two more different drivers as the most recent conquerors of the Autosport National Driver Rankings. Back in 2022, it was teenaged historic single-seater sensation Samuel Harrison who led the way, while last season it was veteran Irish racer Michael Cullen who topped the charts having triumphed in a range of tin-top machinery and also in a Seven-style Stryker.
But that is the beauty of the rankings, which is a straightforward list of the drivers who win the most races in the UK and Ireland during a calendar year – it is open to everyone, regardless of the category they compete in or how experienced they are.
“One of my good friends, Dave Maguire, sent me a text and said it’s no surprise – you’ve done more mileage than a London taxi, which is potentially accurate!” says 60-year-old Cullen of his success.
“But I’m just having a bit of fun, as it should be. I’ve been racing for 40 years – I had my first race in a Fiesta at Mondello Park in 1983 in a Production Saloons race and I came fourth and my dad [Des] came third and I was in a family friend’s Fiesta. That was my first race and here I am 40 years later racing a Fiesta, so I haven’t really progressed but have had a bit of a journey! I’ve had a great time and it’s always been for fun.”
That journey initially took Cullen from his native Ireland to the UK at the end of the 1980s to compete in the Metro Challenge, before he had another spell racing on British shores in the British Touring Car-supporting Fiesta championship in the late 1990s, with his rivals including the likes of Colin Turkington. Cullen then moved across the continent for a very successful stint in the Ferrari Challenge Europe in the 2000s, winning the title twice, all of which led to a British GT assault alongside fellow Ferrari racer Paddy Shovlin in 2008.
“We won the first race and led the series and we ended up third in the championship,” recalls Cullen, who says the economic crash then put paid to any thoughts of another title bid. “We only did one race in 2009, the Spa 24 Hours, and then didn’t race for a few years.”
He returned to the cockpit for a couple of Maserati races before becoming a regular fixture of the Mondello Park scene again from 2015, achieving plenty more success. All of which led up to another twin attack on the Irish Stryker and Fiesta ST series for 2023.
Source: Autosport