Liam was interviewed for the motorsport News "On The Stage With..." section. This is where they interview a competitor within the rally scene. Liam was interviewed for the 13th May 2009 edition.

Liam Butler
Age: 21
Lives: Mansfield
BTRDA Rally First prospect

You're not the most experienced of drivers are you?
Before the Wyedean Rally in February I'd only started four events and three of those were single venue Tarmac rallies.

What did you do before that?
I live between two stages used on the Dukeries Rally and went to watch it a couple of times. I really liked it so I joined the Dukeries Motor Club, did some marshalling and decided I wanted to take it further.

When did you make your debut?
I actually co-drove for kev Hutchinson in a Vauxhall Astra on the Dukeries last year. We won our class in 54th overall and I guess it spurred me on to give actually driving a go.

And now your father Pete co-drives for you...
He also co-drives John Stevens in a Ford Escort Mk2 so he's got a bit more experience than me and that helps. We get on most of the time although we got lost on a road section on the Somerset Stages and arrived at a stage shouting at each other. You could say its a love-hate relationship.

What's the plan for this season?
We've planned to do up to the Dukeries in June and then we'll see how it's going. My dad has got a non-rallying engagement [on the weekend of the Quinton Rally, so we are not competing on it]. It's possible we might call it a day after that and try and get the funding for a full programme next year.

Is funding a problem?
I'm a trainee electrical engineer and there's not much overtime at the moment. I also spend a day a week at college. I split the costs with my dad - he pays for the entries and the pacenotes and I cover things like fuel and accommodation. We prepare the car ourselves at home so when ever I'm not working I'm getting the car sorted.

Where did you get the car from?
It was near London. It had been sitting in a barn since doing the Sunseeker in 2004 so needed a bit of work doing to it.

How far do you think you can get in the sport?
I try to get quicker on every event I do. I'm a long way off [Rally First champion] Dave Bennett's pace but hopefully I will get there. I've also been voted onto the Dukeries committee and help with the website so i'll always be involved in the sport.

Pete And Liam featured in the Motorsport News newspaper (February 11 2009) -

Liam Butler is planning to contest a full season in BTRDA Rally First after finishing a solid 16th in class on his second-ever [forest] rally on last weekend's Wyedean Rally. The 21-year-old is co-driven by his father Peter.

Pete And Liam featured in the Motorsport News newspaper (April 29 2009) -

Liam Butler and father Pete had a fortunate escape on the Somerset Stages when their Peugeot 106 suffered steering rack failure on the final stage of the event and came to rest close to the edge of a 50 foot drop.

Pete And Liam featured in the Motorsport News newspaper again (June 24 2009) -

Liam Butler fears his run to 90th overall on the Dukeries Rally could be his last outing in the BTRDA Rally Series after he lost his job and a sponsor in the build up to the event. He was delayed on the rally when he got stuck on a bank for one minute in the second Clipstone stage.

Liam featured in the Motorsport News newspaper (August 12 2009) -

Liam Butler, a regular on BTRDA Rally Series events this year, will switch to the co-driver's seat, partnering Clive Hilton in a Ford Fiesta ST for the first time.

Pete featured in the Motorsport News newspaper (August 12 2009) -

Liam's father Peter will also be in action alongside usual driver John Stevens in a Ford Escort Mk2. The East Midlands championship leaders tackled the event last year but retired on day two with a blown engine

Pete featured in the Motorsport News newspaper (November 25 2009) -

Headline : Going rallying by torchlight...
A crew was forced to drive through the final stage of Saturday's Premier Rally in Nottinghamshire by torchlight, after the lights on their Ford Escort Mk2 failed.
John Stevens and Peter Butler were left with just two front side lights working, after the switch that controlled the main, dip and spotlights failed on the road section prior to the final six mile test through Clipstone Forest. Co-Driver Pete Butler decided to hold a torch out of the side window of the car and shine it on the advance arrows to each junction. "It was a bit scary but fun at the same time" said the Mansfield competitor! I thought John would go through the stage in first or second gear, but we went piling into the first corner at 50mph. We know the forest well as it is our home event and I started calling the notes from memory so I could shine the torch on the arrows". The marshalls were a great help too, when they heard our car coming through the forest with no sign of light, they started pointing their torches at the road to show us the way. I needed two pints of lager at the finish to stop me shaking". Amazingly they dropped less than two minutes in the stage and still managed to finish third in their class.