That is the view of Guernsey rallying stalwart Will Rutherford, and one that will doubtlessly be shared by others, in his breakdown of the five top-seeded crews at the annual motoring spectacle.
Cole has won the Motorsport UK asphalt title no fewer than six times, all between 2010 and 2016, and so brings an abundance of rallying pedigree to his Guernsey debut.
If his own stature in the sport is not enough, then having local knowledge from Guernsey navigator Ian Allsop – who has also won numerous British rallies outright – and the world-class Citroen C3 Rally2 make him all the more formidable.
‘As a multiple British champion, Damian knows how to win rallies in all conditions and is very capable of adapting to new stages,’ Rutherford said of a driver whose seeding of fifth could be deceptive.
‘His Citroen C3 Rally2 car is the latest generation of modern rally car, providing Damian and Ian Allsop all the tools needed to attack the rally against some fierce local teams who are also eager to win.’
The official top seed is the undeniably dominant Ross Le Noa, to date the rally’s only winning driver and not one to sit by and allow anyone to take that title away from him.
Having shared most of his Guernsey Rally triumphs with Domonic Volante, he will instead be calling upon a new navigator in Derek Le Bailly as they whizz around in their 2.5-litre Ford Escort MK2.
Craig Robert and Chris Guille are seeded second overall and top local combination following their surprise second at last year’s Guernsey Rally.
Their Ford Escort MK1 struggled with technical issues in October’s Jersey Rally but, as they showed last year, will be keen to punch in very fast stage times with their bold racing.
Rutherford features in the third-seeded crew as he navigates Ed Fossey, who is keen to improve on last year’s result.
The Jersey driver and Conor Carre made the top three despite a misfiring car that hindered their overall speed last year.
Jersey’s Darryl Morris also returns, going alongside navigator Kieran Gregory in his Skoda Fabia R5, another modern machine that has the capability of competing at the very top.
He finished fourth last time with Steve Gully and has since shown dramatically improved confidence in the car, finishing the year with some outstanding performances.
‘In my opinion, any of them could take the victory, which is truly exciting for the event and the Guernsey spectators,’ Rutherford added.
‘The top five has a true mix of cars, some of which are more suited than others to certain sections of road – whether the roads be narrow lanes or open and flowing sections – so the leaderboard could possibly ebb and flow around quite a lot as the weekend progresses.’
