Les Walkden’s initial involvement in motorsport was at the famous Longford road racing circuit when he volunteered as a flag marshall for motorcycle races.

He started his competition career riding solo and sidecar motorcycles in motocross and scramble races, winning many titles in short, long and grass track events.

He was president of the Launceston Motor Cycle Club and was the Clerk of Course at Symmons Plains for the two plus four meetings of the period.

The mid-1970s saw Les make the transition to gravel rallies in a Datsun 1200 ute (that was nicknamed the “Flying Flea”) before stepping up to a Suzuki Swift and then a 4WD Mazda 323.

For the 1990 Tasmanian Rally Championship, Les introduced the first state-of-the-art purpose-built rally car in Tasmania, with the arrival of the ex-George Fury Mitsubishi Galant VR4.

Together with Ron Coenen they dominated, to win the championship in 1990 and 1991 before Les backed up to win his third consecutive title with the late Lorraine Webb in 1992.

At the end of 1990 Les contested the final round of the Australian Rally Championship at Coffs Harbour in the VR4, to finish a superb second to season champion Ed Ordynski in a similar car.

By the time Ordynski had returned from his 1991 and 1992 World Rally Championship Group N campaigns, Les had built up a very formidable rally team and invited Ordynski to be his first team driver.

From 1993, with support from Mitsubishi, LWR built and ran Evo Lancers to win three consecutive ARC Group N championships, while also winning Group N in four consecutive WRC Rally Australia events.

Ordynski and the team also won Group N in a New Zealand round of the WRC and at one point had won 16 consecutive events against the top teams.

Even the international Mitsubishi Ralliart team co-opted LWR to run Group A Galant VR4 cars for the International Rally of Canberra, winning with Ordynski in 1993 and Ross Dunkerton in 1994.

Les was a prime mover in improving safety in rallies and from the mid ‘90s he began funding and investing in safety technology and infrastructure for both gravel and tarmac events.

From 1997 Motorsport Safety and Rescue (MSR) was established and to this day continues with voluntary support and funding from LWR.

Michael Guest drove for LWR in 1997 to win another ARC Group N title and at the same time LWR began an arrangement with Finland to provide opportunities for young drivers to gain international experience including the likes of Jari Matti Latvala, who went onto win 18 WRC rounds from 209 starts.

In addition a total of eight young aspiring Finnish mechanics have been given the opportunity to complete three months work experience with the team largely funded by LWR.

Other drivers to join the LWR team over the years have included Juha Kangas, Ben Tirant, Eli and Simon Evans, Cody Crocker, Michael Guest, Brendan Reeves, James Miedecke, Blue Walkden and Molly Taylor.

The team have also run and supported numerous drivers in tarmac rallies including Tony Longhurst, Andrew and George Miedecke, Tony Quinn, Grant Denyer, Allan Simonsen, Angus Kennard and Lynn Rattray.

LWR switched to the Subaru brand and as a private team took Dean Herridge to an ARC Privateers Cup win in 2001 and then, in association with Subaru, achieved one of team’s greatest results by winning the 2006 Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with Cody Crocker.

In 2016 Molly Taylor made Australian rally history when she became the first female to win the ARC outright driving a Subaru-supported WRX STi built and campaigned by LWR, which must rank up there with the Asia Pacific Championship.

Les has also competed in the tough Australian Safari Off-Road event on four occasions in Mitsubishi Pajeros with a best place finish of fifth in 2011.

Behind the scenes Les has without fuss provided significant support to clubs and individuals and in 2018 was awarded life membership of the Motor Sports Club of Tasmania.       

Written by Barry Oliver