Damian Cole is one of the most successful and respected competitors in UK asphalt rallying.

Over three decades, the South Wales driver has been at the forefront of the sport in a range of state-of-the-art rally cars and has kept fellow competitors on their toes and fans thoroughly entertained.

As he marks 30 years of rallying, Damian can reflect on success in Darrians, Mitsubishis, Toyotas, Subarus, Hyundais, Skodas, a raft of Fords and, more recently, his Citroen C3 Rally2, which is prepared almost within sight of some of the roads set to be used on the Hills Ford Stages.

Cole has battled with some of the best rising stars in the sport and is a record-setting (5 consecutive years) six-time winner of the Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship, the headline championship for the Hills Ford Stages. He still loves his rallying!

As well as being a great competitor, Damian is a long time ambassador for rallying. He’s worked hard to advance safety issues for competitors and has contributed significantly to a number of events through sponsorship from his Get Connected business. He’s recently become title sponsor of the Mewla Rally on Epynt, which he will acknowledge is his favourite venue.

The Hills Ford Stages just missed out on capturing him as a major sponsor for this year’s rally. However, Damian approached the HFS management team at the end of 2025 to discuss offering support for this year’s event. That’s a huge compliment to the team, as Damian has a great eye for detail and is an astute businessman. So, to be approached by him with the offer of support gives great recognition to the work that the team has put in over the years.

“We’re thrilled to have the support of Damian and Get Connected as a Stage Sponsor for 2026,” said Clerk of the Course, Dan, “Damian’s passion for the sport, both as a competitor and as a supporter, mirrors the values we build into every aspect of this event. We look forward to working closely with him and the Get Connected team in the months ahead.”

We’re currently discussing lots of ideas with Damian for Get Connected’s engagement with the Hills Ford Stages, and we look forward to updating you soon about the support and the work we will be doing with Get Connected through the year.

Don’t forget that Get Connected has mobile phone stores across Wales, The Midlands and the South West, including several in the rally’s home county of Shropshire.

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• Damian Cole is a highly respected figure in UK rallying, combining a long and successful competition career with more than three decades of business leadership. • In 1992, Damian founded Oasis Mobile Phones from his spare bedroom. The business was rebranded as Get Connected in 2001 and has since grown into one of the UK’s leading independent mobile phone retailers. • Under Damian’s leadership, Get Connected expanded from a home-based operation to a nationwide business, operating multiple high street stores alongside a dedicated call centre in Blackwood and a corporate sales team based in Abergavenny. • Get Connected works with all major UK mobile network providers, supporting both consumer and corporate customers across Wales and England. • Damian and Get Connected have a long-standing involvement in motorsport, including the sponsorship of Damian Cole and his co-drivers, as well as support for events that generate investment, tourism and wider visibility for regional communities.

HAVE A LOOK AT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA:

•  Getconnected.com
•  LinkedIn
•  Facebook