Evans to drive in Rally GB

[SJ Spode]

Even though the MG rally car will not be competing Gwyndaf Evans was got a drive in a SEAT for the Rally GB. Here's what the SEAT press release says

SEAT UK has entered the very latest version of the SEAT WRC E3 for Gwyndaf Evans, a MG Sport & Racing contracted driver, for the forthcoming Rally of Great Britain (22-25 November).

The car has been built by SEAT Sport and will come directly from the manufacturer's motorsport department in Martorell, near Barcelona, for the one-off appearance in the UK. SEAT Sport personnel, including Spanish engineers and Team Manager Antonio Rodriguez, will work with SEAT UK's own team of engineers to run the car on the Cardiff-based event. Gwyndaf will be co-driven for the first time by 33-year old Ulsterman Chris Patterson.

The outing has been made possible thanks to an agreement between SEAT UK and MG Sport & Racing. A similar agreement in July saw Gwyndaf drive a SEAT WRC to a convincing victory on the 2001 SEAT Lurgan Park Rally + Challenge Time Trail in Northern Ireland. That was the last time Gwyndaf drove a World Rally Car in competition, and whilst pre-Rally GB testing is likely to be limited to the official shakedown on the eve of the event, the 42-year old Welshman (from Dinas Mawddwy, near Dolgellau) is delighted to be back in the limelight.

Gwyndaf said: "Just like my entry at Lurgan Park, this is a big and very pleasant surprise. I had always planned to debut the MG ZR rally car on the Rally of Great Britain but, with the efforts that went into the Le Mans and BTCC programmes, time has beaten us on the rally car. Having contested every Rally GB since 1987, I obviously didn't want to miss out on doing my home round of the World Rally Championship, nor on the competitive mileage it offers, and when this opportunity came up MG Sport & Racing was happy to give me the go-ahead. Everything worked perfectly with SEAT when we did Lurgan Park in the summer, and it only took a few telephone calls to set the drive up this time.

"Judging by the win in Lurgan, the SEAT WRC E3 is an extremely good car and I'm very optimistic about reaching the finish," added Gwyndaf. "If you finish the Rally GB you inevitably score a good result, so that's what I'm aiming for."

And as I got to ride with Gwyndaf last year in the SEAT E2, I hope he does well.