THIS PORSCHE 356 SUPER 90 WILL RACE ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

by Jacopo Villa (PETROLICIOUS) Photography by Rosario Liberti There are many cars that can do 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds, but few that can do so with so much character. This 1961 Porsche 356 B Super 90 is a showcase of everything worth loving about early Porsches: it’s an expression of Stuttgart’s philosophy for driving and technical finesse. The Italian gentleman who owns it never took the word "investment" into consideration when he bought the car in 1985. He rather prefers saying the words, "driving and racing". Even with skyrocketing prices for vintage Porsches, he hasn't decided to part ways with it. "I've been through many things with her. I can't just sell it," he tells me. There's a saying in Italian that goes "non chiedere all'oste quanto è buono il suo vino," which means, "never ask the innkeeper how good his wine is". Right away, the owner proudly told me that this Porsche has won everything in historic racing over the last 30 years, with him at the wheel. It’s natural for a proud owner to exaggerate things…but the hard-fought trophies in his office was no boast. This 356 has dominated many historic racing events in Europe from the mid-’80s until today. And it’s been seen all over the continent: Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Imola, Giro d'Italia, Paul Ricard, Hockenheim, and in the Italian Historic Championship...and it’s never failed to deliver an astounding performance.  The car has always been tuned and maintained by Gianfranco Marchetti, a renowned Porsche master mechanic in Parma. The engine was completely rebuilt to race spec with a lighter crank (over 6.6 lbs lighter than the standard one), Carrillo rods, high compression pistons, open trumpets and open exhaust. The car has a full roll cage and bucket seats and revs to 8,000 rpm. It sounds divine. Of course. It’s also "essential": there's nothing else other than what you need to race. When you’re driving it, it's a wonderfully nimble and agile sports car; there’s no body roll, and it slides with grace from corner to corner with great accuracy. It expects and rewards driving finesse, considering its light steering and controls. This 356 is also road registered, and you can go anywhere with it, and its owner loves it to take for an occasional drive every now and then. For the neighborhood, it might be an unpleasant early morning rooster call, but this car was made to be driven and raced anywhere, anytime.

Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center is an icon of the Jet Age

With his airport terminal for TWA in New York in 1962, architect Eero Saarinen created not only an icon of the Jet Age, but also established the building as a means of promotion. A new book describes the short-lived success of the TWA Flight Center…

An architect gives you wings

With the advent of civil aviation in the post-War period came fraught competition between airlines. With its propeller-powered Constellation, Trans World Airlines (TWA) had set new standards for long-haul air travel, but the airline lost its lustre after the introduction of the jet airliner from 1958. In a bid to rejuvenate the company and stand out from its competitors, the decision was taken to completely rebrand. Designer Raymond Loewy reworked the look of the company, while architect Eero Saarinen was hired to design a futuristic new terminal for the Idlewild Airport in New York (later to become JFK). The native Finn had studied with Charles and Ray Eames, and had already designed buildings for such companies as General Motors. He was the perfect man for the job. 

The perfect promotional tool

On 28 May 1962, the new TWA Flight Center was revealed to the world. With its curved roof structure, reminiscent of a bird, it was not only spectacular architecturally but also served as the perfect symbolic promotional tool for the airline, slotting into its new marketing strategy seamlessly. In addition, the modular layout of the terminal with its organic stairways and arches both capitalised on the popularity of the Jet Age, and was able to handle a much higher volume of travellers. Eero Saarinen harvested criticism for his corporate-friendly approach. While others stuck to the then-famous 'international style', he simply did the job he was asked to do. The TWA Center became one of the modern landmarks of New York.

The building’s success was short-lived, however. Both the client and the architect had underestimated the boom in air traffic, and by the time the first wide-body aircraft began to land in New York in the 1970s, the terminal had already reached its capacity. Eero Saarinen’s famous concourse was decommissioned in 2001, and will soon be converted into a hotel. 

Icon of the Jet Age

Author Kornel Ringli has now devoted a comprehensive book to this icon of the Jet Age, titled ‘Designing TWA – Eero Saarinen’s airport terminal in New York’ and published by Park Books. Divided into three chapters and filled with pictures, the book tells the fascinating story of this extraordinary building in the context of both aviation history and cultural development. An interesting look behind the scenes at American corporate culture of the 1950s and 1960s, you don’t have to be an aerospace or architecture connoisseur to enjoy this sumptuous book. 

Photos: Park Books

‘Designing TWA – Eero Saarinen’s airport terminal in New York’ by Kornel Ringli is available in both English and German. You can find more information here. 

Black and Red .......

MotoGP : Marquez, plus rapide des premiers essais 2016 / Marquez tops 2016 test times

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) a signé le meilleur temps des deux jours d’essais officiels de la saison 2016 du championnat du monde MotoGP à Valence. Il devance Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Dani Pedrosa (REpsol Honda), Pol Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) et Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).

Programme chargé pour les pilotes MotoGP deux jours après la dernière épreuve de la saison 2015 avec les premiers essais officiels 2016 où les nouveautés étaient nombreuses : pneumatiques Michelin, boitier électronique unique, réservoir de 22 litres.

Encore en phase d’apprentissage avec les pneus Michelin, les pilotes se sont concentrés sur le développement de leur moto 2016. Ils ont tous réussi à améliorer leur chrono lors de la deuxième journée.

Marc Marquez a signé le meilleur temps en 1.31.060 en améliorant de plus de quatre dixièmes de seconde lors de la seconde journée. Il bat ainsi le record du tour en course établi dimanche par Jorge Lorenzo (1.31.367)

Très à l’aise avec les gommes Michelin, Maverick Viñales s’est hissé à la deuxième place en 1.31.163, à seulement 0.103 de Marquez. Le « Rookie of the Year » a bouclé 57 tours mercredi au guidon de la Suzuki GSX-RR 2015, la version 2016 ne sera disponible qu’au mois de février.

Dani Pedrosa s’est classé troisième (1.31.180) à seulement 0.017 seconde de son jeune compatriote. Pol Espargaro (1.31.212) et le nouveau champion du monde, Jorge Lorenzo (1.31.282) ont complété le Top 5.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) a été le pilote satellite le plus rapide en 1.31.494 et a devancé de 0.004 seconde Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). Outre les pneumatiques et le logiciel électronique, les deux pilotes Yamaha ont également testé un nouveau réservoir situé à l’arrière et de nouvelles fourches.

Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Andrea Iannone (Ducati) et Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) ont terminé dans le Top 10.

Du côté de chez Michelin, on est satisfait de ces premiers essais comme en témoigne Piero Taramasso, responsable Michelin Motorsport 2 roues « Les chronos sont très encourageants, les pilotes ont réalisé des bonnes performances. Cependant, nous devons nous concentrer sur la recherche de l’équilibre du grip entre le pneu avant et l’arrière. Les pilotes ont besoin de roulage pour adapter leur style de pilotage à nos produits et affiner les réglages de leur moto. »

Les pilotes MotoGP seront de retour en piste du 1^er au 3 février 2016 pour une nouvelle séance d’essais en Malaisie à Sepang.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) was the fastest rider at this week’s official pre-2016 MotoGP World Championship test at Valencia, Spain. The top five was rounded out by Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), Pol Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).

It’s been a busy few days for the MotoGP stars who followed up the final clash of 2015 with the first official test ahead of the 2016 championship when much will be new, including a switch to Michelin tyres, a single ECU and a 22-litre fuel tank.

The riders spent the two days familiarising themselves with the French firm’s new tyres while at the same time working on the development of their 2016-spec bikes. They all succeeded in improving on Day 2.

Marquez ended up topping the order with a 1m31.060s  which beat Jorge Lorenzo’s fastest race lap (1m31.367s) on Sunday.

Clearly at ease on his Michelins, the 2015 Rookie of the Year Maverick Viñales appeared in second place (+0.103s) after completing 57 laps on his 2015-version Suzuki GSX-RR. His 2016 bike will not be available until February.

Compatriot Dani Pedrosa (1m31.180s), Pol Espargaro (1.31.212) and the 2015 world champion Jorge Lorenzo (1m31.282s) rounded out the top five.

Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was the fastest satellite rider (1m31.494s), beating Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) by four-thousandths. In addition to working with new tyres and the new ECU, Yamaha also tested a new rear-mounted fuel tank and new forks.

Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Andrea Iannone (Ducati) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) concluded the top 10.

There was satisfaction in the Michelin camp after the test, as Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin Motorsport’s two-wheel programmes, explained: “The lap times were very encouraging and the riders put in some strong performances. We now need to work on the balance between front and rear grip. The riders need track time to adapt their styles to our tyres and fine-tune their respective set-ups.”

The next collective MotoGP test is scheduled for February 1-3, 2016, at Sepang, Malaysia.

Résultats :

193Marc MARQUEZRepsol Honda Team HONDA1'31.060

225Maverick VIÑALESTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR SUZUKI1'31.163

326Dani PEDROSARepsol Honda Team HONDA1'31.180

441Aleix ESPARGAROTeam SUZUKI ECSTAR SUZUKI1'31.212

599Jorge LORENZOMovistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA1'31.282

635Cal CRUTCHLOWLCR Honda HONDA1'31.494

746Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP YAMAHA1'31.498

844Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA1'31.619

929Andrea IANNONE Ducati Team DUCATI1'31.619

1038Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA1'31.694

119Danilo PETRUCCI Octo Pramac Racing DUCATI1'31.717

1276Loris BAZ Avintia Racing DUCATI1'31.796

1345Scott REDDINGOcto Pramac Racing DUCATI1'31.901

148Hector BARBERAAvintia Racing DUCATI1'31.937

154Andrea DOVIZIOSODucati Team DUCATI1'31.967

1643Jack MILLERMarc VDS Racing Team HONDA1'32.100

1750Eugene LAVERTYAspar MotoGP Team DUCATI1'32.377

1853Tito RABATEG 0,0 Marc VDS HONDA1'32.402

196Stefan BRADLAprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA1'32.492

2068Yonny HERNANDEZAspar MotoGP Team DUCATI1'32.510

2119Alvaro BAUTISTA Aprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA1'32.847

2251Michele PIRRODucati Team DUCATI1'33.568

2322Takuya TSUDASuzuki Test Team SUZUKI1'33.797

2463Mike DI MEGLIOAprilia Racing Team Gresini APRILIA1'34.372

2512Nobuatsu AOKISuzuki Test Team SUZUKI1'37.031

WRC Wales Rally GB : Ogier en tête dans la boue galloise / Ogier revelling in Welsh mud for VW/Michelin

Une 400e spéciale remportée et voilà Sébastien Ogier (VW/Michelin) en tête du classement général du Wales Rally GB à l’issue de la première étape. Le Français devance Kris Meeke (Citroën, +13s5), son plus sérieux rival aujourd’hui. Latvala (VW) et Neuville (Hyundai) ont dû se retirer en début d’étape.

Les températures relativement douces d’hier ont laissé place à des conditions beaucoup plus automnales aujourd’hui, avec des rafales de vent glacial et des averses intermittentes. Le thermomètre n’a guère dépassé 5°C dans les collines galloises.

Vent, pluie et même grêle ont rendu les pistes forestières boueuses et extrêmement glissante, avec de profondes ornières par endroits.

La première étape comprenait deux passages dans trois spéciales, dont Hafren et Myherin qui dépassaient les 30 kilomètres, pour un total de 131,40 km chronométrés, soit plus d’un tiers de l’épreuve.

Après sa faute espagnole, Sébastien Ogier a fait étal de son talent en remportant cinq des six spéciales au volant de sa Polo R WRC/Michelin. Le Français a remporté sa 400evictoire mondiale à l’issue de l’ES6 et maintenu son adversaire direct, Kris Meeke, à distance.

« Comme ce matin, j’avais un très bon feeling dans Myherin », a commenté le triple champion du monde. « Kris n’est pas loin derrière et il pilote très bien, alors il va falloir poursuivre sur ce rythme. »

Le Britannique Kris Meeke était satisfait de sa journée, après un meilleur temps dans l’ES4. Il pointait à 7s7 d’Ogier avant la dernière spéciale. Ce soir, le pilote Citroën est 2e à 13s5 du leader.

Andreas Mikkelsen (+31s4) est sur le podium provisoire, alors que son équipier Jari-Matti Latvala a terminé sa course dans un profond fossé, 600 m après le départ de l’ES2.

Mads Ostberg (4e, +43s) maintient Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT à la 2e place du championnat Constructeurs. Cette journée fut plus difficile pour Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) qui a tapé un arbre dans l’ES3 après avoir perdu une roue, et Kevin Abbring (Hyundai, moteur). Dani Sordo (Hyundai) est 5e à 1min18s7 et Hayden Paddon est 7e à plus de deux minutes. Le Néo-Zélandais a été retardé par un problème hydraulique cet après-midi.

Côté M-Sport, Ott Tanak est 6e à 1min34s9, mais son équipier Elfyn Evans (8e) a connu une crevaison dans l’ES4 alors qu’il était 5e du classement.

Eric Camilli (Ford/Michelin) est leader en WRC-2, avec 9s4 d’avance sur Teemu Suninen (Skoda). Craig Breen (Peugeot/Michelin) était en tête à mi-étape avant de perdre plus de deux minutes. 

En WRC-3, Ole-Christian Veiby est en tête. Quentin Gilbert (5e) est bien parti pour décrocher le titre car Tempestini pointe à la 10e place.

Demain, la deuxième étape s’annonce éprouvante avec 142 km dont 109 à parcourir avec les mêmes pneumatiques. Le mauvais temps est attendu sur le Pays de Galles et une alerte météo est même en vigueur à partir de 14h00...

The 400th WRC stage victory of Sébastien Ogier’s career helped him to go clear at the top of the overnight standings in Wales today. The Frenchman overcame the classic event’s typically challenging conditions to emerge ahead of Citroën rival Kris Meeke (+13.5s) who was his biggest threat on Day 1. Big gaps have already opened up in their wake, however, and Latvala (VW) and Neuville (Hyundai) have both crashed out.

The mild temperatures that greeted us when we arrived in North Wales on Wednesday have made way for the more traditional, almost wintry conditions associated with Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Today, the thermometer barely exceeded 5°C on the Welsh hills, while strong winds blew some near-horizontal rain and hailstones over the exposed land which served as backdrop to Leg 1’s action.

Along with the wet weather that swept over the region earlier this week, these bitingly cold showers guaranteed the event’s usual cocktail of hard-packed forest tracks coated with a slippery film of mud, while deep ruts soon formed in many places.

Today’s menu featured two attempts at a loop of three stages, two of which – the awesome ‘Hafren’ and ‘Myherin’ tests – exceeded 30km in length. 

The first leg’s total competitive distance amounted to 131.40km – more than one-third of the event’s total – but that didn’t prevent Sébastien Ogier from delivering another master class performance to top tonight’s leaderboard.

Volkswagen/Michelin’s world champion effectively won five of today’s six tests to take his score to 400 world class stage victories (see separate story) and keep Kris Meeke (Citroën) at a safe distance.

“Like this morning, I had a better feeling on the last stage of the loop,” commented the Frenchman after SS6. “Kris isn’t very far behind and he is driving very well, too, so we will need to keep pushing.”

Meanwhile, Meeke was pleased with his day which included the fastest time on SS4. That enabled him to close the gap to Ogier to 7.7s before the Frenchman powered through the rest of the afternoon’s slimy mud to go 13.5s clear of the Ulsterman.

In third place this evening is Andreas Mikkelsen (+31.4s) who is VW’s only other representative after team-mate Jari-Matti Latvala fell into a deep ditch 1.6km after the start of SS2.

Mads Ostberg (4th, +43.0s) has been keeping out of trouble and appears to be enjoying himself, but most of the other WRC stars have had incidents to report. Hyundai lost Thierry Neuville this morning when the Belgian crashed into a tree on SS3, while Dani Sordo (5th, +1m18.7s) span on the same test and Hayden Paddon (7th, 2m3.5s) was slowed by a hydraulic problem this afternoon following a sluggish start to the day.

In the Ford camp, Ott Tanak has survived to appear in sixth spot (+1m34.9s) but his team-mate Elfyn Evans (8th, 2m21.6s) has failed to make the impact he had been hoping for in his home region. After appearing in fifth place, the Welshman notably lost a big chunk of time with a puncture on SS4.  

The pace-setter so far in WRC2 has been Eric Camilli (Ford/Michelin) who is currently 9.4s clear of Teemu Suninen (Skoda).

Saturday’s action promises to be even tougher as crews prepare to tackle nine stages totalling 142km, including 109km with no opportunity to service their cars or fit fresh rubber. The challenge will be no doubt be spiced up by more bad weather since an official warning has been issued for North Wales fro m 2pm!

Triumph Cafe Racer fjord cruising

Short presentation of a Triumph T-140 cruising along the fjords of western Norway, heading for the National Tourist Route over the mountain Gaularfjellet.

Triumph Cafe Racer fjord cruising from Falkeblikk on Vimeo.

The Delivery

Our first official road trip, travelling from Suffolk to the south of france over 1000 miles delivering the 'Hunter' a Honda CB250 Superdream to a good friend and customer.

The Delivery from Old Empire Motorcycles on Vimeo.

Le best of du Hard Enduro en 2015

La saison de Hard Enduro a débuté dans la rigueur hivernale italienne et les cours d'eau pris dans les glaces annonçaient une chose : la journée allait être froide à Hell's Gate. Ensuite, il n'y a eu aucune pitié au Tough One en Grande-Bretagne, puis le Red Bull Hare Scramble à l'Erzbergrodeo s'est avéré indomptable, même pour les meilleurs riders du monde.

Yamaha XS650 – River Rat Cycles

When the Yamaha engineers put pencil to paper and created the XS650 with its classic looking parallel twin they could never have imagined that so many decades later it would continue to be a cult classic. But when Heath Reed owner of River Rat Cycle Fab from Davenport Iowa was commissioned to build this 1977 example he didn’t want to simply run with the pack and do the standard modifications. Instead the brilliant fabricator spent hours in deep thought working out how he could create more than just another XS650 tracker. In the end he came up with a hybrid; a tracker with a touch of café racer, street fighter styling cues and a little inspiration from the greatest guitar ever made! With the design finalised Heath set about giving the ’77 XS a second birth that when finished would be known as “The Rattler”.

To truly breathe new life into something old you have to strip it of everything and start with the skeleton and that’s exactly what Heath did. With the bare frame on the bench he removed all the unnecessary brackets and tabs and smoothed every surface. The factory rear subframe was removed and a new upper piece fabricated that kicks up in the rear as you would expect from a tracker. Many rely simply on the tail section of the seat to give this effect, but using the frames lines to lift the rear is the extra measure Heath goes to that makes his builds so good. For some real flat track authenticity the seat pan is a Woods Rotax item with a mix of tracker looks but far smoother lines than those designed for the Harley market. Adding a little luxury to the build is the beautiful raw stitching on the black leather and just the right amount of padding to find the balance between comfort and style.

Looking for the right tank to use on the build Heath got talking to legend of the game Greg Hageman who had a Benelli tank that would be perfect for the Yamaha. The only problem was the top side was completely rusted out but that didn’t deter Heath who cut out the metal cancer, hammered and rolled a replacement panel and welded it in along with a custom filler neck. With the tins done it was over to Scott Takes of Underground Art Studios to lay down the paint and the result is one of the best colour schemes of the year. Black follows the lines of the frame for the perfect merger that is then broken up by one gold pinstripe allowing some of the black to seep through before exploding into a Gibson Les Paul-esque cherry starburst colour scheme that would keep the richest rocker satisfied. Scott added the River Rat Cycle Fabrication logos where the badges once had been and Heath finished the look with a fuel sight gauge.

With a very clear purpose for how he wanted the engine to perform Heath built up a motor that increased overall horsepower but kept that classic twin torque for maximum acceleration out of the bends. The engine was completely torn down before the stock 653cc parallel twin was built back up to a smooth 700cc thanks to new pistons. The popular flat track Shell #1 cam has been fitted and to take full advantage all the corresponding headwork was done before screwing it down. With maximum low down torque in mind Heath designed and fabricated a 2 into 1 stepped exhaust system from stainless steel that looks just as good as it functions. Fuelling is taken care of by the ever popular Mikuni carbs breathing through a pair of tracker type K&N air filters. Heath has switched the Yamaha over to a modern ignition and charging system with the battery and wiring all sitting neatly in their own tray.

With the engine done the suspension deserved an upgrade and the rear benefits from modern progressive rear shocks for maximum mechanical drive. The OEM forks remain in place but have been turned to remove the fender mounts and one sides caliper mounts before adding custom springs. The standard triple trees clamp the forks in place but have been neatly smoothed and rid of all the factory surplus. With the conversion to a single disc front Heath used a modern Tokico brake caliper with a drilled disc and replicated the same out back for far superior braking than anything offered in 1977. Polished hubs with spoke laced rims suit the tracker styling perfectly and Avon Distanzia rubber provides maximum grip on a variety of road surfaces and conditions.

With the joy of his customers always in mind Heath has rubber mounted many components including the tank, footpegs, battery box and risers to reduce vibration and improve the riding experience. Renthal fatbars slot into the risers and give the riding position a true upright tracker stance with custom grips for maximum adhesion when twisting the throttle. A single Koso speedo is centre mounted and provides all the vital information with the ignition joining the clean and uncluttered front end. Everything else is kept relatively simple for a race looking bike that works on the street, a small single headlight, slim taillight and single bar mounted mirror keep the authorities happy. While the new levers, single switchblock and quick action throttle give all the functionality without any of the clutter.

With the XS650 finished it’s easy to see why Heath and River Rat Cycle Fab are such a successful operation. Clean lines, incredible paint, clever fabrication and no area of steer, stop and go being left unattended to. The Rattler is now off to its new home where one very happy client is going to be shaking its tail in the Knoxville Tennessee countryside, listen up or you’re likely to get bitten.

via PIPEBURN

Glide over London's cobbled mews streets in an ultra-rare Lagonda Rapide

Can there be a better car in which to prowl around London on a foggy November morning than the ultra-luxurious Lagonda Rapide? This fabulous example is currently for sale with Classic Driver dealer Nicholas Mee…

One of fewer than 50 examples known to survive, this matching-numbers 1963 Lagonda Rapide has benefitted from an extensive restoration, and engine and suspension upgrades. With four seats, that powerful straight-six engine, an automatic gearbox and power-assisted steering, the Lagonda is a hallmark of luxury and an effortless cruiser, be it on the streets of London or the highways of the continent. Currently for sale in the Classic Driver Market with officially appointed Aston Martin Heritage specialist Nicholas Mee & Company Ltd, this example has covered a believed 51k miles, and is a car for the most discerning of collectors – after all, exclusivity is everything.

Photos: Nicholas Mee

You can find almost 300 Aston Martins listed for sale in the Classic Driver Market. 

WRC Wales Rally GB : Elfyn et le garage familial / Elfyn and the family business

La famille Evans dirige une concession automobile au nord du Pays de Galles depuis des décennies. Un business fondé par l’arrière-grand-père d’Elfyn. Le pilote officiel M-Sport travail encore dans l’affaire familiale quand son emploi du temps le lui permet.

Gwyndaf Evans Motors, c’est aujourd’hui une concession Ford et Suzuki à Dolgellau, ouverte depuis 25 ans. L’établissement actuel a été inauguré par le père d’Elfyn, Gwyndaf, qui était alors au sommet de sa carrière de rallyman.

« Le business a été monté par mon grand-père », nous a dit le Champion britannique des Rallyes 1996. « A l’origine, c’était un simple atelier de réparation toutes marques, Dinas Mawddwy, situé à 15 km de Dolgellau. Mon grand-père était un génie ! Avant la guerre, il avait installé une roue à aubes dans une rivière qu’il avait raccordée avec des fils de cuivre pour apporter l’électricité au village. »

Elfyn a évidemment grandi dans le garage familial. Les samedis, il se faisait de l’argent de poche en lavant les voitures. « Je travaillais aussi pendant les vacances. Plus je grandissais, plus je passais de temps au garage » se souvient Elfyn. « A 15 ans, j’ai voulu prendre de l’expérience dans différents secteurs, alors j’ai fait plusieurs métiers pendant les vacances. A cet âge-là, on rêve d’avoir sa propre voiture. J’ai reconstruit une auto de A à Z et j’ai beaucoup appris. »

« J’ai quitté l’école à 16 ans. Ma mère voulait que je bosse ailleurs, mais ça ne m’intéressait pas. Après le collège, j’ai travaillé au magasin de pièces détachées pendant deux ans, avant de passer au service après-vente, puis à l’accueil/réception. »

Pendant ce temps, Elfyn montrait un beau potentiel en rallye, mais, malgré l’empathie de son père, courir régulièrement n’était pas sans lui poser soucis avec ses engagements professionnels.

En 2012, la situation est devenue encore plus compliquée quand le jeune gallois s’est engagé en WRC Academy. « Mes adversaires ne travaillaient pas entre les courses, et moi j’étais au boulot tous les jours, de 8h00 du matin à souvent très tard le soir. Le travail, les déplacements et les courses, ça vous prend beaucoup d’énergie. »

« Je n’avais pas imaginé faire carrière en rallye avant de remporter la WRC Academy. Oui, j’avais ça dans un coin de ma tête, mais je voulais continuer à travailler au cas où ça tourne mal. A cette époque, on m’a critiqué en disant que je ne m’impliquais pas à 100% de ma carrière en rallye. J’étais juste réaliste, les opportunités sont rares. J’ai compris, et j’ai changé. »

La carrière d’Elfyn a progressé pas à pas. Il est désormais un pilote officiel en WRC, mais pour lui, avoir un « vrai » travail est une garantie de sécurité. « Je suis dans une situation très privilégiée. Le garage est toujours à mon père et j’y vais quand je veux. Mais je n’y suis pas encore totalement impliqué. Je le ferai sans doute un jour, mais pour réussir en rallye, il faut tout donner. Alors je suis heureux avec ma situation actuelle. »

The Evans family has run a garage in North Wales for decades. The business was originally founded by Elfyn’s great-grandfather. Today, the M-Sport driver works there whenever his busy schedule as a world class rally star allows…

Gwyndaf Evans Motors – today a main Ford and Suzuki dealership – has operated in Dolgellau for 25 years. The current garage was opened by Elfyn’s father, Gwyndaf, just before the latter’s career as a driver started to peak.

“The business dates back to my grandfather,” says Gwyndaf, the 1996 British Rally Champion. “It was originally a general repairs workshop in our village, Dinas Mawddwy, about 15km from Dolgellau. Grandfather was very technically minded. Before the war, he installed a water turbine in a nearby stream and linked it to copper wires to bring electricity to the village.”

As the young Elfyn grew up, he was naturally drawn to the garage. As a boy , he would earn pocket money on Saturdays by washing cars on the sales forecourt. “I would also work there during the school holidays. The older I got, the more time I spent there,” he recalls. “At the age of 15, I decided I wanted to gain experience in the departments, so I began to specialise in different jobs during the holidays. At that age, you start dreaming of owning a road car, so I also rebuilt a banger from start to finish. That taught me even more.

“I left school at 16. Mum pushed me to choose a different career, but I wasn’t interested. After college, I ran the body shop for two years, then moved to the front desk to work as service manager. To begin with, I found managing people quite hard. With time, though, I got more organised and disciplined.”

Meanwhile, Elfyn started to show serious skill in a rally car, but competing on a regular basis was a difficult balance to strike because of his professional commitments, despite Dad’s obvious empathy.

In 2012, the situation became even tougher when the emerging Welsh youngster embarked on the international ‘WRC Academy’… “My rivals in the series didn’t work between events, but I was at my desk every day, from eight in the morning to late in the evening. Along with the traveling and competing, that can take a lot out of you…

“I hadn’t really considered a rally career before winning the Academy. It was always at the back of my mind, but I had to keep working in case things didn’t work out. During that time, I took criticism for not wanting to be a driver sufficiently, but I was just being realistic. I had to keep working. Opportunities were rare, but that was fine with me. I understood and I think it made me better all-round in everyday life.

Elfyn’s career has since progressed, one cautious step at a time. He is now a full-fledged WRC regular, but sees the fact that he can always fall back on a job as massive security. “I’m in a very fortunate situation. The garage is still Dad’s place and I’m there whenever I can, but I haven’t really had to put my neck on the line so far. It will be nice to contribute something back some time but, to succeed in rallying, you have to give everything. So I’m grateful for the position I am in.”

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WRC : Sébastien Ogier veut conclure en beauté

Des ennuis mécaniques en Corse, une erreur inhabituelle à la toute fin du Rallye de Catalogne : Sébastien Ogier reste sur deux déceptions avant la dernière manche du championnat du monde des rallyes 2015, qui aura lieu ce week-end au Pays de Galles.

Mais s’il reste sur deux échecs en WRC, le triple champion du monde reste aussi sur deux succès lors des deux dernières éditions du Rallye de Grande-Bretagne. Lors de ces deux victoires, il avait également disputé la course l’esprit tranquille, déjà assuré du titre de champion du monde. Faut-il y voir un signe ?

Pas sûr : les récents déboires du Gapençais ont aiguisé les ambitions de ses rivaux, à commencer par ses propres coéquipiers. Jari-Matti Latvala avait décroché en Corse sa troisième victoire de la saison avant qu’Andreas Mikkelsen ne signe son tout premier succès en WRC en Catalogne. Avec 11 victoires en 12 rallyes disputés depuis janvier dernier, Volkswagen a littéralement écrasé le championnat et voudra finir la saison sur une énième note positive.