by Rob Wilkins


TO HEAR THE INTERVIEW IN FULL WITH GWYNDAF EVANS: CLICK HERE


Gwyndaf Evans returned to the Mitsubishi fold on the Ulster International Rally last month, replacing the sacked Phillip Morrow. Crash.net Radio spoke to the Welshman last weekend at the Castle Combe Rallyday and got his thoughts ahead of the next round in the BRC, the Rally Yorkshire. We also chatted to him about how his own team, GEMsport, has got on this season in the Fiesta Sporting Trophy UK and Ireland series'...


Crash.net:
Gwyndaf, this is the eighth Rallyday at Castle Combe. That is quite difficult to believe isn't it?

Gwyndaf Evans:
Yeah it is - and the sun is out too! It is a beautiful day and everybody seems to be having a really good time here. We have just been watching the guys go around the track and it has been quite funny really [laughs].

Crash.net:
How important are events like this for the sport?

GE:
They are very, very important. It just brings everybody together and just shows what it is all about at the end of the day. It is a lovely chance to demonstrate and show off all the beautiful cars that are here.

Crash.net:
You have had a busy year, you launched your own team, GEMsport, back in January at the Autosport show and you are actually back competing with Mitsubishi in the BRC again now too. What is it like to be back with the works Mitsubishi squad?

GE:
It is a shock to the system to be honest. I didn't think it was ever really going to happen to come back and drive and being away for ten to eleven months it was a big shock – but a pleasant one. I did have half a days testing before Ulster and I found the Ulster quite difficult in as much as, having ten to eleven months away may not sound a lot, but it is a lot at that level. It took a few stages to get into things. Obviously I had a new co-driver as well. So a lot of new things to adapt too. But we got through unscathed and picked up a good third, which is what the team wanted. I am looking forward to the Trackrod now.

Crash.net:
Were you sad to go back in the circumstances, especially with Phillip Morrow having been given the boot?

GE:
[pause] Obviously I was disappointed for Phillip. It is always tough when you lose a drive and he has huge aspirations to go forward and that was difficult. But at the end of the day it was nothing to do with me. I wasn't involved in it. I didn't really know anything about the situation because I was with GEMsport doing a rally the weekend of the Manx and hadn't really taken that much noticed of it. I can't say I was sorry to get a phone call asking: 'Do I want to drive on the Ulster?' But yes, it would have been nicer to return under a different situation.

Crash.net:
What are you hoping to achieve on the Rally Yorkshire?

GE:
More of the same in terms of what Mitsubishi want. We are there to do a job and I think they just want a strong second car to score good points and to support Guy [Wilks], who is trying to win the championship again. Quite clearly I can't win the championship as I am only doing a few rounds. Hopefully we can build seat time up as well. We are going to have a test pre-Trackrod and that will be good.

Crash.net:
Have you been confirmed yet for Rally GB?

GE:
I think it is rally-by-rally at the minute. But obviously if we can do a good job in Yorkshire that will help.

Crash.net:
Turning to GEMsport and the Fiesta Sporting Trophy - in terms of the championships it has been a successful year to date both in Ireland and the UK.

GE: