Like other World Championship co- drivers from Wales such as Nicky Grist and Phil Mills before him, Gareth's rallying career began in the lanes of rural Wales, navigating on road rallies from the age of 15. In doing so, Gareth was following a family tradition, his father Michael having been crowned Welsh Forest Rally Champion in 1998.
As soon as he was old enough Gareth made the move into stage rallying and competed in the British Rally Championship with Midlander Matt Beebe doing the driving. After winning their class in an MG, Gareth switched to Ford Fiestas for the following season, teaming up with Fishguard driver Rory Hall.
A second year in the Fiestas saw Gareth partnering Elfyn Evans and he and the Dolgellau driver won both the Irish and UK Championships. With circumstances forcing Elfyn to take a year out in 2009, the opportunity arose for Gareth to compete on a couple of rallies
with Elfyn's father, former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans and for some sibling rivalry.
Gareth's brother David was also co- driving by now and competing in the same class and on the same rallies. “I was with Gwyndaf and he was with David Meredith from North Wales.” explains Gareth before adding with a smile, “I think we came out on top.”
It was about this time that Gareth got the call from Craig Breen to co-drive, once again in the Fiesta Challenge in what was to become a quite remarkable season. “Craig asked me to do the UK series with him”, he explains, “Then that turned into UK and Ireland then those plus the World Series and two more championships in Ireland. We won all 5.”
The duo moved into the main British Rally Championship for 2010 driving a more powerful Fiesta S2000 running in the class for two litre non-turbocharged four wheel drive cars. Despite a mixed season they
managed to fi nish fi fth in the Privateers Cup, taking victory on the International Rally Northern Ireland along the way.
Meanwhile, Gareth was made redundant from his “day job” as an electrician and set up his own business something that he continues to juggle with his rallying activities. “I've got some good staff working for me and my parents play a key part when I am abroad.” he explains, adding, “You can't be thinking of other things once you are in the car calling pace- notes.”
Those pace-notes are the single most important part of a co-driver's role. To the uninitiated they can sound like a nonsensical jumble of words and numbers but the co-driver uses them to describe the road ahead to his or her driver. Get them right and you can set a fast time. Get them wrong and your rally can come to an abrupt halt.
Clearly, therefore trust is an important part in the relationship between driver
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