WRC: Back to the Day Job

Steve · Feb 28, 2012

Back to the Day Job (MaxRally.com)

28th February 2012
By Anthony Peacock

It's a glamorous life being a World Rally Championship driver. Take Pierre Campana for instance, who a few weeks ago finished a fine seventh on the Monte Carlo Rally in a Mini: an emblematic, life-changing occurrence, you might think.

Except it isn't really because now he's back to his normal day job, which is driving trucks for the Bastia town council in Corsica. Apart from last week that is when he was handed a brand new drive.

No, it wasn't a full season alongside Dani Sordo (or Paulo Nobre, who is now, bizarrely, a Mini factory driver). Instead, Campana put his experience of marginal conditions to good use by picking up the keys to a snowplough: a vehicle that is spotted on Corsica's roads about as frequently as a quadracycle. There was a local newspaper article about Pierre in action (see above) but that's probably not the way he wanted to be making headlines.

However, he's far from the only rally driver to have an unusual day job. Who would have Marcus Gronholm down as the owner of a shopping centre, for instance? But that's what the Finn does now â€“ with the occasional break to go rallycrossing in the United States. He's not the only flying Finn who is into retail: Harri Rovanpera sells boats.

One driver who remains inextricably linked with his former profession is former British champion Gwyndaf Evans, who is still known occasionally as 'Gwyndaf the bus' after his earlier days as a school bus driver. Precisely the sort of icy conditions that Campana was recently combatting formed the backdrop to one of Gwyndaf's most heroic moments behind the steering wheel, when he wrested control of a runaway bus down a snow-covered hill many years ago. It was a bit like the film Speed â€“ only set near Machynlleth, Wales.

Didier Auriol, of course, was an ambulance driver â€“ and he often says that the lack of brakes and ponderous momentum of the meat wagon, not to mention the state of distress that the unfortunate passengers often found themselves in, taught him all there is to know about smooth and progressive driving.

Sebastien Ogier used to be a ski instructor, and somewhat less exotically, Colin McRae had a brief â€“ and by his own admission, spectacularly incompetent - career as a plumber.

"I'll tell you what," reflected the legendary Scot on one brilliant occasion in 2003, as he appreciatively tucked into roast swan stuffed with foie gras (or whatever it was that Citroen were dishing up in the service area that day) "we've come a long way since we were elbow deep in **** for a living..."
Click to expand...

Forums

WRC: Back to the Day Job

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator

Share This Page

Useful Searches

WRC: Back to the Day Job

Steve Administrator Staff Member Articles Moderator

Share This Page

Steve Administrator
Staff Member Articles Moderator