Gwyndaf Evans

{{short description|British rally driver (born 1959)}}

{{For|the poet and archdruid|E. Gwyndaf Evans}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox WRC driver

| name = Gwyndaf Evans

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|06|04|df=y}}

| birth_place = Dolgellau, Wales

| nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British

| Co-driver = {{flagicon|GBR}} Howard Davies
{{flagicon|GBR}} Chris Patterson
{{flagicon|GBR}} Claire Mole
{{flagicon|GBR}} Huw Lewis
{{flagicon|GBR}} Gareth Roberts

| Years = 1987–2004, 2006–2008

| Teams = Ford, SEAT, MG, Mitsubishi

| Races = 32

| Championships = 0

| Wins = 0

| Podiums = 0

| Stagewins = 1

| Points = 10

| First race = 1987 Lombard RAC Rally

| First win =

| Last win =

| Last race = 2008 Wales Rally GB

}}

Gwyndaf Evans ({{IPA|cy|ˈɡwɨ̞ndav ˈɛvans}}; born 4 June 1959) is a Welsh former rally driver. He won the British Rally Championship in 1996, and was also the runner-up in 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2010.[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km3610/is_200508/ai_n14904416 "Q&A: Gwyndaf Evans"], Rob Wilkins, Crash.net, August 2005 On the international stage his participation was limited, but he used his local knowledge to great success in the RAC Rally, where he won the Group N production car class twice driving a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4, in 1990 and Ford Escort RS Cosworth in 1993.[http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?driverid=360&type=profile Gwyndaf Evans], Rallybase.nl profile In 1994, driving a Group A Ford Escort RS2000, he scored a then career high seventh place overall, winning his class once more, before going one better with a sixth place finish the following year, and his fourth class victory in six years.

In 1997, he switched to SEAT, who were competing with their Ibiza GTI 16v, and later the Córdoba WRC from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, he moved to MG and an MG ZR S1600, spending two years on the international circuit with Chris Patterson, and the British Championship with Claire Mole, after splitting with long-time co-driver Howard Davies.[http://www.mgcars.org.uk/news/news668.html "MG returns to rally with Gwyndaf Evans"], MG News, MGcars.org.uk, January 11, 2002

He drove a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution in the now renamed Wales Rally GB in 2004 and 2006, with the latter being where he won the 2006 Mitsubishi Evo Challenge Trophy. His prize was a works-prepared Lancer Evolution for the 2007 British Rally Championship.[http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~15~id~10509~pid~0.htm "Q&A: Gwyndaf Evans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205845/http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~15~id~10509~pid~0.htm |date=2007-09-27 }}, Russell Atkins, Crash.net, December 5, 2006

He now runs the family Ford and Suzuki dealership in Dolgellau, first established by his grandfather in Dinas Mawddwy in 1930, and renamed to Gwyndaf Evans Motors in 1983.{{cite web|title=About Us |url=http://www.gwyndafevansmotors.co.uk/aboutus.cfm |publisher=Gwyndaf Evans Motors |access-date=2012-11-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230144237/http://www.gwyndafevansmotors.co.uk/aboutus.cfm |archive-date=2012-12-30 }} The company now supports Gwyndaf's son Elfyn, who competes at an international level as a rally driver in the WRC.[http://www.racecar.com/story.asp?NewsID=16200 "Elfyn follows in Gwyndaf's footsteps"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009084543/http://www.racecar.com/story.asp?NewsID=16200 |date=2007-10-09 }}, Racecar.com, February 27, 2007