The moment couldn’t have been better timed. The engine note bounced off the buildings lining Dolgellau’s narrow streets and the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 arrived just in time for the choir’s delivery of the right line.
Gwlad, Gwlad! Pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad.
Wales’ national anthem is definitely one of the world’s more rousing. Especially that line.
Nation. Nation. I am devoted to my nation.
On Thursday night, Wales couldn’t have been more devoted to Elfyn Evans. And vice-versa. It’s fair to say the recently crowned world champion isn’t always the biggest fan of such evenings, but that couldn’t have been more different in his hometown. For his homecoming.
He might have won his maiden world title on the southern European shores of Sardinia, but it was here that the result arguably meant the most. Here in the heartland, among those he’d grown up with. Among the family, the friends and – according to some – close to 10,000 fans.
Elfyn is an introvert, but was deeply appreciative of the turnout to see him
Sioned Howells was one of them. Watching the car come into Eldon Square made her journey from Pontardawe, at the other end of the Wales, well worth it.
She told DirtFish: “I’m supposed to be in work today. I’ve run out of days off, but I don’t care. I wasn’t going to miss this. I’ve been watching Elfyn since he started.”
As the emotions built, tears mingled with the rain.
“Best day of my life, this.”
That’s what it meant. Stepping out of the car, Evans himself was taken aback as he looked down the Square, down a road he’d driven thousands of times. But today, this soaking wet Thursday in the middle of October, lay a road that was lined by folk waving his flag and singing his song.
Sadly, Evans’ co-driver Scott Martin couldn’t make it – a fact emphasised by the car’s late arrival into the square. The real reason behind that was a trip to Dinas Mawddwy, the village the other side of the mountain from Dolgellau. Dinas was where Elfyn grew up. If he was doing the homecoming, it had to be done properly. And doing it properly inevitably took more time than everybody thought.
Nobody cared. The extra time offered Howard Davies, Becs Williams and Emyr Penlan the opportunity to keep the crowd entertained. Fellow Welsh world champion Phil Mills was also on hand to offer a few words, as was the commentating man of the moment Mike Chen, who happily offered a live replay of what has to be one of world rallying’s most watched clips.
And then there was Gwyndaf. Probably the second most watched clip has to be one where he realized his son was world champion. Memorable doesn’t come close.
But it was Elfyn the world had come to watch and he didn’t disappoint. Reviewing the year in typical forthright, honest fashion, he entertained the crowd before setting about signing his name, literally, thousands of time.
And then, the main event. To Marian Car Park.
Evans fired the Yaris into five minutes of sensational donuts. To begin with the crowd was silenced as folk watched on, brains frantically trying to catch up and compute the messages coming from the eyes. But then the cheering started. And didn’t stop. And nor did the donuts.
Donuts and showboating were the order of the evening
When the Toyota was finally silenced, Elyfn emerged, Welsh flag in hand. There was an arm in the air and a big wave to the crowd. Briefly, ever so briefly, I thought he might climb on top of the car and do the job properly. But that’s not Elfyn. It mattered not a bit.
This was his crown, his town and his night. And he did it his way.
Before signing off on this one, it would be remiss not to give credit to those who made it happen. Five days before Evans steered a Rally1 into his hometown, Glenn Patterson, Simon Hughes and a few folk around him had an idea and five days later they delivered what, at times, must have felt like the impossible. Liaising with police, the Dolgellau and Gwynedd councils not to mention Toyota – to make sure the machine as well as the man arrived in time – meant for long days and sleepless nights.
It was worth it. All worth it.
Just ask Sioned.
