Spirit of Rallyday: Howard Davies

Howard Davies isn’t a man lost for words regularly. Or often. Or ever. He was at Castle Combe on Saturday afternoon, when he was handed the Spirit of Rallyday award. He’d come to Wiltshire to do the job he’s done for the last 14 years – to talk to people – and he went home with a trophy.

British champion with Gwyndaf Evans in 1996, Davies came to the event for the first time in 2004 and hasn’t missed one since. And he won’t be missing one any time soon.

“It’s brilliant,” he says, “I love it. I think it was 2004 the first time I came. If you want to know for sure, tell you what, I’ll get back to you – I’ve got the invoices at home I’ll go through them!”

Davies genuinely fulfils the criteria for the Spirit of Rallyday trophy. Like Pauline Gullick, who took the award last year, the event wouldn’t function without him.

But it’s not a one-way street, Davies has had his moments down the years. Ask him for his best memory and he thinks. Thinks again and then comes back with…

“Colin,” it’s got to be. “The year Colin [Mcrae] came down here, it was fantastic. I remember talking to Alison [Mcrae’s wife] after the event and she said: ‘Wasn’t Rallyday a lovely day…’ and it was. And it is.” Pause. “Actually, I might have to say [Sebastien] Ogier coming. That was special. Seeing him drive that Audi quattro. I don’t know what it is, but there was an aura about him, something special. We don’t see him here that often, but he came here without any fuss and made the day.” That’s that then. “Or… watching Dai [Llewellin] go off the line in that [Audi] quattro S1. That was special. Standing behind it, I was. Feeling the heat and hearing the noise of that thing as it went was unbelievable.”

Memories. Rallyday’s good at making them.