HIGGINS TO RETURN TO UK RALLYING IN TRIBUTE TO HUGH EVANS
British rally legend was on the verge of this year’s BRC and could yet return as a tribute
David Higgins will return to UK rallying once the coronavirus pandemic eases in tribute to Hugh Evans, the man who saved his career 12 years ago.
On the eve of the 2008 season, Higgins lost his FIA licence due to a lack of finance and had a subsequent fine to pay. After reading this in Motorsport News, Evans called him, paid his fine and they formed Team TQ together for that year’s British Rally Championship.
Evans passed away last week aged 56 and Higgins is determined to either get out in a modern car or in Evans’ car – a Triumph TR8 – to honour him.
“If it wasn’t for Hugh and [his wife] Yvonne I would definitely not have had the last 12 years of being a professional driver,” Higgins told MN.
“Because the funeral is going to be not what it would have been in normal circumstances, we’ll make sure we make it [an event] happen when there’s a possibility to. We’ll get all of the team we had together to run the car and we’ll come up with a nice tribute livery, maybe get some T-shirts and hats and get all the friends and family together. This is more than an idea: we will make it happen..”
Higgins has only competed in the UK twice since 2008, but has revealed he was close to entering this year’s Cambrian Rally in a VW Polo R5 in collaboration with Evans. However a full-time BRC return appears unlikely as Higgins is nearing a deal to compete in America again.
“Hugh and I were talking to different sponsors but didn’t quite get [the Cambrian deal] together in time because I had to wait to see what was going on with Subaru [USA]. That decision was on hold so I ran out of time for the first round of the British championship and obviously, with how things panned out with the coronavirus, the sponsor that we had in line for it was in the leisure industry so they probably would’ve ended up bailing anyway.
“[But] when I first looked into the British Championship I was so excited. I’d love to support it again because it was such a key stepping stone for our family.’