Two titans of the British rallying scene are the latest guests to join us on the Gravel Notes podcast. Gwyndaf Evans lit up the stages in the 1980s and 1990s winning the British Rally Championship in 1996 driving a Ford Escort RS2000 before going on to finish a championship runner on four occasions. His son Elfyn has since developed into a regular World Rally Championship title contender with eight WRC wins under his belt. The factory Toyota Gazoo Racing driver is firmly in the fight for the 2024 crown. Autosport’s WRC reporter Tom Howard sits down with Gwyndaf and Elfyn to understand how the ..read more

Few wore their heart on the sleeve and entertained like Petter Solberg, which earned him legions of fans and the nickname Mr Hollywood. More than two decades on from winning the 2003 World Rally Championship title the much-loved Norwegian remains a force in the rallying scene. But what is it like to be Petter Solberg - the showman? Autosport’s WRC reporter Tom Howard and rally journalist Luke Barry find out how defying his parents earned him his first national success, his WRC dream team and discover some of the hidden challenges he’s overcome ..read more

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Kalle Rovanpera is one of the brightest young talents in Motorsport having rewritten the World Rally Championship record books, becoming the youngest ever champion aged 22 in 2022. Last year he joined an elite group of drivers to defend the crown that include Juha Kankkunen, Miki Biasion, Tommi Makinen, Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier. The Finn may be familiar for tackling the world toughest roads but this year he is expanding his motorsport horizons, dovetailing a part-time WRC campaign with a move into circuit racing. But there is a lot more that makes the Finn tick ..read more

The dust has just about settled from an absolute barnstormer of a Rally Italia Sardinia that saw Hyundai’s Ott Tanak victorious by the joint smallest winning margin in series history. Tanak defeated Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier by 0.2s after final stage drama, while points leader Thierry Neuville and contender Elfyn Evans found the going tough as the WRC rolled out its new sprint format. Autosport WRC reporter Tom Howard and rally journalist Luke Barry review a record equalling rally and discuss the championship’s new format ..read more

It has been a big week for rallying already. Lancia has announced it is making a long-awaited comeback to the stages while the World Rally Championship will trial its new sprint concept in Sardinia. Autosport WRC reporter Tom Howard and rally journalist Luke Barry take a look at what Lancia’s announcement means for the world of rallying and preview the sixth round of the WRC in Sardinia. There is also a return of the Barry’s Brain quiz as Luke’s Sardinia knowledge is put to the test ..read more

World Rally Championship points leaders Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe join Gravel Notes for a special episode. The Hyundai Motorsport duo have made a blistering start to the 2024 season headlined by a stunning win in Monte Carlo.  In a wide-ranging interview Thierry and Martijn discuss their first rally memories and how they work together as driver and co-driver. We also find out where their never give up attitude comes from and how they unwind away from the stages ..read more

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Four different winners from as many events has left the World Rally Championship delicately poised with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville maintaining a six-point lead over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans heading into Portugal this week. A founding member of inaugural WRC season in 1973, Portugal is a firm fan and driver favourite, thanks to its challenging, yet brutal stages.But will it serve up another twist in the title chase? Autosport WRC reporter Tom Howard is joined by rally journalist Luke Barry to discuss all the key topics heading into Portugal, including the return of Kalle Rovnapera and a thrilling ..read more

The World Rally Championship returned to Croatia this past weekend for Round 4 of the 2024 season and with it, an epic battle between Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville took place, but with errors from both men in the closing stages, Sebastien Ogier came through to take the overall victory.  On this week's Gravel Notes, Tom Howard and Luke Barry break down all the drama, hold a referendum on the controversial points system and the impact it's having on close Rallies like this one. Also, a review of WRC2 and another dominant weekend for Citroen, as well as their favourite quotes and unsung ..read more

Welcome back to another edition of Gravel Notes and in this episode, hosts Tom Howard and Luke Barry discuss the breaking news that the Ireland Rally attempt for 2025 has sadly been cancelled and whether there's any chance it can be brought back in the future. The pair also preview the 2024 Croatia Rally and there's an extra challenging edition of "Barry's Brain" as Tom tries to stump Luke over his Croatia Rally knowledge!  ..read more