Alain Nawfal’s presence in this year’s Speed Test Championship has been amazing after the 2 wins he scored in the first 2 races. His amazing driving is getting him seriously close to the top contestants and is proving that a FWD can challenge the EVOs in the Speed Test. After the race we met Alain and had a small chat.
We witnessed a hotly-contested Front-wheel drive category, especially with Yussif Bassil, Richard Ibrahim and you.
I’m sorry but I disagree with you, I was competing against the EVOs, the other front-wheel drive cars were too far off (laughs), I’m just joking.
No seriously, it was very nice; the crowd was cheering for the Renault Clios most…
Definitely, definitely, especially when the yellow Clio comes out (laughs).
This is your second Speed Test victory, what do you think of the season so far?
It’s a very nice season, the number of skilled contestants has significantly increased; they’ve improved a lot. The competition between the top 10 drivers was pretty fierce, so thank God I’m actually being able to be part of that top 10, seeing that my car is FWD.
Your laptime was pretty quick, you were a genuine title threat.
Correct. Let’s not forget that the more roundabouts on track, the more disadvantaged the Front-wheel drive cars are. But thank God, I’m happy with the result I’ve achieved in a 200hp FWD car. Big thank you to Bechara Bachir who prepared my car; I was able to win the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Middle East Hill Climb Championship using a car from Bechara. I would also like thank Imad Mrad who’s always there for me.
Tell us more about the problem you faced during your first run.
100 meters into my run, I lost my power steering after the oil pump belt broke off, so it became very very hard for me to actually steer the car into the corners while changing gears at the same time, but I had to keep going and set a time of 1 minute 40 seconds eventually.
Thankfully, Beshara and his crew were able to fix the power steering immediately and so I managed a 1 minute 32 seconds on my 2nd run.
Are there are any plans for a Hill Climb return?
Yes there is, hopefully next year.
In the Front-wheel drive category?
Yes definitely Front-wheel drive, and on a Renault. I’m very happy with Renault; Renault is now part of me and I feel very comfortable with the car.