1980 - 1986

My family business is all about Italian cars and my Grandfather started his business back in 1944, my father was also very passinate about rallyspport and in my early age we went to see many events in Netherlands and Belgium.

I started in 1980 togeather with my father and our Fiat 131 Road Car doing some regional map reading rally's, we were quite good at it but all i wanted to do was change positions and drive myself.

So in 1981 when i got my drivers licence it was my chanse... The Fiat 131 Road car was changed for a Full Group 2 Fiat 131 1.6 TC Rally Car and we started to compete in Regional rally's in Belgium wich were quite close to home and the Family Garage, so limited time was spend from home for us and the mechanics that were helping us.

My very first rally ended on my very first Special stage and in the very first corner... ofcourse not listening to the pacenotes and driving much to fast... the result you can see below, but i learned the lesson and spend the days after in the workshop to repair the damage.

We were starting to do quite well and i registered myself in the Belgian Automobile club "Duindistel" to take part in the - 25 year Junior competition, we finished 2nd in 1985 wich was a great result.

Ofcourse i wanted to go faster and faster and have a new car, i put my focus on a Fiat Ritmo Abarth but my father decided otherwise and after a good family meeting we decided it was better to stop with rally driving because of the expected extra costs and my mother was not so keen seing me and my father flying faster over the roads, so i did a few events with another CoDriver but never got the trustfull feeling that i had with my father and after a few other accidents i decided thats it.. no more rally driving.